How you take care of your employees and how their workplace is organized depends on the efficiency of labor, and, consequently, the profit of the company.

The workplace must correspond to the anthropometric data of a person. At the same time, each specialty (both office and production) has its own characteristics of space organization.

In the first case, office tables and chairs deserve attention: they must be very comfortable. In addition, all computers are equipped with LCD monitors, the harm to the eyes from which is minimal. A person at work should feel safe.

Sophisticated ventilation and optimal temperature and humidity conditions are the main factors for comfortable functioning. Arrange airing several times a day: no matter what modern air conditioners are, they will never replace fresh air. When activities are associated with dust and air pollution, personal protective equipment (respirators or gas masks) is carefully considered.

The same applies to industries with increased noise: workers are provided with headphones. The buildings include sewerage, supply of cold and hot water, heating and air conditioning. Considered space for parking personal vehicles.

When the organization is located outside the city, official transport is provided. Greening the surrounding area has a beneficial effect on the emotional state of the staff, as well as on the purity of the air and noise reduction. Do not neglect indoor landscaping: indoor plants create a feeling of comfort and purify the air. In addition, they share space with their help.

Another factor is good lighting. If it is not enough, then there is a rapid fatigue of the body. As for the light, it should be sufficient and uniform. See that employees are protected from blinding light sources.

Unfortunately, many people underestimate the role of color in a room. And the color scheme can have both favorable and negative effects on the body. For example, red in moderation causes a surge of energy, and in excess even leads to neurosis.

The entire team is given mandatory briefing on safety, fire protection and sanitation. It should be noted that special bodies and organizations of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service monitor the hygienic working conditions.

It is important that they are observed not "indicatively" for the inspection bodies, but throughout the year. Regular medical check-ups are required. This is extremely important for working specialties where a person comes into contact with chemicals (for example, in workshops where wood boards are cut, furniture is painted or varnished). But office professions (accountants, financiers, designers, etc.) also need regular examinations by doctors: after all, people with sedentary work often have problems with the heart and joints.

So a manager who thinks about the physical condition of his subordinates automatically takes care of his own profit: a healthy staff is capable of better production results. Of particular importance is the mode of work and rest. Ideally, you need a rest every hour. It can be a short walk or exercise: the main thing is to have a change of activity.

This improves performance and reduces fatigue. Interesting is the practice of firms that install tables for table tennis or hockey. There must be a place for a comfortable meal, equipped with a sink, a microwave (or an ordinary stove) and a refrigerator. There, employees can have a quiet lunch or a snack, as well as a little chat.

Since 2000, the Argo company has become popular not only in Russia, but also abroad. The company organizes delivery to all corners of the world from official stores in Moscow and Novosibirsk.

At the moment, Argo products are used by 3 million people on an ongoing basis.

The product range includes more than 800 items of different directions. In the catalog you can find innovative developments for home and life, for cars, for summer cottages and farming, for animal husbandry.

All Argo products are certified. The products have been clinically tested and proven to be effective.

For 22 years of the company's work, a huge database of results and feedback on the use of products from the Argo catalog has been collected. The company's performance is an opportunity to qualitatively change life and the environment.

For regular customers of the company there is a bonus system of discounts and cashback, which allows you to save money. Anyone can become a member of the bonus program by purchasing an Argo discount card or registering on the company's official website.

Chipboards (chipboards), which are used to make furniture, are pressed under conditions of high temperature and high pressure. At the same time, artificial (urea-formaldehyde or phenol-formaldehyde) resins are added to small wood chips as a binder.

After pressing, chipboards are coated with films made from thermosetting polymers. Highly active substances such as formaldehydes, phenols, phthalates and polymers released from chipboard are very harmful to human health. Their presence is easily determined by an unpleasant odor.

Nowadays, most of the furniture is made from chipboard. Meanwhile, the formaldehyde contained in them is a highly toxic allergenic substance, which, when it enters the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract with air, causes bronchitis, laryngitis, pneumonia, as well as eye irritation, runny nose and cough.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially designated formaldehyde as a carcinogen because it has been found to cause cancer. Under the influence of formaldehyde, degenerative changes in the liver, kidneys, heart and brain develop.

Phenol and formaldehyde produce effects on the body with long-term effects that appear after a long time and can be passed on to the next generation. In this regard, it is not recommended to use chipboard to mask batteries in an apartment (which is very often done for decorative purposes), since under the influence of heat, the release of harmful substances into the air increases. Chipboard should not be used for floor insulation either, especially if the boards are bare and not covered with anything on top.

