A re-thinking of the design of the office chair has led to the revolutionary `Steelcase Leap Chair' which promises more productivity for the workplace.

The Leap, now on sale locally, takes advantage of extensive ergonomic designing by a team of scientists who designed the chair around the structure and dynamics of the human spine, rather than building on what was found to be faulty design.

Ergonomics is the study of body posture and its relation to the use of tools, from heavy machinery to computer keyboards and monitors in this case.

While expensive -- the chairs run from more than $1,200 to $1,500 -- Steelcase representative Alfredo Solis this week said employers are willing to buy the chairs for their office workers because they understand economics.

"We started from scratch,'' Mr. Solis said. "Steelcase has a 90-year history and has been pioneering the design and bringing to market of the highest selling ergonomic chairs since the 1960s.

"We're not sitting on our laurels and we spent millions on how humans relate to their working environment,'' he said. "Every seat can be comfortable but as the day goes on is really the difference. It costs money to have uncomfortable employees.

"Think about it,'' he continued. "When you sit at a computer and you're not comfortable, what do you do? You get up and walk about. That costs money. all those minutes and all those days cost money.

"If people develop back trouble, they don't show up to work,'' Mr. Solis concluded. "Goldman Sacks, Ford, Johnson and Johnson, Bank of America, they all have made the investment for everyone (in their offices).

"You simply shouldn't have to be a contortionist to sit or adjust a seat. Why place a control so that you might throw out your back to reach down and turn? In the old technology, your back had to conform to the chair but with this Leap technology, now the chair conforms to your back.'' Mr. Solis added: "Executives are buying them for themselves and they are buying them for the receptionist.'' For more than five years, 27 independent scientists conducted 11 studies using 732 subjects to study the human spine and how it moves when sitting.

It was found that the upper and lower parts of the spine move independently of each other when moving while sitting while not only is the shape and form of each spine different, spinal motion is also unique.

The scientists also found that the two regions of the back require differing amounts and kinds of support while sitting and vision and reach also affect posture.

The result of these findings is a chair seat that slides forward when the back is reclined, the lower and upper parts of the back are braced differently.

A Leap chair's back also conforms to the changing shape of the back throughout the day, reducing fatigue and hunched sitting.

These and other details have revolutionised the office chair industry, setting on its head cherished ideas.

Larger casters than were the industry standard are used to make movement easier.

Seat depth is highly adjustable to fit short or tall people and the pivot arms are adjustable in three directions.

The Leap chair is even for a short time -- a Royal Gazette photographer mutinied when it was time to leave -- and is infinitely adjustable to accommodate any body size.

Steelcase has been partnered with Bermuda office supplier A.F. Smith since 1974 and is the largest manufacturer of office furniture.

"The industry has never heard of a chair getting 23 new patents,'' Mr. Solis said. "This has revolutionised chair ergonomics. That is why people are prepared to shell out so much for the technology improvements.

"This chair is years ahead of anything else. I know that when you are not in the industry a chair is a chair, but our product is much more complex because the back is complex.'' The Leap chair is available for demonstration at A.F. Smith's offices on Tumkins Lane, Pembroke.