Erogonomics and the Computer Workstation … · 3A/B/C: Neck and Eye Strain • Position the screen directly in front of you to avoid twisting when viewing the screen. • If you

Ergonomics and the Computer Workstation

FITTING THE WORK TO THE WORKER

On-Line Resource Tool

Injury Prevention Organizational Health

Table of Contents

• How to use this resource

• Background

• Step 1 – Adjust the Chair

• Step 2 – Adjust the Keyboard and Mouse

• Step 3 – Adjust the Monitor

• Step 4 – Helpful Hints

– Continued…

Table of Contents (Cont)

– Neck

– Back

– Legs

– Elbow/Wrist

– Shoulder

– Eye strain

– Contact Stress

– Using a Laptop

•Step 5 - Trouble Shooting

Setting up your Computer Workstation

How to Use This Resource

Welcome to Injury Prevention’s on-line resource guide for setting up your computer workstation.

1. Use this on-line tool to set up your computer workstation

2. test out the effectiveness of the set-up for a few days.

3. If you still experience difficulty with the set-up, try to isolate what is bothersome (i.e. neck, back) and review the on-line set up for this particular area again to ensure set up is correct.

4. If you continue to have issues, contact your “Workstation Review Champion” for your area

5. If you do not yet have a Champion for your area, complete and submit the Injury Prevention Department Workstation Review Referral Form (insert link here) and you will be contacted to schedule an onsite assessment (make sure your Manager is aware of the referral).

Setting up your Computer Workstation

BACKGROUND

• A well designed workspace is key to eliminating musculoskeletal injuries.

• Musculoskeletal injuries (MSI’s) (also called repetitive strains, soft tissue injuries, sprains, strains, and inflammation) are any injury or disorder of:

• Muscles • Tendons • Ligaments • Joints • Nerves • Blood vessels • Other related soft tissue

• Risk factors for these injuries include awkward posture, force, repetition, static posture and contact stress.

• Reducing exposure to these risk factors reduces the incidence of MSI’s.

STEP 1-ADJUST THE CHAIR

Quick tip:

Start at the bottom and work your way up .

– This means adjust your chair first.

• Sit in your chair and use the levers to provide maximum support and ideal posture.

– Refer to ErgoCentric Video for an example of adjustable chair features. (Your chair may have different mechanisms and/or less adjustable features)

http://www.ergo7.ca/


• 1A. FEET – Flat on the floor

• 1B. HIPS/KNEES – Hips slightly above knees (about 90

degrees)

• 1C. LOWER LEG – 2 – 3 Finger width away from front edge of

chair.

• 1D. LUMBAR SPINE – Curve of chair should match/support the

normal low back curve.

• 1E. UPPER BACK – Chair should support up to the bottom of

shoulder blades or higher. Links:

•Trouble Shooting •Table of Contents •ErgoCentric Video



• 1A/B/C FEET/HIPS/KNEES

– Feet flat resting comfortably on the floor or an adjustable footrest

– Hips slightly above knees (about 90 degrees)

– Pressure behind thighs, adjust seat pan depth or use an adjustable footrest

– Should be a gap of two to three fingers between the back of the knee and the seat pan

Links: •Trouble Shooting •Table of Contents •ErgoCentric Video



• 1D LUMBAR SPINE

– Sit so backrest is supporting spine

– Adjust the backrest height so support is in the lower part of the backrest.

– The backrest should sustain the curve of the lower back (the small of the back or lumbar area)

– Note: some chairs have an inflatable air bladder for horizontal adjustment of the lumbar support to personal comfort.




• 1D/E LUMBAR SPINE/UPPER BACK

– Curve of chair should match/support the normal low back curve.

– Sit so backrest is supporting spine

– Adjust backrest (Generally as far forward as comfortable) so angle at the hip is between 90 and 100 degrees

– Chair should support up to the bottom of shoulder blades or higher.



STEP 2- ADJUST THE KEYBOARD & MOUSE

SHOULDERS (2A) and WRISTS (2B)…

• Start with keyboard and mouse surface at approximately elbow height

• This should put the wrist and shoulders in a “neutral” (straight wrist, shoulders not forward, back, up or down) position.

