Dawn's ISM3004 Blog: TUTORIAL 1: Have an Ergonomically Correct Workstation

Have you ever had a knot in the middle of your back or your elbows feeling cramped up after a long day at your computer or workstation? Well, the answer for this might be that your workstation is not ergonomically correct. What’s this you ask? Ergonomics, for the most part, is the science behind aligning your working conditions with that of your body structure. This alignment will not only help increase productivity, but in many cases, can help reduce injuries and make a long day at the computer more satisfactory. There are several steps to assuring a workstation is ergonomically correct. We will go through all of the steps to insure a successful ergonomic setup.

"Oh my aching back!"

1. It's All About the Chair- Sitting in a chair is a much bigger deal than one might realize. To have an ergonomic workstation, your chair should always be adjusted so that your knees are at a 90 degree angle and your feet placed flatly on the floor. The chair needs to be one that allows for your back to stay in a position that touches the chair. If this is not the case, then a lumbar support should be needed to the chair. Remember, you should always sit upright with your shoulders back. If you have a chair that has armrests, then your arms should be parallel to the floor. Keep in mind that your wrists should remain neutral.

2. Need Your Input- Displacement of Input devices, such as your keyboard and mouse, can be enough to place your body out of alignment. The keyboard should always remain flat and close enough to your hands without having to stretch out your arms. A good rule of thumb to remember, when checking for keyboard placement, is that your elbows should remain at 90 degrees when typing. An ergonomic mouse should measure up with your hand size. The most popular is the trackball mouse. This will help reduce finger lifting and wrist strain.

3. What's Input Without Output-With all of that being said, don’t forget the monitor. It should be placed so that the entire screen is slightly below eye level. If the monitor as a whole is below eye level, this will cause a strain to the neck. It is best that the monitor be placed no more than 20 inches away and that the lighting is sufficient enough to see without having to lean forward. Being able to see the screen and a document that you are typing from is just as vitally important to an ergonomic station as is the chair. If you are typing from a document, purchase a document holder that attaches to the side of your monitor that will reduce neck strain.

"Now I Can See"

4. Easy as 123- To make this easier for you, I have input a picture that will visually show you how to setup your computer or workstation. If you arrang your station to look like this, you will be successful in achieving an ergonomically correct workstation. This means no more back pain or cramping elbows. An ergonomically designed workstation will increase your chances of a more productive day of work.