Focus Point of the Week: Workstation Ergonomics

By: Lonny Defelice

Almost all of us use a computer to complete some, if not all, of our work tasks. In addition to our reliance on computers for our jobs, many of us enjoy surfing the internet, shopping online, and playing computer games. This often means that we spend several hours a day in front of a computer. This week, we’ll talk about how to set up workstations to promote better posture and reduced pain, even while seated.

When it comes to computer workstations, there are three common tendencies that will lead to poor posture and neck/back pain: overreaching, using incorrect heights, and having an unbalanced work area. Overreaching refers to reaching too far in a horizontal direction for items such as the keyboard, mouse and/or the phone. Using incorrect heights refers to the position of items in a vertical direction such as the height of the keyboard, mouse, monitor, and chair. An unbalanced work area refers to the uneven distribution of commonly used items on the desktop. Each of these tendencies can present its own unique issues, ranging from repetitive motion syndromes of the elbow and shoulder to wrist and neck compression problems.

A short self-assessment of your workstation can help you identify many of these issues. When performing your assessment, here’s what to look for:

The Chair

Chair height should be the distance (while seated) from the floor to the back of the knee plus one inch.
The seat depth (how far back you sit) should be the distance (while seated) from the buttock to the back of the knee minus one to two inches.
The backrest height should be the distance (while seated) from the seat pan to the bottom of the shoulder blades plus two inches.
Armrest height should be about one inch lower than the elbow when the elbow is at 90-degrees of flexion. Note that armrests are not necessary for a chair to be ergonomically sound.

Keyboard and Mouse

The height of the keyboard and mouse should be one inch greater than the distance (while seated) from the floor to the elbow while the elbow is at 90-degrees flexion.
The mouse and keyboard should be on the same level and close together.
The forearms should be parallel to the floor while you are typing and your hands should hover above the keys and not rest on the wrist pad.
Keyboard and mouse tray should never rest on the thighs. Ensure that there is enough clearance so that the thighs are not trapped.

The Monitor

The monitor should be aligned with the top line of text at eye level. If you wear bifocals, the top line of text should be two inches below eye level.
The monitor should be positioned directly in front of you, not off to one side.
The monitor should be one arm’s length away from you while seated.

Other Considerations

Your head, neck and torso should be upright (in line) and should face forward (not rotated).
Your shoulders and upper arms should be in line with the torso.
Your forearms, wrists, and hands should be straight and in line with the elbows.
Your feet should rest flat on the floor or be supported on a stable footrest.
Commonly used items should be within one arm’s length and evenly distributed across the desktop.

After performing your assessment, you should be able to make the appropriate corrections to your workspace with some small adjustments. Perhaps you will need to buy items such as a new chair or a keyboard tray. Remember, a little money spent to improve your workstation could lead to less pain and an improved quality life. It’s a small price to pay for the benefits.

For this week and going forward, make your workstation the best it can be and reap the benefits of better posture and less pain!