What is HSG57?
HSG57, "Seating at Work," is the Health and Safety Executive's guidance on providing appropriate seating for workers across all workplace settings. This document addresses the often-overlooked but significant impact that seating has on worker health, comfort, and productivity.
Poor seating contributes to musculoskeletal disorders including back pain, neck problems, and circulation issues. These conditions cause significant absence from work and can lead to long-term disability. HSG57 provides practical guidance on preventing these problems through proper seat selection and workstation design.
The guidance takes a task-based approach, recognising that seating requirements differ dramatically between office work, industrial operations, vehicle driving, and other applications. It covers not just the chair itself but the relationship between seating, work surfaces, and tasks being performed.
HSG57 applies across all sectors where workers sit during their work activities. While particularly relevant to office environments, the principles extend to manufacturing, retail, healthcare, transport, and any setting where seated work occurs. The guidance helps employers meet their duties under workplace health and safety legislation while also improving worker comfort and efficiency.
Who Needs This Document?
HSG57 is valuable for anyone responsible for workplace seating decisions:
Primary Audiences:
- Office managers responsible for workstation equipment
- Facilities managers procuring workplace furniture
- Health and safety professionals conducting DSE assessments
- HR professionals addressing absence from musculoskeletal problems
- Occupational health practitioners advising on seating
- Ergonomics consultants designing workstations
Secondary Audiences:
- Production managers responsible for industrial workstations
- Fleet managers selecting vehicle seating
- Retail managers providing seating for staff
- Call centre managers with large seated workforces
- Architects and designers planning workplace layouts
- Procurement staff purchasing workplace furniture
The guidance benefits any organisation where workers spend significant time seated, from small offices to large manufacturing facilities.
Key Topics Covered
HSG57 provides comprehensive coverage of workplace seating requirements:
The Importance of Good Seating
The guidance explains why seating matters:
- Link between poor seating and musculoskeletal disorders
- Effects of prolonged sitting on health
- Relationship between comfort and productivity
- Legal requirements for workplace seating
- Economic costs of seating-related absence
Principles of Good Seating
Core ergonomic principles for work seating:
- Supporting the lower back (lumbar region)
- Maintaining neutral spine posture
- Allowing movement and position changes
- Accommodating different body sizes
- Enabling task requirements to be met
- Promoting circulation and comfort
Seat Selection Criteria
What to consider when choosing work seats:
- Adjustability features and their importance
- Seat pan dimensions and padding
- Backrest height, angle, and lumbar support
- Armrest requirements and positioning
- Swivel, tilt, and mobility features
- Materials, durability, and maintenance
Office Seating
Specific requirements for office chairs:
- Features essential for computer work
- Integrating seating with desk height
- DSE Regulations requirements
- Task chairs versus executive seating
- 24-hour chairs for continuous operations
- Home working considerations
Industrial Seating
Seating for manufacturing and production:
- Sit-stand workstations and stools
- Seating at assembly lines
- Machine operator seating
- Laboratory and cleanroom seating
- Anti-static and specialist applications
- Durability in industrial environments
Vehicle Seating
Guidance for drivers and vehicle operators:
- Features important for driving tasks
- Adjustability for different drivers
- Suspension seating for rough terrain
- Vibration reduction considerations
- Access and egress requirements
Sit-Stand Working
Alternatives to continuous sitting:
- Benefits of varied postures
- Sit-stand desks and workstations
- Perching stools and support aids
- Standing mats and accessories
- Implementing sit-stand policies
Matching Seating to Tasks
Selecting appropriate seating for work activities:
- Analysing task requirements
- Work surface heights and reaching
- Duration of seated work periods
- Movement requirements during work
- Precision work versus physical tasks
Special Needs
Accommodating individual requirements:
- Adjustments for different body sizes
- Seating for workers with disabilities
- Pregnancy and temporary conditions
- Returning to work after injury
- Heavy-duty seating requirements
Training and Information
Helping workers use seating correctly:
- How to adjust chair features
- Good sitting posture guidance
- Taking breaks from seated work
- Reporting seating problems
- DSE training requirements
Using This Guidance
Implementing HSG57 effectively involves the following approach:
Step 1: Assess Your Seating Needs Review all work activities where employees sit. Identify the nature of tasks, duration of seated work, and any specific requirements. Consider different roles and work patterns across your organisation.
Step 2: Evaluate Current Seating Audit existing seating against HSG57 criteria. Check adjustability, condition, and suitability for tasks performed. Gather feedback from users about comfort and problems experienced.
Step 3: Identify Improvements Needed Based on your assessment, determine what improvements are required. This may range from replacing worn chairs to fundamentally reconsidering workstation design. Prioritise changes based on risk and impact.
Step 4: Select Appropriate Seating When purchasing new seating, use HSG57 criteria to specify requirements. Consider trial periods for different options. Involve workers in selection where practical. Balance features against budget constraints.
Step 5: Configure Workstations Ensure seating works correctly with work surfaces, equipment, and tasks. Adjust desk heights, monitor positions, and layouts to optimise the seated working environment. Consider the whole workstation, not just the chair.
Step 6: Train Users Provide information on adjusting seating correctly. Demonstrate proper posture and explain why it matters. Include seating guidance in DSE training. Encourage workers to report problems.
Step 7: Promote Movement Encourage regular breaks from seated work. Consider sit-stand options where appropriate. Build movement into work routines. Address the health risks of prolonged static sitting.
Step 8: Maintain and Review Establish maintenance schedules for seating. Replace worn or damaged chairs promptly. Review seating arrangements when tasks or personnel change. Monitor absence data related to musculoskeletal issues.
Why It Matters
Proper workplace seating is essential for multiple important reasons:
Preventing Musculoskeletal Disorders: Back pain, neck problems, and related conditions are leading causes of workplace absence and disability. Proper seating significantly reduces these risks by supporting good posture and reducing physical strain.
Legal Compliance: The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require suitable seating where work can or must be done sitting. The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 specify seating requirements for DSE workstations. HSG57 provides guidance on meeting these duties.
Reducing Absence: Musculoskeletal disorders account for millions of lost working days annually in the UK. Investing in good seating reduces absence costs and maintains workforce availability.
Improving Productivity: Comfortable workers are more productive workers. Poor seating causes discomfort, distraction, and fatigue that reduces work quality and output. Good seating supports sustained effective work.
Supporting Diverse Workforces: Modern workforces include people of varying sizes, ages, and physical capabilities. Adjustable, appropriate seating accommodates this diversity and enables everyone to work comfortably.
Long-term Health: The effects of poor seating accumulate over time. Workers spending decades in unsuitable chairs develop chronic conditions that affect their quality of life. Employers have responsibilities for long-term worker health.
Reasonable Adjustments: Under equality legislation, employers must make reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities. Appropriate seating is often a key adjustment, and HSG57 guidance supports these decisions.
Worker Wellbeing: Beyond regulatory compliance, good employers care about worker comfort and wellbeing. Providing proper seating demonstrates this commitment and supports positive workplace culture.
Cost-Effectiveness: Quality seating costs more initially but delivers returns through reduced absence, improved productivity, and longer service life. Poor seating creates hidden costs that exceed apparent savings.
By following HSG57 guidance, employers can provide seating that protects worker health, meets legal requirements, and supports productive, comfortable working conditions throughout their organisation.