PCMag supports Group Black and its mission to increase greater diversity in media voices and media ownerships. For more advice on remote work, learn how to make meetings more accessible and what employers can do to make hybrid work policies a success. Additionally, Hedge cautions to make sure the seat is not hitting the back of your knees because it can reduce blood flow and cause your feet and ankles to swell. I’ve been contributing to PCMag since 2011 and am currently the deputy managing editor for the software team.
So if you’re interested in learning more about my program, head to the bottom of this post. By being creative and using items around the house for exercise, you can be sure to keep your body moving and your mind sharp. Exercise may also help prevent repetitive strain injuries that may occur while spending countless hours at your home office work station. Most experts agree that the ability to spend some time sitting and some time standing while working is optimum for musculoskeletal health.
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An office chair may have a back with lower back support that encourages your spine’s natural curves. To achieve a neutral spine, try a rolled-up towel or small pillow in the small of your back. With the height correct, adjust the keyboard to the proper distance. You don’t want the keyboard too close to you, and you don’t want to overreach. As you type, your elbows should hang naturally by your sides without discomfort. Consider using a wrist rest to help achieve proper keyboard placement.
Providing employees with personalised ergonomic guidance will minimise the risk of work-related injuries and promote optimal performance. Just like sitting at a desk, you need a standing desk (or other high surface), that lets you get the right distance away from your keyboard and screen. Some counters, like your kitchen counter, have a toe kick, the part under the cabinet that lets you stick your toes under while you work. To create the perfect work throne, you may need to get creative.
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The desk should support the elbows – if that’s too high and you can’t lift the chair, try sitting on a pillow or a cushion. When you work at a standing desk, the same rules about keyboard and mouse placement apply, so make sure you aren’t working at a standing desk that’s too tall or short for you. The problem is that once you’ve adjusted your chair to the right height, your arms may not be at the right height for the keyboard. First, the top of the monitor should be at or slightly below your eye level. When you look at the middle of the screen, your eyes should look slightly down.
Under the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, employers are required to provide laptop and computer users with adequate DSE assessments. This includes the evaluation of computer equipment, furniture, and lighting used by employees during their work hours. The assessment should address any adjustments needed to optimise the workstation ergonomics and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. To support the wellbeing of remote workers, employers should conduct ergonomic assessments of their employees’ home workstations. These assessments aim to identify potential ergonomic issues and offer practical solutions to improve the setup.
Protect your wrists
As an exercise physiologist, Davis says regular rest breaks are critical, making sure to get out of the chair every 30 to 45 minutes – if only briefly, to move around, stretch and change position. This will shift the strain between intervertebral discs, the spine’s shock absorbers. If you can see the screen just fine when it’s straight, leave it. However, you will likely need to angle the screen to reduce glare and achieve proper head positioning. The top will push away from you, and the bottom will come toward you.
- We should also be clear this is by no means a “budget” buyer’s guide by any stretch of the imagination.
- Standing longer than about 8 minutes, said Hedge, leads people to start leaning.
- Use a monitor or laptop stand and place it at an arm’s length away from you and at eye level or slightly below.
- Also, adjust the screen so that you do not have direct lights on the monitor entering your eyes.
That’s not much, but it is slightly better than sitting and typing, which burns 80 calories an hour. Use a keyboard that is either flat or has a “negative tilt.” Many keyboards tilt “up,” meaning the top row of the keyboard is raised. This forces your wrists to bend up as you type and can cause discomfort. If your monitor doesn’t adjust height (or you can’t raise it any more), consider propping the monitor up on a riser (or books) to achieve the right height.
What are some examples of ergonomic equipment?
For more information about ergonomic home office design and other ergonomic topics, be sure to check out Weber Knapp’s website. We just redesigned our website to make it easier to find educational resources and information about ergonomic work from home ergonomics office products. At your workplace, you might have ergonomic office supplies to make your working experience more efficient. Part of maintaining good posture is making sure you stretch and move around to give your body time to adjust.
By being flexible, you can take advantage of the benefits of working from home, such as saving time and money, reducing stress, and enhancing your performance. Working from home can blur the boundaries between work and personal life. You may find it hard to switch off from work or to maintain a regular schedule.