• Writing surface should be 3-4 inches higher than keyboarding height

• Use an adjustable keyboard tray or raise the seat height and use a footstool if required.





• Start with keyboard and mouse surface at approximately elbow height

• This should put the wrist and shoulders in a “neutral” (straight wrist, shoulders not forward, back, up or down) position.

• Use an adjustable keyboard tray or raise the seat height and use a footstool if required.







• Place keyboard directly in front of the user

• Adjust height and tilt of keyboard so shoulders are relaxed with elbows close to the body and wrists straight and in-line with the forearms

• Mouse should be close to the keyboard to prevent over-reaching



STEP 3-ADJUST THE MONITOR

3A/B/C: Neck and Eye Strain

• Neck should be in neutral position with top of screen in line with eyes.

• A comfortable “arms reach” is usually a good starting place for distance. – Recommended distance (eyes to screen) is

anywhere from 14.5 inches to 29 inches. The distance will be different for each individual based on their comfortable focal level .

***Individuals with progressive or bifocal lenses the monitor will need to be lowered to allow for a neutral neck

position***

Links:




3A/B/C: Neck and Eye Strain

• Position the screen directly in front of you to avoid twisting when viewing the screen.

• If you use 2 or more screens: – Place the screen used most often directly in front

of you.

– If you use each screen equally position the screens as close as possible to each other (i.e. touching). Consider the whole width of screens and position so you are in the centre of this width.




3A/B/C: Neck and Eye Strain - DOCUMENTS

• Place documents close to the midline of vision and elevated to maintain neutral neck and head position

• Position the document holder between the monitor and keyboard - elevate to maintain neutral neck and head position

• If not enough space between monitor and keyboard, place the angled document at the same distance as the monitor



STEP 4 - HELPFUL HINTS

• Take regular breaks – to vary your posture and reduce muscle tension.

• get up • walk • quick stretch

– approximately every 35 – 45 minutes – These should be “micro breaks”

• 5 x 1minute is better than 1 x 5 minute break

• If keyboard tray is not used, or if the one you have is not adjustable, move chair up or down to achieve proper wrist posture. If chair is now too high for feet to reach the floor, use a footrest.

• If armrests are hitting the work surface, try tilting them in or out or moving them up or down.




• Phone Use:

– Place telephone close to computer

on side of dominant hand to avoid repeated reaching.

– Keep the telephone cord out of working areas so it does not create a tripping hazard

– When simultaneously using computer and telephone on a frequent basis, use a head set




• Work Surfaces: – Avoid placing needed tools or other

items above shoulder height

– Keep frequently-used devices (keyboard, phone, and mouse) close to and in front of body

– Position items for shortest arm reach to avoid overstretching while reaching up or down

– Keep frequently used tools or items close to and in front of body




• Other:

– Ensure eyeglass prescription is up do date. If you are having a hard time

seeing, you may be putting your neck and back in an awkward position.

– If overhead lights reflect or cause glare on screen; tilt monitor so it is straight up and down or try using a task light on desk and turning off the overhead lights.

– If using a shared workstation, take a moment at the start of each shift to ensure your station is properly set up for you.

– Ask a coworker to look at how you sit compared to the ideal posture and make some suggestions about how it is different.



Step 5 - Trouble Shooting

– Elbow/Wrist

– Shoulder

– Eye strain

– Contact Stress

– Using a Laptop

Click on the link below to bring you to the page with extra tips for your area of concern


– Neck

– Back

– Legs


TIPS - NECK POSTURE

• Ensure chair is set up properly (see Step 1)

• Ensure monitor is directly in front of keyboard, mouse and

chair. Do NOT place monitor on an angle to how you sit. • Place monitor at a comfortable distance to enable ease of

reading without leaning forward.

• For data entry, use a document holder placed between the keyboard and mouse or at the same height as monitor.

• Lower monitor if bifocals are worn, to eliminate upwards tilting of chin to enable reading. • Get a pair of reading glasses dedicated to your computer

rather than use bifocals if possible

• Wear a headset if using computer and telephone simultaneously.

