Your hardworking employees spend most of their workday sitting at a desk. This space must be safe, functional, and comfortable. Overall office wellness should be a priority, and this includes ergonomic practices.
Ensure your employees follow these five ergonomic tips to help create a healthy work environment.
1. Sit in a supportive chair and use your desk wisely
- Choose a chair that supports your spine. Adjust the height of your chair so that your feet rest flat on the floor. You can also use a footrest so your thighs are parallel to the floor. If the chair has armrests, position them so your arms sit on the armrests gently with your elbows close to your body and your shoulders relaxed. Try to sit straight and try not to crouch over your keyboard.
- Make sure there's enough room for your legs and feet under your desk. Don't store items under your desk – that can reduce the amount of available space and make it hard to sit correctly. If the desk is too low and the height can't be changed, put sturdy boards or blocks under the desk legs to raise it. Raise your chair if the desk is too high and can't be changed. If your desk has a hard edge that's not rounded, pad the edge or use a wrist rest. This protects your wrists from a problem called contact stress that can happen because of extended contact with a hard edge.
2. Minimize the need to reach for objects
Consider finding a chair that rolls and swivels when needed to limit the need to reach for objects, which can strain your back and other parts of your body. Keep important objects you grab regularly close to you (e.g., pen, stapler, phone).
3. Straighten your wrists while typing
Your mouse should be easy to reach with little pressure or strain on your hands and wrists to type or click. Keep your upper arms close to your body while typing and place your hands at elbow-level. Since excessively clicking and moving your mouse can cause strain or tension on your hands, consider installing keyboard shortcuts to limit this use. Some computer mouse tools allow you to adjust the sensitivity, requiring a light click when making selections.
4. Use a headset or speaker while on the phone
You may regularly speak with clients, vendors, or coworkers on the phone, which can cause neck strain if you place the phone between your head and shoulder. If you type and talk at once, consider installing headsets or headphones to comfortably conduct conversations. If you have your own office, use the speaker phone option for hands-free interaction.
5. Position your monitor right in front of you and use your laptop correctly
- Place the computer monitor straight in front of you, directly behind your keyboard, about an arm's length away from your face. The monitor should be no closer to you than 20 inches (about 50 centimeters) and no further away than 40 inches (about 100 centimeters). The top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level. If you wear bifocals, lower the monitor by 1 to 2 inches (about 2 to 5 centimeters) for more comfortable viewing.
- Using a laptop can lead to discomfort because of the low screen height and cramped keyboard and touchpad. If you use a laptop at your desk, consider getting an external keyboard, mouse, and laptop stand to mimic a desktop computer setup.
Extra Tip: No matter how well your workspace is set up for proper ergonomics, sitting in the same position for hours isn't good for your body. Get up and walk around as often as you can throughout the workday. Stretch out your hands, arms, and fingers every hour or so. Shifting your position, standing up, and moving will ease the strain on your body and help you stay healthier.
For more on how to create a safe and healthy workplace for your employees, explore our extensive library of Workplace Safety & Security products.