Total Office adjusts to ergonomic focus

The Life: Siddharth Peters of The Total Office talks about the challenges in getting people inside and outside the company to embrace ergonomics.

Siddharth Peters, the managing director of The Total Office, says the emphasis is now on ergonomic products. Jaime Puebla / The National

Siddharth Peters is the managing director of The Total Office, a furniture store with outlets in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. He discusses the company's new emphasis on ergonomic design, and how your desk may look different before long.

You've been around since 1997 but the focus on ergonomics is fairly new. Why?

This has definitely been a push for us recently, as we've been linking with the right companies and staffing - they're young and understand ergonomics. It's an evolution. This is not something we started off with, and there's been a lot of transformation within our company. We started as a traditional business selling a table and chair like everybody else.

So when did you get serious about ergonomics?

Our true push on ergonomics came in early 2009. Prior to that it was just a conversation about lumbar support.

How is ergonomics different from traditional office design?

Well, ergonomics - just like sustainability - has a very holistic approach. It can range from the actual design of the office space to the products you end up using. We're only in products. The idea is to bring everything to the right height and make sure you're not pinching the nerves behind the neck.

How do you convince customers that it is in their interest to splurge on an ergonomic chair?

I sit in one chair, and the client in another. I would play with the features, and the client would watch and play with it at the same time. We've also done research in conjunction with other companies, where we provide companies and our clients with free information. We're trying to educate. It's a little bit selfless - in that you want to give it to the industry to help educate - and selfish, of course, as you hope customers buy from you.

How do you maximise workplace productivity without sacrificing workplace health?

You have to look at workflow, yes, but also work areas, so you can be active over eight to 12 hours. It's not good to have a printer on your desk, primarily because you won't get off your desk.

Virtually every office chair manufacturer offers an ergonomic model these days. What's the next big thing in ergonomics?

In Holland, it has become law now to have a high-adjustable desk for each person, primarily because they don't want you in a stagnant position all day. You can sit down, stand up for five minutes and use your phone - as long as you're moving. A lot of people in Europe are moving towards this. Our designer is now sitting on a high-adjustable desk.