Safety Tips for Making Your Workstation Ergonomically Sound

By tailoring the work environment to fit individual needs and characteristics and by positioning the body so there is less stress and strain on it, you can make your work environment fit comfortably with your work style and increase your productivity. Listed below are some tips to help make your workstation ergonomically sound.

• Since a poorly-designed workstation can slow you down and also increase your stress, organize it so you can keep twists, turns and uncomfortable movements to an absolute minimum
   
• Be sure that you have enough desk space to comfortably accommodate the materials and equipment that are part of your job; i.e., books, papers, calculators, and computers and keep the items you most frequently use closer to you.
   
• Make sure your keyboard is centered directly in front of you so you do not have to turn or stretch to get to it.
   
• Place the keyboard so your hands are no more than 10 degrees from a horizontal position and your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle; productivity can be cut by as much as 50 percent if your elbows are bent at a lesser or greater angle.
• Elevate the keyboard about two inches at the rear to put your wrists in a "neutral" or natural resting position.
   
• Place the monitor directly in front of you to avoid twisting your back; make sure it is 18 to 24 inches away from your eyes.
   
• The top of your monitor should be at eye level to avoid fatigue, stress, neck problems and backaches from looking down.
   
• The padded backrest of your chair should fit comfortably at your lower back to prevent strain and fatigue to your shoulders and back.
   
• Keep adequate legroom of three to six inches from the top of your thigh to the desk surface
   
• Cut back on office noise by covering noisy printers and turning down phone ringers.
   
• Glare and intense lighting are not always easy to eliminate and can cause eyestrain and headaches so move your monitor to another location to avoid direct glare or try an anti-glare screen if all else fails.
   
• Short breaks are not only good for you but can actually increase productivity.

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