| “No day in your working life will be so bad if | | | | for great products: safecomputingtips.com/blog |
| you follow the right ergonomic techniques.” | | | | repetitive-strain-injury/repetitive-strain-products |
| Usually, an employee working at the desk has a | | | | 6. Exercise at your desk! |
| habit of working for longer hours without following | | | | Desk exercises offer relief to computer users |
| proper ergonomic techniques. | | | | from pain, stiffness and posture problems. |
| In order to avoid stress throughout the day and | | | | Computer work at office involves maintaining |
| work with maximum alertness, you need to | | | | same posture for long periods resulting in muscle |
| follow some ergonomic techniques | | | | stiffness and tension. |
| Ergonomic techniques are very important to ease | | | | Practice simple stretching exercises which can be |
| the stress and work with maximum alertness. | | | | performed at the desk. Stretching exercises |
| When you spend maximum amount of time in | | | | improves flexibility and decreases the risk of |
| front of your desk, you should be aware of how | | | | injury, physical stress and improves performance. |
| the arrangement and design of your equipment | | | | Find ergonomic exercises for computer users at: |
| can impact your health, comfort and overall | | | | safecomputingtips.com/ergonomic-exercises |
| productivity. | | | | Find exercises to relieve from carpal tunnel |
| These tips are highly effective for modern | | | | syndrome at: safecomputingtips.com |
| workers. | | | | carpal-tunnel-exercise |
| 1. Create a great computer work space! | | | | 7. Light your working area! |
| In designing your office work space, it is essential | | | | Improper lighting can cause visual discomforts like |
| to think creatively and innovatively. Employees | | | | burning eyes, eye strain, itching, and blurred vision. |
| with longer limbs experience a greater risk with | | | | So, adjust the lights to reduce the glare and also |
| congested work space, so ensure that the space | | | | position your monitor at an angle to reduce the |
| is large enough. | | | | reflection. |
| Provide proper place for the equipment and the | | | | Reduce the eye fatigue by following the below |
| things that are essential to make your dream | | | | tips: |
| workstation. | | | | • Avoid intense lighting in your working area. |
| To find information on ergonomic design for | | | | • Monitor should be at an angle of 90 degrees |
| computer workstations, visit: 2. Right way to | | | | to the windows. |
| organize the desk or workstation! | | | | • Use desk lamps, instead of overhead lights. |
| Standard desk sizes are not suitable for | | | | • Use monitor shield to reduce the glare due |
| everyone’s needs, so choose the desk that is | | | | to overhead lights. |
| right for you. If the desk is for a group of people, | | | | Find more on ergonomic lighting at: |
| then prefer adjustable furniture. | | | | safecomputingtips.com/ergonomic-lighting, |
| • Organize the desktop to access the things | | | | medicinenet.com, safecomputingtips.com/blog |
| easily without any strain. | | | | ergonomic-accessories |
| • Place frequently used objects at a closer | | | | -function |
| distance to avoid excessive extensions. | | | | |
| • Accommodate the place below the desk | | | | 8. Know the right usage of input device! |
| suitable to your legs at correct height and the | | | | Whatever might be the input device you use, |
| place should be free for stretching. | | | | make sure that it must be within your reach and |
| • Use a foot rest if your feet don’t rest | | | | don’t hold it too tightly so that there is less |
| flat on the floor after adjusting your chair height. | | | | stress on the muscles. |
| • Use matte finish on the work surface to | | | | If you are not feeling good with your mouse, try |
| minimize the glare or reflections. | | | | an alternate one like trackball or touch pad. |
| • Use a document holder, if you need to refer | | | | Placing the input device too close or too far can |
| documents during keying. | | | | cause discomfort in your forearm, shoulder, elbow |
| To know how to arrange the workstation desk in | | | | and wrist. |
| an ergonomic manner, visit: [ergonomic desk] | | | | Follow these tips to overcome from these |
| 3. Make suitable chair adjustments! | | | | discomforts: |
| Begin your work with correct chair height. To | | | | Place the mouse at your comfortable reach for |
| arrange the chair in an ergonomic position, just | | | | natural relaxation and comfortable eye-hand |
| stand in front of the chair and adjust the chair | | | | coordination. |
| height to your knee length. | | | | • Avoid bending wrist upward and ensure that |
| Adjust the chair’s backrest in order to | | | | you are sitting lower than your elbow height so |
| support your lower back. Then tighten the | | | | that holding the mouse can be easier for you. |
| chair’s backrest, so that it does not give | | | | • Make sure the mouse surface is stable. |
