How to Set Up an Ergonomically Correct Workstation
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Two Methods:Maintain a Healthy PostureSet Up Your Desk
Sitting incorrectly for long periods can have serious health consequences. To maintain a healthy posture and work more comfortably, here are tips on how to set up your workspace.
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Method 1 of 2: Maintain a Healthy Posture
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Adjust chair height so that your feet are flat on the floor. This will keep your knees and torso at roughly the same height. To find this height, stand by the chair and raise or lower the seat pan to just below your elbows bent between 90 and 110 degrees. Take care that your elbows are not winged out, but instead hang at a comfortable, fairly vertical alignment. Your forearms should be parallel to the ground and your wrists in a neutral position. Since most desks are fixed height, it is best to adjust the chair height for the correct position of the arms and hands. Then, if necessary, provide support for the feet so that the underside of the thighs are just support at the edge of the seat.
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Keep your wrist posture neutral. Avoid bending your wrist sharply upwards or downwards to type. If possible, use a split-design or tented-and-raised keyboard; otherwise, simply try to use a spacious one. To help your wrists “float” over the keyboard, use a wrist rest; however, only use it if it actually elevates your wrists; depending on your position, this might actually encourage you to hold your hands at a bad angle.
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Change your posture regularly. Regardless of how healthy your work posture is, sitting in any one position for an extended period is not healthy. If you have an adjustable chair, alternate between the following positions, all of which will keep your pose neutral and relaxed:
- **Sit upright**. Keep your torso roughly vertical, your thighs horizontal, and your lower legs vertical.
- **Sit reclined**. Tilt the backrest of your chair back so that your torso reclines between 105 and 120 degrees from your thighs.
- **Sit declined**. Tilt the seat pan of your chair slightly so that the angle between your thighs and torso is slightly more than 90 degrees. Don’t overdo this or you will feel like you’re sliding.
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Alternatively, stand. If your desk is adjustable (or you can get another work station), stand. You can keep a footrest nearby and take turns resting your legs on it. Note that staying on your feet all day, while healthy, can make them sore; this position might be best for a job that doesn’t require long periods at the desk (or can accommodate a small, secondary standing workspace).
Method 2 of 2: Set Up Your Desk
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Keep your monitor between 20 and 40 inches (50 and 100 centimeters) from your face. This will reduce eye strain. If the depth of your desk doesn’t allow this, move your monitor to a corner, request a flatscreen monitor (if applicable), or purchase an attachable computer tray to create a deeper working surface.
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Adjust monitor so that the center sits at eye level. The monitor should always be directly in front of your face (preferably no more than 35 degrees to either side) and at or slightly below eye level. However, if you wear bifocals and usually tilt your head back in order to look down through them at the monitor, lower the monitor (or raise your chair) so that the monitor sits 15 to 20 degrees below eye level; note that this may require you to tilt the screen slightly upwards toward your face. Avoid the need to tilt the head back, causing tension in the neck and shoulders. Allowance needs to be made for those users that wear bifocal or varifocal glasses. The screen may need to be set lower so that it comes within the optimum focal length without the need to tilt the head back.
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Place your keyboard so that your upper arms hang vertically. Don’t extend your arms far forwards or bend your elbows back to type.
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Keep your keyboard at an acceptable height. To reach the keyboard, your forearms should bend no more than 20 degrees above horizontal (if sitting) or 45 below (if standing).
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Place mouse near keyboard. Keep it in a position that will enable you to transition between typing and using the mouse with as little effect on your arm and wrist posture as possible. If you have a 10-key on the right side of your keyboard, you may want to use your mouse on the left side; this centers the part of your keyboard that you use most. You can also alternate left and right-sided mouse usage to dilute the effects of repetitive use.
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Arrange items within sight and reach. Place your phone, writing equipment, books and other frequently-used items within easy reach from where you sit. You should not need to stretch to reach frequently used objects.
- If you use a document holder, do not place it to one side of your monitor (unless you also use a second one on the other side); turning your head in one direction for prolonged periods fatigues the neck muscles. Instead, position the document holder directly beneath the monitor, angling it between the monitor and keyboard. If setting up for a touch copy typist, consider having the document holder in front of the user with the screen to one side. The main focus of attention is then straight ahead with occasional movements to view the screen. Another option would be to provide a lectern that is positioned between the keyboard and screen.
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Tips
- Try to move as frequently as possible to avoid staying in one place. Get up to shred a document or get a paper off the printer.
- An old phone book makes a great footrest if you can’t purchase a ready-made one. You can adjust it by tearing out or adding pages!
- Make sure the lighting and monitor position is such that there is no glare on the screen when you are facing it directly.
- Make sure that your computer is situated in a well-ventilated location for both your comfort and the condition of your computer. You should also make sure that the area receives sufficient heat and air conditioning so you are relaxed while working.
- It is a good idea to stop typing and stretch or walk about every 30 minutes. If you forget, set an alarm on your computer, watch, phone or other instrument to remind you. Take “working breaks” to carry out other tasks e.g. collecting and distributing post. A walk to the drinks machine does not provide sufficient overall exercise.
- Avoid having the user sitting with their back to a window, especially if it gets direct sunlight. This would cause glare reflected from the screen, affecting screen contrast and dazzling the user.
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Warnings
- Do not wait until you begin to have problems before making these ergonomic adjustments. It can be much more difficult to recover from an injury than to prevent it, so your best bet would be to make these changes as soon as possible!
- If you need to stretch to reach items, it means it is time to get off your chair and walk to get the item.
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Sources and Citations
Article Info
Categories: Office Skills
Recent edits by: Hannah Jane Ross, C isforcats, Lean
In other languages:
Español: Cómo hacer una estación de trabajo ergonómica, Italiano: Come Creare una Postazione di Lavoro Ergonomica, Português: Como Montar uma Estação de Trabalho Ergonomicamente Correta, Русский: повысить эргономичность рабочего места, Deutsch: Einen ergonomisch korrekten Arbeitsplatz einrichten
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