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Ergonomics
is not a four-letter word — even though many business owners may think
otherwise.
That's because when business people hear the word ergonomics, they
immediately think of dollar signs — as in what it will cost to outfit
employee workstations with new setups to prevent sometimes crippling
injuries.
But the money needed may be minimal, and your employees' health should
be the overriding concern, says Dan Eisman, vice president of marketing
and product development for HealthyComputing.com, an ergonomics
consultant. Painless simple adjustments to a computing environment, such
as getting a better chair or raising a monitor, may cost little but makes
a huge difference in injuries and employee absences.
Understanding how poor positioning combined with no breaks can lead to
musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) should be a priority for anyone who works
at a PC and/or employs others who do.
"Businesses very often don't have to spend $1,000 or more on
equipment — or completely overhaul the workplace," Eisman says.
"But if you have the knowledge, you can better know what to do and
what to spend." Employers should learn about what triggers wrist pain
and other repetitive-stress injuries, and spend time watching and training
their employees, he says.
Because people come in different shapes and sizes, solutions to
ergonomic problems differ. However, there are some generally accepted
guidelines when it comes to sitting at a computer for several hours a day,
day after day. Here's a look at some.
Keyboards:
Your wrist position is key
The ideal computing position, most agree, is to be sitting upright or
slightly reclined. Your shoulders should be straight, upper arms hanging
straight down, close to your body, and elbows at a 90-degree (or even
slightly more) angle. Your forearms and hands should be flat and your
hands relaxed.
All this leaves your wrists in a neutral position — just what you
want, says Edie Adams, manager of user research for Microsoft's hardware
division. Those who type with their wrists pointed up or down, or extended
outward or inward, are asking for trouble. It generally means they're
sitting too close or too far away, or they don't have a keyboard that
suits them.
Split keyboards — ergonomically designed keyboards sloped in the
middle — are growing in use and popularity, although they still command
only 10% of the market. One reason for their increasing use is that they
do a better job, with most users, Adams says, of ensuring that the wrists
remain in a neutral position. Microsoft manufactures both flat and split
keyboards, but Adams foresees more users migrating to the split keyboard
because of its ergonomic enhancements.
"Based on our research, there is more of a chance of being
comfortable with a split keyboard," she says. "But we realize
that 'comfortable' is a subjective term, and that you can be perfectly
comfortable with a flat keyboard too."
Mouse:
Does it fit your hand?
Hands run in all different sizes, but so do mice. What you want is one not
too big or too small, but that fits snugly under your relaxed hand. The
bottom of your hand should feel the mouse, and the point where your hand
turns into your wrist should be on the table. "It needs to fit well
enough so you can easily click and know the click is successful,"
Adams says.
If you're pooh-poohing this, don't. You'd be surprised how many people
suffer hand or shoulder pain because of a mouse that's an unnatural fit.
A trackball mouse often works better for people with shoulder pain,
Eisman says, because it takes less overall movement to use.
For those already suffering from hand or wrist pain, the answer might
be a foot-operated mouse, which eliminates stressful hand motions.
Monitor:
eye level and minus glare
If it isn't positioned
correctly, your PC monitor can cause neck pain, shoulder pain, and
eyestrain from glare.
Keep it directly in front of you, and at an arm's length in distance.
Your neck should be straight, not leaning forward. The top of the screen
should be directly level with your eyes. The monitor should be tilted
slightly upward. Put stacks of paper underneath it if necessary — and be
wary of using a laptop PC in place of your desktop for long periods of
time (see below).
Beyond this, glare from poor positioning related to your windows or
lighting could result in eyestrain and headaches. Re-position your
monitor, and adjust your font size and color, if necessary.
HealthyComputing.com also recommends putting your monitor on a swivel
arm if you are frequently interacting with others, and want to move your
monitor to the side while you do.
And it strongly urges following a "20-20-20 rule."
"Every 20 minutes you are working at your computer, look 20 feet away
for 20 seconds," explains Eisman.
Chair:
most important component?
A good chair may be the most important part of your workstation, because
it affects your position more than just about anything else. An adjustable
chair, allowing the user to customize the fit, is the better choice
ergonomically than a fixed chair with no options.
Besides sitting straight or slightly reclined, a user's lower back
should be fully pressed up against and supported by the back of the chair.
His feet should be flat on the floor, or on a foot rest — a platform you
can buy inexpensively to help a user maintain a correct sitting position
and avoid fatigue.
Laptop
PCs and desktop phones
HealthyComputing.com devotes a section of its site to "mobile
ergonomics," including wireless phones and PDAs. Suffice to say here
that notebook PCs trigger the most ergonomic fears, because you can't
easily adjust the keyboard and the screen — they're connected. Also,
many people operate them, literally, from their own laps or in other
awkward positions.
But that is the nature of the beast. Having your screen at eye level
means you're bending your wrists upward. Keeping your wrists flat means
you're looking downward, at the expense of your neck.
The best advice here is to avoid prolonged use of a laptop. If you
can't, use a mouse at all times, don't compromise on comfort, change
positions often, and take frequent breaks.
A word about phones: A headset used to be an option. Now it's a
necessity if you are on the phone a lot. Taking steps to get your PC
ergonomically correct, but cradling the phone on your neck for long phone
calls doesn't make sense. You can find headsets
here
for under $100.
Get
up and walk around — often
Having the most ergonomically safe workstation possible still may not
prevent MSDs. Users must change positions and leave their workstations
several times a day to break up the repetitive stresses. A health-care
specialist where I work strongly recommends drinking water throughout the
day. That guarantees you'll take breaks. |