Chipboards according to the content of free (that is, having the ability to stand out from furniture) formaldehyde are divided into 3 classes:

- class E1 (up to 10 mg per 100 g of dry slab);

- class E2 (10–20 mg);

- class E3 (30–60 mg).

To protect yourself from the harmful effects of formaldehyde and other highly active substances, when buying furniture, you need to require documents evidencing the safety of the product (hygienic certificate), as well as pay attention to the quality of the finish - whether the end surfaces of the panels and hidden cavities.

Laminate is a special film that covers wood or chipboard. The tape itself is harmless. The danger is the glue and mastic on which the laminate is held.

Progressive is MDF - a high-quality (and more expensive) furniture material obtained by hot pressing wood dust without the use of toxic binders.

Poorly processed edges and chipped chipboard are also dangerous. These areas must be isolated.

Harmful substances can be released from furniture for a year or more. In addition, according to some experts, over time, furniture begins to emit harmful substances even more, as the resins begin to decompose.

It should also be noted that during a fire, burning chipboard (like fiberboard, plywood, etc.) releases large amounts of formaldehyde into the air, which can lead to immediate poisoning. It is recommended to purchase only certified furniture that has been tested for the release of chemicals into the air that are hazardous to life, human health and the environment. Particle boards used in the manufacture of furniture must be veneered, laminated and protected with a PVC layer. Furniture for children should be made only from chipboard with formaldehyde emission class E1, the volatile substances of which are 3 times lower than the maximum allowable standards.

Cushioned furniture

In the manufacture of modern upholstered furniture, foam rubber and synthetic fabrics are used. Foam rubber itself is not harmful, but if a fire occurs and the furniture catches fire, it will begin to emit deadly gases, such as hydrogen cyanide.

It is believed that smokers who fall asleep with an unextinguished cigarette die precisely from poisoning by these gases, and not from fire as such, since often in such cases a large fire is not observed. Meanwhile, staying in the smoke from a burnt sofa for just a few minutes is enough to kill a person.

Nylon, used for furniture upholstery, can also become a source of hazardous substances when burned. Some acrylics and polyurethane foam are used in the stuffing of sofas, armchairs and mattresses, and sometimes in the manufacture of foam-lined rugs. All of these materials release cyanide when ignited, which is also a very common cause of deaths in fires.

Synthetic fabrics, which are used for upholstery, have a high electrical conductivity and low hygroscopicity.

In addition, when burned, they also emit harmful substances. The electrified fabric attracts dust and various microbes, which increases the risk of illness in a person using this furniture.

Static charge also negatively affects the body, causing excitement, irritation and nervousness.

In addition, static electricity accelerates the destruction of the material itself, while toxic substances are released that more actively penetrate the body.

Some buyers prefer natural upholstery materials such as wool, cotton, linen, silk, etc. They have low electrical conductivity, so they attract dust and bacteria less.

However, at present, many materials can hardly be called natural. For example, cotton began to be harvested using chemical means: plants are sprayed with pesticides, and the leaves fall off on their own. The same can be said about sheep, which are treated with a special solution so that the wool itself falls out. All these chemicals, to one degree or another, get into the product, which is then made from cotton or wool. Subsequently, these harmful substances pass into the human body upon contact with such furniture.

Approximately 8000 different chemicals are currently used in the textile industry to ensure that fabrics do not wrinkle, rub, do not get greasy, wash well and do not shrink. Thanks to a special chemical treatment, the furniture upholstery does not get greasy or fade.

Recently, a special brand "Green Cotton" has become widespread in the West. It is applied to cotton fabrics for which the cotton has been grown and harvested without the use of pesticides, bleached without chlorine, and dyed using substances that do not contain heavy metals.

For dyeing fabrics, as a rule, synthetic aniline dyes are used, which are very harmful. Natural dyes are limited in colors to a few colors - beige, brown and black, and the paints themselves do not have high light resistance and quickly fade.

Furniture is a source of dust that causes eye irritation, runny nose, respiratory problems and bronchitis. In heat or dampness, various microorganisms actively begin to multiply, many of which cause respiratory diseases that can pose a threat to human health.

Children's furniture

The issue of safety is perhaps the most important when it comes to furniture for children. It must be strong and stable. In addition, preference should be given to furniture made from environmentally friendly materials.

Solid wood furniture is the best option, but it can be very expensive. When choosing furniture made of wood, it is advisable to give preference to species such as beech, alder, birch, ash or maple. It is not recommended to purchase furniture made of pine, as it has soft wood, which is easily damaged by any, even the slightest mechanical impact.

