If you work at a workbench or a laboratory bench or perhaps an isolator or glove box, some of the normal rules which are relevant to sitting at a desk do not apply.
You can avoid injury or discomfort by sitting in the right position on the right type of chair and following these suggestions:
Support your back - A properly adjusted chair will reduce the strain on your back. Get one that's easily adjustable so you can change the height, back position and tilt and where possible, also the seat tilt. If you're leaning forward at all, such as into a microscope or glove box, then correct back support is essential. Your knees should be below the level of your hips. A footrest or footrail may be necessary to support this position.
Adjust your seat - Be aware of the various adjustments that it is possible to achieve with your chair. In particular, if other people use your chair such as with multi-shift operations or the shared use of equipment, you may need to re-adjust your chiar each time you use it.
Where to rest your feet - Your feet clearly cannot be flat on the floor as when sitting at a desk. It is important, therefore to have a footring supplied with all draughtsman chairs. In some cases, it is also useful to have an independent footrest or footrail under the bench, although many isolators for example, do not allow space for this. It is important to maintain the correct height position of the footring in relation to a comfortable and supportive position for your feet. It is also an important safety feature to use the footring for getting on and off the chair, particularly with vinyl chair which can be slippery, when wearing lab or cleanroom clothing.
Make objects accessible - Postion your chair in the right place to be able to reach the objects with which you are working. Try to avoid over-reaching, again particularly on a vinyl chair to avoid slipping from the chair. As a general rule, don't sit in the same position for long periods. Try to change your posture as often as practical. Some movement is desirable, but avoid repeating stretching to reach objects.
Work safely! - Working on a draughtsman chair is more challenging than on a desk height chair. Make sure that you are comfortable and feel safe on the chair at all times and make any adjustments before you start working.
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