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by Pete W. Johnson
July 18, 1994 INSTRUCTIONS: Circle the correct YES/NO answer for each of the questions.
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* NOTE: The questions you answered NO to are areas you may want *
* to change or seek improvements on *
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1. Chair Adjustment
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Yes No ...... Is your chair height adjustable?
Yes No ...... Is your chair back adjustable up and down?
Yes No ...... Is your chair back contoured to support the
lower back?
Yes No ...... Is there room (1"- 4") between the front edge of
the seat pan and the back of your knees?
Yes No ...... Do your chair arms interfere with you getting
close to your work?
Yes No ...... Do your chair arms allow you to sit with
your shoulders relaxed and not elevated?
Yes No ...... Do your feet rest flat on the floor or are they
supported by a foot rest?
Yes No ...... Are your knees bent forming approximately a
90 degree or greater angle?
To be seated properly in your chair your feet must rest flat on the
floor. You should use a foot rest if your chair does not adjust
low enough or if your work surface is too high. The key is to not
only have your feet flat on the floor (or supported by a foot rest)
but also to have your thighs parallel with the seat pan so your
legs form approximately a 90 degree (or greater) angle at the
knees.If your chair has an adjustable back up and down with an outward contouring in the lower back of the chair (the lumbar support), adjust the back of your chair so the lumbar support fits in the small of your back. If the chair back is adjustable forward and backward, adjust the angle to what is comfortable for you. The angle you prefer is rather subjective; you should adjust the back angle of your chair so your trunk and upper legs form an angle somewhere between 94 -115 degrees. If your chair has arms they should not interfere with you getting close to your work. In addition, when you assume the typing position with your arms resting comfortably at your side, the chair arms should be at a height where they just barely contact your elbows. The chair arms should not noticeably elevate your shoulders or force you to wing your arms out to use them.
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2. Work surface/Keyboard/Pointing Device Adjustment
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Yes No ...... With your chair adjusted properly is your
work surface at approximately elbow level?
Yes No ...... Are your shoulders relaxed and not elevated when
you work at your work surface?
Yes No ...... When you address your work surface to type or write
is there approximately a 90 degree angle between
your forearms and upper arms and are your elbows
close to your body?
Yes No ...... When you address your work surface to type are your
wrists in line with your forearms and not bent
upwards, downwards, or side-to-side?
For the proper work surface/keyboard height do the following: if
your work surface is adjustable, first adjust your chair as
mentioned in the chair adjustment section above, then with your
arms resting comfortably at your side, raise your forearms to form
a 90 degree angle with your upper arms. Adjust your work surface so
the home row of your keyboard (the row which has the letters
a,s,d.....) is at approximately elbow level. If your work surface
is too high and not adjustable, adjust your chair to bring your
elbows to the home row level of the keyboard. If you raise your
chair make sure your feet are properly supported.
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3. Monitor Adjustment
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Yes No ...... Is the viewing distance to your computer monitor
somewhere between 18"- 30"?
Yes No ...... Is the top of your computer screen at or just
below eye level?
Yes No ...... If your wear bifocals or trifocals, can you see
the computer monitor without having to tilt your
head back to read the screen or other items in
your work area?
Yes No ...... Is your computer monitor free of glare or
reflections?
Once you have your chair and work surface height adjusted, adjust
your computer monitor so the top of the screen is at or just below
eye level. Bifocal and trifocal wearers have to pay particular attention to the placement of their monitor. Wearers of bifocals and trifocals often unknowingly tilt their heads backwards so they can read the screen through the lower portion of their glasses. This can sometimes lead to neck, shoulder, and back discomfort. Potential solutions include either lowering your computer monitor or purchasing glasses designed specifically for working at the computer. If glare is a problem either reorient your monitor or purchase a glare screen. ___________________________________________________________________
4. WORKSTATION ACCESSORY ARRANGEMENTS
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Yes No ...... Is your input device (mouse, trackball, digitizing
tablet) at the same level as your keyboard?
Yes No ...... Do you have enough room on your work surface for
all your computer accessories?
Yes No ...... Are your most frequently accessed items (e.g.
phone, manuals, etc.) easy to reach?
Yes No ...... Do you have an adjustable document holder to hold
paper for prolonged computer inputting?
Yes No ...... Do you have a wrist rest to support your wrists in
a straight and neutral position?
Yes No ...... Do your arms rest on, or contact any sharp or
square edges on your work surfaces?
Yes No ...... If a large percentage of your time involves using
a phone do you use a phone headset?
If you use an input device (mouse, trackball, digitizing tablet,
etc.) make sure it is at the same level and at approximately the
same distance as your keyboard. Try to keep your pointing device
as close to the centerline of your body as possible. Reaching for
your input device or having it at a higher level than your keyboard
can cause problems. Keyboard drawers or other types of keyboard
support devices can increase the amount of desk space but can cause
other problems. One problem with keyboard drawers and other types
of keyboard supports is that they force you further away from your
primary work surface, put your mouse at a higher level, and force
you to reach to use your mouse and other accessories. Another
problem with these type of devices is that they often interfere
with the thigh clearance under your work surface. Keep your most frequently accessed items close to you to minimize the amount of reaching you have to do. If you type and reference material from paper you should consider using a document holder or slant board. Place the document holder at the same distance and height as your computer monitor. The document holder will help in keeping your head over your spine and can prevent or relieve neck, shoulder, and back discomfort. A padded wrist rest made out of firm foam will take some of the load off your neck, shoulder, and back muscles; keep your wrist in a straight and neutral position while typing; and keep your arms off the sharp edges of the work surface. Ideally the wrist rest should be made of a firm foam and constructed so the pad height matches the front (toe) height of your keyboard. Talking on the phone with your neck bent to hold the receiver can cause neck, shoulder, and back discomfort. If you're on the phone a fair amount of time, a phone headset can prevent you from bending your neck and prevent or relieve neck, shoulder, and back discomfort.
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5. WORK HABITS
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Yes No ...... Do you take short and frequent breaks every 20 -
40 minutes?
Yes No ...... Do you frequently change body positions while
working?
Yes No ...... Do you provide your eyes with vision breaks every
half hour?
Yes No ...... Is overtime work uncommon?
Yes No ...... Are you free from deadline situations or
experiencing deadline stress?
Yes No ...... Are you free from experiencing any pain or
discomfort while working?
It's very important to take a break from working at your computer
every 20 - 40 minutes. Repetitious static work (working at a
computer) is very fatiguing on your upper extremities as well as
your eyes. Your body needs periodic breaks to rest and recover.
Taking a break does not mean you have to stop working, you could
make a trip to the copier, talk to a colleague, make some phone
calls, etc.It is also very important to change positions periodically. Sitting in one position or leaning on your arms for an extended period of time can interfere with circulation. Moving around can help with circulation and prevent you from putting pressure on one location for an extended period of time. It is often working overtime and the stress of deadline situations that force people to ignore and work through their pain and discomfort. It is very important that once you start to notice some pain or discomfort to be very careful. Pain that goes away over night is usually a sign of fatigue, pain that is continuous and does not go away over night is more serious and should be attended to immediately. Once you detect any pain or discomfort while working see the Health Services people at your site as soon as possible. It is much easier for them to treat you and for you to recover from a pain episode the earlier you are treated. Ignoring pain can lead to serious injury. Finally be careful with what you do outside of work. Repetitive stressful activities outside of work (e.g. home improvement projects, hobbies that require repetitive motion, etc.) can sometimes lead to repetitive motion injuries as well. When working on a new task you should treat it just like preparing for a race. Whenever you engage in a new task gradually build up your strength and endurance, don't just jump right in. |