The environmental friendliness of materials for children's furniture is confirmed by international certificates ISO 9001-2000, as well as a hygiene certificate and a certificate of conformity.

Chipboard models are much cheaper, however, as mentioned above, chipboard is fraught with danger - formaldehyde toxic substances, the vapors of which can cause nausea and headaches in a child. If you still buy furniture made of chipboard, you should definitely ask the seller for an appropriate hygiene certificate, indicating that the material used emits a minimum amount of formaldehyde (much less than the existing safety standard).

When buying furniture for a child, you must also ensure that all materials are hypoallergenic (non-allergenic). Paints, enamels and varnishes used to cover children's furniture should also be environmentally friendly.

Handicraft furniture

Recently, many handicraft workshops have appeared on the Russian market that produce low-quality furniture. It does not meet the requirements of GOST and does not have a hygienic certificate. In this regard, such furniture poses a health hazard, and there is no guarantee that it will last a long time.

Professional furniture makers advise buying furniture only from well-established and time-tested companies. Many handicraft workshops are simply not able to purchase the necessary expensive equipment for making furniture. All operations are performed by eye and using our own technologies. Furniture made in such firms has overhead (sometimes mortise) edges for facing the edge of the material.

But it is even more dangerous to deal with manufacturers who do not have a permanent production base at all. They literally make furniture at home, using materials of very dubious quality. Such brigades will not be able to present any claims.

Recently, fakes under leading brands are not uncommon on the Russian market. They are of very low quality. In order not to be mistaken, you should pay attention to the coating of the frame frame (it should not have waviness and structure) and other technical points. In addition, you need to make sure that the company offering the product has a permanent office where you can come and look at the products. If the manufacturer gives only a cell phone number or the address of a trade show at a construction show, he may well be a scammer.

When buying a sliding system, a minimum warranty period of 3 years is given. A real company with a good reputation can give a 5-year warranty on the furniture's driving mechanisms.

Furniture color

It may seem to a person that he does not react to color in any way, but his eye is able to capture the slightest color shades (up to 1.5 million tones) and react to them in a certain way. The subconscious of a person and his genetic memory fix all color information. Therefore, being in a certain color scheme can imperceptibly influence and guide our emotions and actions.

Unfavorable colors for furniture are:

- red - creates nervous tension, leading to hypertension;

- black and purple - significantly reduce space, which can be harmful to the psyche of people suffering from claustrophobia;

- brown (including wood trim) - causes melancholy, leads to the development of depression;

- gray - evokes sadness and despondency;

- blue - creates a feeling of cold and discomfort.

All this affects the human psyche, calming him or, conversely, destroying the nervous system.

Frequent headaches, throat irritation, cough and runny nose that appear after a long stay in the room - the cause of this may not be an acute respiratory disease at all, but formaldehyde, which is released from the furniture. What are the symptoms of poisoning by toxic substances that furniture emits, and how to protect your health?

As we said earlier, in the production of chipboard and MDF materials for furniture, resins that contain formaldehyde are added to their composition. Standing out, this substance gradually poisons health and can lead to a number of serious diseases.

It is believed that most formaldehyde emissions occur within 6 months of buying new furniture. But even after that, hazardous substances from furniture continue to be released, and their evaporation increases significantly during the heating season in winter: under heating from batteries, formaldehyde evaporates even faster, and dry indoor air leads to an increase in its concentration in the air.

The main symptoms of formaldehyde poisoning are:

1. Irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes and upper respiratory tract, skin.

2. Frequent headache, cough, runny nose, nasal congestion.

3. Unmotivated depression of mood.

How to recognize formaldehyde poisoning from furniture?

1. The symptoms listed above are manifested in several people who have been in this room for a sufficient time. When the environment changes, the ailments disappear.

2. With the onset of the heating season, the symptoms of poisoning intensify.

3. When airing the apartment, the symptoms decrease or temporarily disappear.

If you have a suspicion of poisoning with toxic substances that are released by furniture in your home, you can contact specialized organizations that will conduct a sanitary and epidemiological examination for formaldehyde. The cost of such an examination is not cheap: on average, it can range from 3 to 5 thousand UAH for an average apartment.

According to experts who conduct such examinations, in an ordinary apartment with chipboard furniture, the level of formaldehyde is 0.07-0.09 ‰, while the norm is 0.06 ‰.

During the operation of furniture, other hazardous substances are released into the air of residential premises: ammonia, acetates and phthalates, styrene, methanol, phenol, toluene, xylene, phthalic anhydride, ethylbenzene - this list depends on the chemical composition of the materials used.

