1. POSITION your equipment properly: chair, keyboard, mouse, and monitor
2. RELAX your shoulders and hands while working
3. VARY your workday

1. POSITION Your Equipment Properly

[chair | keyboard | mouse | monitor]

Arrange your equipment so that you can work in a natural/comfortable and relaxed posture. Place items that you use frequently (e.g., phone, document holder, mouse, calculator, etc.) within easy reach. Adjust your input devices and monitor to the proper height by lowering the table or tray or by raising the seat of your chair. To create desk space, you can put your computer base on the floor.

Think about adjusting everything to find your most effective body postures for your most common tasks. For example, if you answer phone calls frequently while using the keyboard, you can lean back, move the monitor so it is closer and adjust the keyboard to a good location. If you are using a mouse or puck to enter data points off of drawings, you probably lean forward; therefore you would adjust the chair and work surface to be higher and you may want to use a slant board.

In general, you should adjust your chair first, your keyboard and mouse second, and your monitor and written material third.

Adjust your Chair First.

Your chair should be adjustable and stable. Vary your posture in the chair throughout the day. Some people like to switch from sitting to standing during the day to promote posture changes.

• Adjust the height of the chair so that your feet are firmly on the floor but not so low that your weight is not evenly distributed over the full seat surface.
• Only use a footrest when attempts to adjust your chair and the rest of the workstation fail to keep your feet on the ground. If you use a foot rest, use a large and solid one so you are not locked into one position.
• Be sure that you have some space between the top of your thighs and the underside of your workstation.
• Move your lower legs slightly forward so that the angle between your thighs and lower legs is 90 degrees or more.
• Keep your body in a relaxed yet upright position. The backrest of your chair should support the inward curve of your lower back.
• Use the entire seat and backrest to support your body. Adjust the backrest slightly backwards. The angle formed by your thighs and back(hip) should be 90 degrees or more.
• The arm supports should support the forearms comfortably while typing. Adjust the height of the armrests or forearm supports so that when your arms are resting on them your shoulders can relax.

Adjust your Keyboard and Mouse

• To prevent having to reach to the front or side, position the keyboard and pointing device (e.g., mouse, trackball, etc.) directly in front and close to you.
• If you use a mouse, position it at the same height as the keyboard and right next to it. Grasp the mouse lightly and loosely and keep your wrists straight.
• Adjust the keyboard as low as possible without resting it on your legs. Your shoulders should be relaxed and not elevated during keyboard use. To do this, the keyboard and mouse should be on a thin (1 to 2 inches) surface, not on a desk with a drawer underneath. (The exception to this recommendation is if you need to look at the keys a lot. In that case, you should take typing lessons so you do not have to look at the keys or adjust the keyboard height up or move the keyboard higher but rest your forearms on the desk.)
• In general, your elbows are near your body and your forearms approximately parallel to the floor, with your forearms resting on either armrests or forearm supports. If you do not have armrests or forearm supports, your upper arms should hang comfortably at your sides.
• The slope of the keyboard may need to be adjusted so that it is flat in order that your wrists are straight, and not bent back (extension) while you are typing.
• Type with your hands and wrists floating above the keyboard. Use a wrist pad only to rest your wrists between typing. Avoid resting your wrist on sharp edges.
• Avoid twisting your wrists sideways to press hard-to-reach keys. Instead, move your whole arm. Keep from bending your wrists, hands, or fingers sideways.
• Press the keys gently; do not bang them or hold them down for long periods. Keep your shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers relaxed.

Adjust your Monitor

• Correct placement and adjustment of the monitor can reduce eye, shoulder, neck, and upper back fatigue.
• Position the monitor at a 90 degree angle to windows or other bright light sources to minimize glare and reflections. Adjust the monitor tilt so that ceiling lights do not reflect on your screen.
• Position whatever you are looking at most of the time (either the monitor or paper material) directly in front of you so that you do not have to turn your head to the side while you are typing.
• If you use papers a lot, put them in a document holder that is placed next to the monitor. There are document holders that will handle all sizes and weights of documents.
• Adjust the monitor height so that the top of the screen is at or slightly below eye level. Your eyes should look slightly downward when viewing the middle of the screen.
• Position your monitor so that it is approximately an arm length away. If you have trouble seeing the monitor check for glare, check the monitor, or have your eyes checked by an optometrist.
• Rest your eyes periodically by focusing on an object at least 20 feet away. Blink often.
• Clean your monitor regularly. Use a lint-free, non-abrasive cloth and a non-alcohol, neutral, non-abrasive cleaning solution or glass cleaner to minimize dust.
• Adjust the monitor's brightness and contrast controls to enhance readability.
• If reflected light makes it hard for you to see your screen, use an anti-glare filter.
• Get regular eye check-ups.

2.RELAX your shoulders and hands while working

3.VARY your workday

Vary your tasks throughout your day.

• Build in short tasks that force you to stand up and walk away from the computer. Examples are: retrieving printouts, do filing, or get other work. These tasks should involve walking, standing, and stretching. Take these brief breaks every 20 to 30 minutes.

• Frequent short breaks may be of greater value than fewer, longer breaks.

• During these breaks, stretch muscles and joints that were in one position for an extended period of time. Relax muscles and joints that were active.

• Use a timer or reminder software to remind you to take breaks.

• Alter your sitting posture periodically and keep your hands and wrists warm.

• Some people like to stand when they use the computer or change from sitting to standing during the day.