ERGONOMICS BASICS – Part 1

The workstation should be large enough to accommodate you, allow the full range of motions involved in performing required tasks, and provide room for the equipment and materials that make up the workstation.

• Use a headset for lengthy or frequent telephone work.
• Place the items you use most frequently directly in front of you.
• Avoid overcrowding computer work areas.

Desk/Workstation

Standard furniture cannot accommodate everyone's needs at the workstation. A taller person may need a one-time adjustment to have his or her work surface raised somewhat; a shorter person may need a footrest or other accessories. Adjustable furniture may be needed in situations where people share or use the same workstation.

• The desktop should be organized so that frequently used objects are close to the user to avoid excessive extended reaching.

• The area underneath the desk should always be clean/uncluttered to accommodate the user's legs and allow for stretching.

• If a fixed-height desk is used; addition of a keyboard tray that adjusts vertically to provide added adjustability may be needed.

• A footrest should be used if, after adjusting the height of the chair, feet do not rest flat on the floor.

• Use a headset or speakerphone to avoid neck and shoulder discomfort if you use a phone concurrent with keyboarding or writing, frequently throughout the day. Avoid cradling the phone between ear and shoulder.

• Place the phone on the side of your non-dominant hand i.e., left side if right-handed, right side if left-handed.

• Position your desk lamp (if you use one) so that it illuminates source documents without causing either glare on the computer screen or direct illumination to your eyes.

• A document holder should be used at the workstation if documents are referred to during keyboarding or 10-key data entry. The document holder should be stable and adjustable (height, position, distance, and angle of view).

• Ideally, the document holder should be in-line with the monitor and in the space between the keyboard and the monitor, however, if there is no space between the keyboard and the monitor, place the document holder on either side of the monitor.

• If the document holder is at the side of the monitor, it should be at the same distance from your eyes as the monitor to avoid frequent change of focus and you should be able you to look from one to the other without moving your neck or back.

Ergonomic News
Steven Gray
A.O.E.S. Ergo Results, Inc.

Steven Gray is the CEO and Lead Ergonomic Consultant of Ergo Results, Inc.  Since 1985, Steve has provided his consulting services to corporations, schools, small businesses, insurance organizations, business executives, professional athletes, and people from all occupations and walks of life. His passion for creating healthy work environments in the world has resulted in his conducting over 1700 ergonomic workstation evaluations and job analysis assessments to aid individuals and employers in the pursuit of a healthier, more productive and rewarding work and life experience. Steve diligently applies his expertise to the benefit of individuals and corporations alike. Steven holds certification as an Accredited Office Ergonomic Specialist from North Carolina State University and has additional Advanced Ergonomics Evaluation Specialist training through the CEES certification program in industrial, medical and office ergonomics. Steven is a member of the Puget Sound Human Factors Society.