Ergonomic Tips (06/03)
The 1-2-3 of Ergonomics
by John R. Chait D.C., drchait@home.com
Member of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.The following is a short description of the postures that should be maintained while working at a computer.
- Start with the chair. It should be at a height that allows the feet to be placed flat on the floor with the thighs level or slightly pointed down. There should be no pressure on the back of the thigh. Sit up straight allowing the natural curve of the spine to contour to the lumbar support of the chair. This posture will put the user at the proper sitting height to use the computer.
- Next is the keyboard height. Let the arms hang naturally at the sides and bring the forearms up until they are parallel with the floor. With the hands extending naturally from the wrists, move up to the keyboard, the hands should lay naturally on the keys. This is the proper keying height. The wrists should not bend in, out, up, or down, but should maintain a straight line from the top of the forearm across the back of the hand. Do not rest the wrists on the sharp edge of the work surface while keying.
- The last step is to maintain the proper monitor distance and height. Sitting in the keying position, set the distance to the monitor screen at arms. The height of the monitor should be where the eyes look naturally at the top 1/3 of the screen when the head is held level. If the user wears bi or trifocals, the monitor will usually be positioned at a lower level so the user does not have to tilt the head up to view the screen.
With these simple postures in mind, many people can solve their own ergonomic problems when working at a computer.
Copyright 2003. This article is from the June 2003 issue of the Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL 34277-1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and our publication. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the publication the reprint appears in, please send to above address, Attn: Editor. For further information about our group, email: admin@spcug.org/ Web: http://www.spcug.org/The Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. has 1,100+ members and was established in 1982. We are members of the Assoc. of PC User Groups (APCUG), the Florida Assoc. of PC Users Groups, Inc., and we are members of the America Online Ambassador Program.
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