Central Safety Group Melbourne

Date & Time: Tuesday 11 September 2018 at 12:00pm Venue: Level 1, 333 Queen Street Melbourne (AMS Consulting Group)

Sit to stand desks – what’s the verdict?

Professor David Caple - OHS consultant and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Ergonomics & Human Factors, La Trobe University.

Many organisations have invested in sit-stand desks in response to experts’ claims about the benefits, ranging from reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes to solving back pain.

Professor David Caple will discuss the latest knowledge on the effectiveness of sit-stand desks and issues surrounding their use on 11 September in a lunchtime talk to the Central Safety Group.

David is presenting two papers on this topic at the International Ergonomics Association Congress in Florence, Italy in August. He will be part of a group of 16 presenters from around the world sharing the latest research relating to sit to stand desks.

There can be confusion about how much to use these desks while working, and whether a certain duration or pattern of standing should be prescribed. “In some places they are using them very well, but in other places employees and their managers are unclear about how to benefit from them. As a result, you’ll sometimes find people feeling guilty for not using them,” says David. “A lot of factors can affect how successful these desks are in the workplace. This includes things like the change management process, job design, employee education and work culture.”

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Sit to stand desks: what's the verdict?

Professor David Caple is a popular annual speaker at Central Safety Group and has spoken on a range of topics. On 11 September a keen crowd attended his talk about the latest findings on the benefits of sit-stand desks. 

He talked about changes in workplace design that have brought more variety into the use of sit-stand desks. However, there is also the need for people to have a better understanding of desk height and positioning, patterns of use and the appropriate posture, at which point the presentation became interactive when he had us all up trying it out.

David also outlined current research findings that disputed some of the earlier assumptions about the benefits of using these desks – including cardiovascular benefits and alleviating shoulder and lower back fatigue.

Once again David Caple's presentation proved why his appearance at Central Safety Group is always one of the highlights of the year.

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