Fellow Thai-seating sufferer

I didn’t know my problems with office seating were shared by others here, but I am not surprised.

We bought a locally-made office chair for the home computer the other day. It has wheels, but the seat reclines, hurting my legs and my back.

The Thais who make such things appear to think their occupants will be tiny, and will enjoy reclining rather than sitting forward, even though, in most cases, they may have to use it in front of a computer.

If I am sitting at a computer for hours, the chair must be comfortable, adaptable, and preferably with coasters (wheels) as well.

It's new, so I will have to put up with it, but that doesn't make it any easier.

Regular reader Yraen has encountered similar problems with Thai-made office seating...

‘It seems the basic proposition is that one should weigh less than 75Kg and that one should be semi-reclined in the chair (despite it being built for work, allegedly).

'The other basic criteria appears to be that the seat should be so hard that one MUST stand up every 4-5 minutes to allow blood-flow and feeling to return to one's b u m and legs.

'My only solution was to go around some of the stores, try out lots of different chairs then buy one that suited me. It cost a bit more but I can now get to spend a reasonable amount of time at the PC.' 

I have a similar problem with the primitive seating at work.

My last company, in the West, employed an occupational health nurse, who knew her ergonomics. She instructed us how to sit correctly in front of the computer to avoid occupational overuse problems, such as repetitive strain injury, a bad back, sore shoulders...

She would tour the office, inspecting our seating posture, and check whether the desk and computer height was right for our height and shape.

Does this country even know about occupational health nursing?

I can't recall the last time my employer bought us new seating or desks at work.

The desk is too low for my height, and the chair can be moved upwards only so far.

I prop up my flimsy keyboard on books and a door snake, tilted up at an angle, so my fingers can hit the keys more accurately.

I can raise or lower the part of my desk where the keyboard sits, but not much. Occasionally I put a book under the VDU as well.

If these measures fail I can stick my knees under the part of my desk where the keyboard sits, and lift my legs, elevating it further. It’s primitive, but that’s the best I can do.

I am amazed more staff do not call in sick with RSI, as we called it in my day. No one makes a fuss, but I am not surprised. My workplace has little history of workers taking action to assert their rights. We have a staff union, but I never hear from them.

We go into work for as long as we are happy or able. When we get sick of it or find something better, we leave.