Ergonomic Workplace Tips
By Terrie Heinrich Rizzo
We’ve amassed a file cabinet full of workplace ergonomics experts’ helpful techniques and a warehouse full of handy strategies and products to keep you whistling while you work.
Sitting for a living
Repeated tasks performed when seated also contribute to stress to the neck, shoulders, hands, wrists and even the legs, especially when done slouching. Anyone who spends several hours seated on the job should use ergonomic caution and follow a few rules:
• Move around. Get up and walk around every 20 to 30 minutes, and take frequent one- to two-minute micro-breaks. Micro-breaks aren’t breaks from work, but breaks from using a particular set of frequently used muscles and joints, such as regularly resting your fingers when typing. Stand, stretch, or do different tasks during micro-breaks.
• Choose a chair that fits you.
• Keep feet flat on the floor. If your feet don’t reach, use a footrest.
• Position your computer monitor so that your eyes are level with the top of the screen (oversize monitors are exceptions). The center should be at 15 degrees below your line of sight and approximately an arm’s length away. Raise or lower it as necessary. If you wear bifocals, check with your therapist about lowering your monitor to avoid crooking your neck.
• Use a document holder to raise materials to eye level, rather than bending your neck toward the desk.
• If you have an older chair without lumbar support, replace it or try using a small pillow or tightly rolled towel to relieve pressure on your lower back. Be sure the towel isn’t thick enough that it forces you to lean forward, creating even more strain.
If the chair fits
Alan Hedge, PhD, professor of ergonomics and director of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Program at Cornell University, recommends these tips to help find a chair that fits.
Swivel and roll. To minimize joint strain, a swivel chair with a five-point base and wheels is a must for both stability and ease of movement.
Make it fit. For the right fit, Hedge advises using the 1-inch seat rule. When sitting back, there should be at least a 1-inch gap between the edge of the seat and the backs of your knees, and the seat of the chair should be at least 1-inch wider than your hips and thighs. The chair’s back should be wide enough for your back, but not too wide to restrict arm movements, such as reaching 90 degrees to your sides.
Rest your back. Seat backs should have both a height-adjustable lumbar support to fit the curve of your lower back snugly, and a tilt feature that allows you to move easily while being supported at all positions. Hedge says chairs with headrests also are helpful for people who need to reduce neck and shoulder strain.
Support your arms. Be sure your chair’s armrests are adjustable and set so forearms are supported when elbows are bent at 90 degrees and wrists are straight.
Get control. A chair should have adjustments for seat height, seatpan tilt, backrest height and tilt, and armrest positions – and you should be able to easily reach and adjust all levers.
Try before you buy. Visit stores and sit in many chairs before buying.
Helpful products
Bodybilt Ergonomic Office Chairs can be customized to your body type and size. Average cost: $825, www.ergo4me.com
Steelcase’s Think Office Chair has flexible back and seat flexors that conform to your body shape and provide suspension-like seating. Starts at $700, www.steelcase.com
FitBALL Exercise Ball Chair combines the cushiness of an exercise ball with the mobility and stability of an office chair. $80, www.gaiam.com
3M Adjustable Monitor Stands can be stacked to raise the top of a monitor to eye level – the proper height. Each stand is 1 1/2 inches high and supports monitors up to 21 inches or 80 pounds. $32, www.staples.com
Height and Angle FootRester adjusts to support feet and legs as you change body positions, improving seated posture and comfort. $152, www.workriteergo.com
VisionVu 18DC Document Holder keeps papers in both vertical position between keyboard and monitor and horizontal position to the side of the monitor, allowing you to hold your head upright. $50, www.vuryte.com
Staples’ One-Touch Stapler is self-standing and provides staple-gun power with just a touch. $15, www.staples.com