| away with your body weight. | | | | To know more on how to use the input device in |
| Throughout the working day, re-adjust the chair | | | | a right manner to prevent your pain, visit: |
| to your various body postures. Don’t stay in | | | | safecomputingtips.com/ergonomic-keyboard, To |
| a single static position for long hours. Alternate | | | | find the right keyboard that reduces your pain, |
| your posture between sitting and standing | | | | visit: 9. Give priority to the work habits! |
| positions when you are performing daily tasks. | | | | Working at the desk can cause discomfort on |
| Take small breaks and walk for few minutes. | | | | your upper extremities and on your eyes. So, to |
| To know how to adjust the chair ergonomically, | | | | avoid these discomforts, you need to learn some |
| visit: safecomputingtips.com/ergonomic-chair | | | | work habits. |
| 4. Maintain accurate ergonomic monitor distance! | | | | • Take frequent breaks for every 20-40 |
| You need to sit in an awkward position if the | | | | minutes, get up and walk around for 2-3 minutes. |
| monitor is too close or too far to your eyes. | | | | • Don’t stay in one static position for |
| Finally this can lead to an improper ergonomic | | | | longer hours, change the posture periodically. |
| posture thus causing eye strain. Forward leaning | | | | • Provide your eyes with vision breaks for |
| can fatigue the eyes and put stress on the torso | | | | every hour. |
| because there is no support for your back. | | | | • Stretch your neck, back, and hands for |
| Follow the below tips to reduce the eye strain: | | | | every hour. |
| • Clean monitor surface. | | | | • Substitute the mouse usage by using |
| • Attain optimum comfort by adjusting the | | | | alternative keystrokes. |
| contrast and brightness. | | | | Follow these work habits, so that you won’t |
| • Maintain right distance from the monitor to | | | | experience any stress on any part of your body. |
| the user i.e. 18-30 inches. | | | | 10. Identify Proper usage of laptop computers! |
| • Place the monitor at an angle of 90 degrees | | | | Work on a laptop computer only when it is on the |
| to the windows. | | | | table but not on your lap. If you need to use it |
| By visiting the below link, know how to position | | | | very frequently, it is better to use separate |
| the monitor ergonomically: safecomputingtips.com | | | | mouse and keyboard to reduce the stress on |
| ergonomic-monitor | | | | your hands and wrists. |
| 5. Seek right ergonomic keyboard! | | | | Techniques you need to follow while using laptop |
| Do you spend most of your work time in typing? | | | | computer: |
| Using the keyboard and placing it can greatly | | | | • While typing, place your hands straight so |
| affect the risk of getting RSI and carpal tunnel | | | | that your wrists should not bend and should not |
| syndrome. | | | | be resting on your lap, table, or on a palm rest. |
| Follow these techniques in order to reduce the | | | | Use palm or wrist rests to give support in the |
| risk of these injuries: | | | | break. |
| • First make suitable chair adjustments, then | | | | • If the table you are using is too high for |
| place your hands comfortably at your sides. Your | | | | keying, then use a laptop holder by tilting the |
| forearm should be at an angle of 90 degrees with | | | | laptop towards you. |
| your upper arm. | | | | For more laptop ergonomic tips that help to |
| • Place the keyboard in such a manner so that | | | | reduce the stress and pain, visit: uwo.ca, |
| your arms should be parallel to your thighs. | | | | In order to get right laptop ergonomics, visit: |
| • If needed, place a keyboard tray to achieve | | | | safecomputingtips.com/laptop-ergonomics |
| right ergonomic posture. | | | | 11. Know how to use the phone at your desk! |
| • Follow right typing techniques. | | | | Avoid placing the phone receiver between your |
| • Set the keyboard at a closer distance from | | | | shoulder and neck as it can cause strain on your |
| you to avoid unnecessary trouble in reaching the | | | | neck muscles. Use a headset or put the call on |
| keyboard. | | | | speakerphone to reduce the stress on neck |
| • Gently press the keys and don’t hold | | | | muscles. |
| them down for extended periods. | | | | For ergonomic phone at your workstation, visit: |
| For ergonomic keyboards and keyboard | | | | [ergonomic phone, spcug.org] |
| accessories, visit: To know about carpal tunnel | | | | You can notice an amazing improvement in your |
| syndrome in detail, visit: safecomputingtips.com | | | | work related discomforts and also in the quality of |
| carpal-tunnel-syndrome | | | | your work after following these techniques. |
| You will get detailed information about RSI at: | | | | For more tips on workstation setup, visit: |
| safecomputingtips.com/repetitive-strain-injury, | | | | handhealthresources.com, ehrs.columbia.edu, |
| eeshop.unl.edu | | | | To know the essential computer workstation |
| To reduce RSI & CTS, visit the below links | | | | ergonomic checklist, visit: osha. |