About the client

The client runs a large gas distribution network. Their control room is a critical and demanding environment where they oversee the gas pipe system to ensure a safe and reliable gas flow. They are responsible for bringing gas to millions of homes and businesses across the UK.

They also manage an emergency service on behalf of the gas industry. ​​If something goes wrong, they are the first point of call to ensure it is dealt with quickly and safely.

The client is proud of achieving industry-leading customer satisfaction scores for their connections services.

When they chose to upgrade their two control rooms, they selected Technology Desking. We designed, manufactured and installed 80 new desks for them.

Challenges:

• The client required control room furniture in a variety of shapes and sizes. The control room had to accommodate a mix of workers with differing needs.
  

• Technology desking had to supply three different ranges of furniture. These included control room consoles, sit-stand benches and static tables.
  

• Desks were requested in bespoke sizes.
  

• The client does critical infrastructure work. It was essential to design ergonomic consoles that enhanced operator focus and comfort. The furniture needed to be ergonomic and durable. They wanted to upgrade to dual-surface desks with electronic height adjustability for the control room desks.

Solutions:

• Technology Desking successfully designed bespoke furniture for the client. They supplied 80 desks overall in a variety of formats.
  

• We designed special curved consoles. These had two sizes - 2.5 and 2.8m wide. Curved consoles are great for users with multiple screens. They improve monitor viewing for more focused, comfortable working.
  

• The control room consoles had special fabric backing screens that hid cables and helped with acoustics.
  

• TD created a bespoke range of control room consoles. We also supplied bench desks. Some of these were fixed height, and others were height adjustable to meet the diverse needs of the control room workers.
  

• Overall we supplied three ranges of desks in various widths, in single and back-to-back positions.
  

Ergonomic and durable design

Most of the desks we supplied were height adjustable. You can adjust the desktop to 1360mm (53.5") with a digital controller. The control system includes anti-collision and a safety stop.

Our product meets the highest ergonomic standards. It is independently tested by the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA). They awarded it an ergonomic excellence award.

Control room operators often work long hours under considerable pressure. Their comfort and safety are important. Height adjustability allows users to bring the desk to optimal viewing level. Users can also alternate between sitting and standing, which reduces fatigue and helps focus. It also prevents health issues caused by sedentary working.

We supplied the control room operators with height-adjustable dual-surface consoles. These offer an even finer level of adjustment for comfortable working. The rear desktop holds the monitors and can be adjusted separately from the main desk.

Our desks were built in the UK using quality materials and components. Their construction makes them more durable, vital as control room desks are used for longer hours than regular office desks. This makes them a cost-effective investment.

Discreet cable management and IT storage

Control room desks require a lot of equipment, and cables running everywhere could get messy. We designed desks with cable management accessories, such as sliding desktops. Cable chains discreetly feed the cables into the PC trolley.

Bespoke PC cabinets have a large opening at the back for IT access too. This way, technicians can easily access IT equipment without distracting the operators.

State-of-the-art monitor arms

The client’s control room desks have our SmartArm monitor mounting system. SmartArm is ideal for control room consoles. It's straightforward to add or remove monitors. It can also support any number of monitors, from single monitor mounts to fully tiered arrays. SmartArm also offers fine height adjustment, perfect for ergonomic working.

We also supplied the client with our Zgonic monitor arms. These have many clever features like monitor-to-base cable management and customisable side panels. A USB docking station can also be integrated into the monitor arm base.

Desktop connectivity

We fitted the desks with our Technology Links desktop power sockets. Controllers work with plenty of tech, and these help streamline the workspace. Technology Links enable operators to access sockets on the desk instead of reaching awkwardly below. It's crucial to access equipment easily in a pressurised line of work.

Conclusion

This was a challenging project that Technology Desking were able to deliver successfully. The client’s control rooms supported a diverse range of functions. They needed a variety of desks in different shapes and sizes to accommodate a mix of workers. Their requirements ranged from bench desks for back office staff to full control room consoles.

Technology Desking provided three ranges of desks. We designed a bespoke range of control room desks to fit the client’s workspace. The project was large, with 80 desks to install at two different sites. We were able to deliver bespoke, quality furniture that met our client’s specific requirements.