Shining a light on office ergonomics

Shining a light on office Ergonomics >> In the UK, musculoskeletal problems affect an estimated one million people' and over the past year, the UK's biggest injury claims company, National Accident Helpline found a 66% increase from the previous year in reported RSI injuries.? While many professional services offer a thorough assessment of your workstation, here are some cheap and easy tweaks you can make today. #1. DESK HEIGHT #2. CHAIR #3. KEYBOARD #4. FEET #6. TELEPHONE #5. MONITOR #1. DESK HEIGHT Your desk height should provide you with easy access to all the components on your workstation without you having to hunch over. This will help to place MEASURE 25M less strain on your back, neck and shoulders. Tip: Determining the right desk height: Rest your arms at your ! sides and keep your elbows in line with your torso at a 90 degree angle. Your hands should be able to rest comfortably on your desk. # 2. CHAIR Many ergonomic chairs out there are designed to promote good posture. Remember to adjust the height and ensure the armrests allow your forearms to be at a 90 degree angle to your torso.* This can help alleviate wear and tear of the back, neck and shoulder muscles. Tip: Determining the correct chair height: Fingers should fit easily underneath your thighs at the front of the chair, just before the knee bends, #3. KEYBOARD Correct wrist positioning can help to avoid strain on muscles, tendons and joints of the wrist which can result in repetitive use injuries, including Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Help give your wrists support by using wrist gel pads or wrist support mouse mats. Tip: When using a keyboard, maintain a straight line from your forearm through your wrist and into your hand. Your fingers should be doing most of the work. # 4. FEET Your feet should be firmly placed on the ground which helps to counterbalance the pressure that prolonged periods of sitting puts on your lower back. Use a foot stool if needed. #5. MONITOR The correct placement of your monitor can help avoid headaches caused by strain on the eyes and neck. If your monitor is too low, use a computer stand to raise the level. If it's too high, lower the desk level or raise the height of your chair. Tip: Determining the correct monitor height: Sit comfortably, keep your head in a neutral position, close your eyes and then slowly open them. Your gaze should be at the centre of the monitor screen. #6. TELEPHONE Consider buying a headset rather than holding the phone between your head and neck. It can help prevent neck pain and strain and allow you to keep a healthy spinal alignment." AND FINALLY... Try to move around for a few minutes every half hour. This will help get the blood flowing, ease strain on your muscles and can help avoid RSI, deep vein thrombosis and other limb disorders.2 #RESOURCES National Accident Helpline 1 http://www.bupa.co.uk/business/employer-health-hub/physical-health/rsi 2 National Accident Helpline data 3 http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/workplacehealth/Pages/howtositcorrectly.aspx 4 http://www.everydayergonomics.org/officeergonomics/armrest.php 5 http://www.spine-health.com/blog/1-ergonomic-tips-synchronizing-your-workstation-and-office-chair 6 http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Repetitive-Strain-Injury-RSI.htm 7 http://www.healthycomputing.com/office/setup/keyboard/ 8 http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/workplacehealth/Pages/howtositcorrectly.aspx 9 http://www.keytools-ergonomics.co.uk/workstation_screen.html 10 http://www.mayoclinic.org/office-ergonomics/art-20046169 11 http://www.everydayhealth.com/neck-pain/neck-pain-prevention-at-work.aspx 12 http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/tc/office-ergonomics-using-ergonomics-at-the-workstation-to-prevent-injury