How to protect yourself from furniture made of chipboard and MDF?

What to do with such furniture and how to reduce the evaporation of formaldehyde and other hazardous substances?

1. Apply several layers of glue, varnish or paint to all unprotected surfaces of the furniture (including the back walls). Take a water-dispersion paint as a paint: it does not contain toxic substances and will create a protective film.
2. PVC edging can also be used as a protective agent.
3. Tables, cabinets, etc. interior items can be pasted over with a self-adhesive film or covered with natural materials. This will significantly reduce the amount of fumes of toxic substances.
4. All furniture damage (scratches, chips, etc.) should be covered immediately with a protective agent (see point 1).
5. If possible, place furniture away from radiators and other heating devices.
6. Ventilate the room as often as possible and control the humidity.

An integral attribute and in some way even a symbol of comfortable housing are various types of furniture. It can be an inherited grandmother's closet and an ultra-modern bed, a modest bookshelf and luxurious kitchen furniture. All this is part of the atmosphere in a house or apartment, which is commonly called home.

However, not everyone knows that furniture can often represent a certain health hazard. First of all, the materials from which home furniture is made and manufacturers who allow (often directly violating the law) the presence of unsafe and even clearly toxic components in furniture are to blame for this. Therefore, when buying furniture, you should be careful not to bring a source of various pathologies into the house, and also carefully consider some of the interior components - are they the cause of frequent headaches and colds, allergies and loss of strength?

To begin with, you should find out exactly which materials and components of the home are capable of posing a threat. First of all, it is worth noting such a common material as chipboard (chipboard) - as studies show, more than 70% of the entire range of furniture from the lower and middle price segments is made using this material.

Meanwhile, resins, which are the main adhesive used in chipboard production, at the slightest heating and even without it, formaldehyde is emitted - a poisonous gas, the aqueous solution of which is called formalin. Formaldehyde irritates the respiratory tract, promotes the development of malignant tumors, is extremely toxic to the central nervous system and is especially dangerous for children. For this reason, chipboard-based furniture cannot be used in children's rooms.

Of course the producers furniture and the state are trying to reduce the harmful effects of using such a dangerous, but at the same time common and cheap material - sanitary standards prescribe a level of formaldehyde emission of no more than 10 mg per square meter of chipboard, in addition, it is covered with special protective films in furniture. However, at the slightest damage to them and non-compliance with sanitary standards by manufacturers, symptoms of chronic poisoning occur - headaches, malaise, decreased immunity.

The second common furniture material whose safety is questionable are various types of plastics. Acrylic, PVC and other plastics are firmly entering our lives, displacing other materials. This also applies to materials that are used in the manufacture of furniture. However, the debate over the safety of plastics is either dying down or resurfacing. In particular, there is evidence that PVC materials are a source of toxic gases such as hydrogen chloride, benzene, and vinyl chloride.

All these gases are by-products during the synthesis of these plastics and should normally be removed during purification. However, it often happens that several cleaning cycles are not enough, and so these substances are transferred from the manufacturing plant to people's homes. Indirect signs of hazardous plastics are the low price of products (including furniture), a typical unpleasant "plastic smell" that can be felt from a distance. Buying furniture with such characteristics can be hazardous to health.

Do not fall behind in danger for health some materials are soft. For example, in recent years, cases have become more frequent when, instead of pure foam rubber, material with a small amount of solvent or other substances of the chemical industry was laid in the upholstery. Often this happens in cases where a sofa or chair is varnished and painted not before installing the upholstery, but after. And foam rubber, due to its structure, partially absorbs these substances.

When sleeping on such couch there is nausea and a severe headache in the morning, and a strong smell is felt from the piece of furniture itself. Therefore, you need to be careful when buying, so as not to get a bed with such a "surprise". No less dangerous is the outer upholstery of a sofa or bed, and, oddly enough, upholstery made from natural materials is more dangerous. For example, on wool upholstery, the presence of pathogens, up to anthrax bacteria, is possible. Yes, and during the operation of furniture with such upholstery, difficulties are possible - it attracts a large amount of dust and dust mites, which can cause severe allergies. It is safest to use leather or velvet upholstery on upholstered furniture, which can be easily vacuumed.

To keep safe yourself and your family, you should carefully look at updating furniture in the house, buy interior items only in large stores with all the relevant certificates. You should not chase sales and high discounts, because the harm to health that materials from such furniture can cause cannot be measured with any money.