Occupational Safety: Ergonomic tips for computer users

By: Steve Djukanovich

January 23rd, 2007

Working on your computer for extended periods of time can lead to discomfort, if you don’t maintain good posture and don’t have good work habits. Adhering to the postural and work habit tips described below will help you work comfortably.

Postural Tips:

• Sit back in your chair so that your back is against the backrest.
• Keep your feet on the floor or on a footrest.
• Keep your arms and elbows relaxed and close to your body. If the arms of your chair prevent a relaxed arm and elbow position, considering removing them.
• Keep your keyboard and mouse close to your body. Place the most frequently used part of the keyboard – alpha or numeric keys – in front of you.
• Align your chair, keyboard and monitor.
• Align the top of the monitor at about 2” above your eye level.
• Sit about an arms length away from your monitor, but don’t hesitate to adjust this distance to accommodate your own vision preference.
• Keep wrists flat and straight while using your keyboard or other input device.
• Place documents you work from between your keyboard and monitor. An in-line document holder is suggested.
• Use a headset or speaker phone to eliminate cradling the phone handset.

Work Habit Tips:

• Take frequent short breaks – 1 to 2 minutes every 30 minutes. These break should allow you away from your computer.
• Try to get away from your computer during lunch breaks.
• Rest and refocus your eyes periodically to avoid eye fatigue.

If you would like to learn more about office ergonomics, please attend the office ergonomics workshop to be help on Thursday, Feb. 8 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

You can sign up for the workshop at the Professional Development website. Here is the link to the registration page.

In addition, if you’d like an ergonomic assessment of your workstation, please call me at (775) 682-6107.

To read more Occupational Safety columns, visit the Our Workplace Archives.

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