How to create professional workplaces in a few simple steps

The market of industrial furniture is extremely demanding. The times when the entrepreneurs chose the standard solutions – offered by the manufacturer and adapted to them – have passed. Every industry, every manufacturer or service provider has different needs and, what is fully understandable, requires different solutions for them. In response to these market requirements, RENEX – a Polish manufacturer of REECO industrial furniture – offers a line of modern furniture modules. The systems are designed in a way that allows them to be adapted to the needs of an individual client. Regardless of the industry or the type of activity in which the client operates, the goal is always the same – to create a professional workplace.

Step 1. Defining the general requirements. In many areas, all components used in the construction of a workplace must meet certain standards. REECO furniture has a modern steel construction coated with an antistatic and antibacterial layer. Thanks to this it fully meets the requirements in such industries as electronics, food processing, pharmaceutical and many others. At this initial step the visual overall design of selected furniture should also be taken into consideration. In many industries, a professional, modern image might mean one contractor is chosen over the others. Reeco furniture has been recognized and awarded the “Good Design” award in 2015 by the Polish Institute of Industrial Design.

Step 2. Defining the workplace requirements. The process begins with the selection of the right table – it will be the base for the whole workplace. The choice should start with determining in what position the work is done – either sitting or standing – and take into account the weight of the objects the employee handles. OHS standards recommend changing work positions at a frequency of 2 to 4 times per hour. In Scandinavian countries, insurance premiums for workplaces enabling periodic changes in the work position are already a standard. It should be expected that such standards will soon be commonplace all around Europe. The range of employee’s heights and body types is also very important. Taking into account these factors, we can choose the type of construction on which the tabletop will be placed. All constructions offered by Reeco are adjustable in height. Particularly noteworthy, however, are electrically adjustable mechanisms, which allow for a simple and smooth change of height. The worker, using the controller installed in the front of the table, can adjust the table height range from 670 to 1120 millimeters. The tabletop should also be adapted to the work characteristics. The REECO offer includes tabletops with increased mechanical strength. Next we should chose the shape of the tabletop. For separately placed workstations, ergonomic tops are suggested – where the edge next to the user is rounded inward. For a series of workplaces, rectangular table tops might be a better option. These shapes can be easily combined with each other into larger sections. Another option worth considering are corner segments. These combine two workstations for a better use of space. For laboratory applications, Reeco offers anti-vibration worktops, designed for high accuracy measuring equipment such as scales and microscopes.

Step 3. Having the table, proceed to the next step and properly arrange the work zone. It is necessary to consider what objects, tools and components must be in the immediate range of the employee, and what are their size, weight and power requirements. At this point, it is also important to eliminate unnecessary and dangerous elements, such as waste, fumes or even rarely used tools. These factors will depend on the selection and placement of modules extending the workplace. The most popular option in the Reeco offer is the addition of perforated vertical frames. They allow for mounting a wide range of shelves, containers, handles, mounts (eg for monitors) or universal perforated panels in front of the employee. Modules of this type are in the immediate range and at the eye level of the employee. These sort of solutions aid maintaining order in the workplance, and thus ensure efficiency and safety. A functionally similar solution – extending the range of use of the workplace is the addition of suspended drawers.

Step 4. Having outlined the workplace, it’s time to look at the power supply and the lighting. We need to know what are the electrical devices that will be used within the workplace and what their requirements are. The basic setup usually includes a multi outlet extension cord placed on the panel in front of the employee. As before, proper planning and maintenance are key to safety and productivity. A much more advanced solution is to equip the station with a RACK hanging cabinets. The cabinets of this type enable easy and quick construction of a measuring station. They are designed for mounting devices inside standard 19″ 6H housing. They are an ideal protection for headends against mechanical damage. As for lightning, LED lamps are the most common choice. When choosing the right one we should take into account what kind of work will performed within the workplace and if there are any industry standards specifying the minimum level of lighting for the work being done. Reeco lamps are offered in standard cold light, but lamps of any color intensity can be provided as per a customer’s needs.

Step 5. The last element of the workstation within the immediate reach of the employee is a chair. Erroneously often underestimated, choosing the right chair is crucial to the ergonomics of the work environment. Chairs, for most applications, should be height adjustable. In addition, depending on the industry, properties of the materials used should be taken into consideration – ie. If they are ESD safe.

Step 6. Having designed the workstation within the immediate range of the employee, we can proceed to the selection of the components of the outer zone. The selection of these components should begin with determining what tools, objects and components are necessary for the job at a given position but are used by the employee rarely, several times a day. This category will typically include documentation, spare components, or tools used only for specific orders. By specifying the size and weight of these items we should know what the storage requirements are. Knowing this, we can choose appropriate cabinets, storage shelves, and trolleys. The Reeco offer includes a wide range of storage systems. The modules are based on a perforated frame and have a modular construction allowing for further expansion in the future. Worth considering is also application of mobile constructions that can be easily moved to the place where they are currently required. In summary – creating the perfect workstation is not as difficult as it seems. However, it is always worth starting by looking at our needs and requirements determined by our industry. On the Recco website we find sample configurations that can be used as an inspiration. You can also make your task even easier by contacting the Renex technical and sales representative.