Links: •Trouble Shooting •Table of Contents

•ErgoCentric Videos

http://www.ergocentric.com/doc.asp?id=161

TIPS- BACK POSTURE


• Sit with back supported - avoid leaning forward away from back rest when

working. • Move your monitor a little closer this will encourage sitting against the chair back.

• If it is difficult to sit supported, adjust seat pan depth by sliding it back.

• Avoid working in a twisted posture - turn and roll chair when moving around at workstation.

• Avoid crossing legs when at the computer – keep feet flat on the floor. Use a footrest if needed to ensure same if needed.

• Take short ‘micro-breaks’ - get up and walk or stretch.




TIPS-LEG POSTURE


• If pressure is felt against back of thighs, tilt seat pan so that it is flat or tipped forward slightly.

• If pressure is felt against back of knees, slide seat pan back until “2-3 fingers” width between back of knees and front of seat.

• Avoid crossing legs when at the computer – keep feet flat on the floor. Use a footrest if needed to ensure same if needed.

• Take short ‘micro-breaks’ and get up and walk or stretch.




TIPS- WRIST AND ELBOW POSTURE


• Adjust keyboard tray height (see Step 2): with feet flat on the floor (or footrest) and shoulders and elbows relaxed place fingers on the keyboard - forearms should be parallel to the floor with wrists straight. If wrists are bent back, keyboard tray is too high; if wrists are bent down, keyboard is too low.

• Adjust keyboard tray tilt to flat (see Step 2): wrists should be straight – if wrists are bent back or down, change the height so wrists are neutral.

• Ensure mouse is at the same height and located close to keyboard. Do NOT place your mouse on the desk if keyboard is on keyboard tray.

• Relax your elbows by your sides when typing - avoid holding them out to the sides. Links:



TIPS - GOOD SHOULDER POSTURE


• Adjust keyboard tray height (see Step 2): with feet flat on the floor (or footrest) and shoulders and elbows relaxed place fingers on the keyboard - forearms should be parallel to the floor with wrists straight. If wrists are bent back, keyboard tray is too high; if wrists are bent down, keyboard is too low.

• Ensure shoulders are completely relaxed. (A few shoulder shrugs should do the trick). If shoulders are elevated toward ears, recheck keyboard tray or arm rest height, and lower one or the other or both. If shoulders are depressed raise the keyboard tray.

• Wear a headset if using computer and telephone simultaneously.

• Ensure mouse is at the same height and located close to keyboard. Do NOT place your mouse on the desk if keyboard is on keyboard tray.

• Place frequently used items close to you at desk level to avoid reaching up to shelves.



TIPS - EYE STRAIN

• Check to ensure you can clearly read monitor with neck in neutral position.

• Adjust the distance of monitor - move it backward or forward to enable reading with a neutral neck posture.

• Top of monitor should be even with eyes, or lower for bifocal users.

• Don’t place monitor on the Computer - it will be too high. • Monitor should be perpendicular to windows to reduce glare.

• To reduce glare from lights, reduce the angle - the screen should be vertical.

• Give your eyes an occasional break- e.g. look out the window or across the

room.



TIPS- AVOIDING CONTACT STRESS

• Contact Stress results from occasional, repeated or continuous contact between sensitive body tissue and a hard or sharp object. Contact stress commonly affects the soft tissue on the fingers, palms and forearms.

• Check height adjustment of keyboard tray (see Step 2). Ensure that it isn’t too high

• If no keyboard tray, chair may need to be raised.

• Use a wrist rest in front of keyboard to rest palms on when not typing.

• Do not lean forward (placing pressure on your wrists) – move keyboard

closer to body.



TIPS -LAPTOP USE

• Whenever possible use an

external monitor, keyboard and mouse. Docking stations are helpful with this.

• For temporary situations or short periods you can move the laptop away from you and allow your forearms to be supported on the desk • Be sure your wrists and shoulders

are in neutral (See Step 2)



Documents

Erogonomics and the Computer Workstation … · 3A/B/C: Neck and Eye Strain • Position the screen directly in front of you to avoid twisting when viewing the screen. • If you