COMPUTER ERGONOMICS: HOW TO PROTECT

YOURSELF FROM STRAIN AND PAIN

ERGONOMICS
Ergonomics (or human factors) is the
scientific discipline concerned with the
understanding of interactions among
humans and other elements of a system,
and the profession that applies theory,
principles, data and methods to design in order
to optimize human well-being and overall
system performance.
THE IDEAL OFFICE TABLE HEIGHT

The correct height for a computer desk is influenced by a few

factors, including your height, the equipment you use, and your
daily tasks. However, 28 inches (71.12cm) is the standard desk
height that you should be using, especially if you’re
between 5’8″(172.72 cm) and 5’10″(177.8cm) tall.
LEG AND FEET POSITION
 Keep your hips and knees at 90 degrees.
 When sitting at your desk, try to keep your

knees almost aligned with your hips. This

position helps to keep a neutral spine
position. Sitting in a chair that’s too low
positions your knees above your hips, while
sitting perched higher up positions your hips
significantly higher than your knees. Both of
these positions place excessive stress on
your back and can lead to back pain and
stiffness.
 Keep both feet flat on the ground (use foot
stool if necessary).
 When you cross your legs, or if just your toes

are touching the floor, you put stress on the

large supportive muscles of your back, pelvis
and hip and you also interfere with proper
blood flow. Another issue with a crossed-leg
position is that it puts added pressure on
your lower back and forces you to lean
slightly to one side, causing and imbalanced
pelvis.
LEG AND FEET POSITION
MONITOR POSITION
 If you’re experiencing any pain after
sitting in front of the computer, you may
need to adjust the ergonomics of your
workspace. And you can start with the
best positioning for your computer
screen. The exact position of your
monitor is based on your setup and your
own body proportions, and there are a
number of things you can do right away
to improve your work posture.
WHY DOES THE POSITION OF YOUR COMPUTER
SCREEN MATTER?

 the positioning of your computer screen is of

major physiological importance.
 Eyestrain, carpal tunnel, neck pain, and

posture issues are just a few conditions that

may occur when incorrect positioning occurs.
This is why correct positioning and
ergonomics matter.
 Fortunately, these problems can be avoided

with a few simple practices.

WHAT FACTORS SHOULD I BE AWARE OF
REGARDING COMPUTER SCREEN POSITIONING?

 Screen Height
 When it comes to acceptable screen

positioning, which is acceptable will vary

slightly from person to person. This depends
on their height, amongst other factors.
Broadly speaking, any screen position that
forces you to tilt your chin, or otherwise bend
or tilt any part of your body, is incorrect.
Such positions may not only cause the
aforementioned strain, discomfort, and pain
but may also have an effect on your
productivity.
CORRECT BODY POSTURE
 Viewing Distance
 Viewing distance has everything to do with how far away you are from
the computer screen. Too far away, and you’ll be unable to read the
screen properly. Too close, and you’ll be forced to deal with eye strain.
When it comes to effective positioning, the key is to find the sweet spot.
 Moreover, distance is not just an issue for the eyes. If too close or too far
away, you may subconsciously begin to lean back or forward, or
under/over-extend your arms. Point being, a small miscalculation in
viewing distance can disrupt all your ergonomic efforts.
 In order to set up a perfect viewing distance, first be aware of ocular
accommodation and convergence, which reference involuntary eye
functions when too close to an object. These are what cause eye strain.
To avoid this and other such issues, the resolution is quite straight
straightforward. When sitting in front of the computer screen, simply
place the monitor at the exact length equal to that of your fully
extended arm.
 Because computer screen sizes vary, make sure to double-check that
the monitor is neither too close nor too far away. When done properly,
you should be able to see the entire screen and work comfortably
without straining your vision or moving any part of your body.
MONITOR DISTANCE
 Angles
 Not only should the computer screen be placed directly in front of you,
but it’s also important to be aware of the angle at which you’re viewing it.
Position your computer screen at a poor angle for long enough, and you
could find yourself experiencing neck pain and possibly even damage.
 When it comes down to it, the screen’s angle is more or less its height in
reference to the user. A six-foot-tall person should not have his or her
screen in the same position as a five-foot-three-inch person, for instance.
 Getting into the numbers of it all, your screen should be placed anywhere
between eye level and thirty-degrees below your line of sight. This range
is determined based on the fact that our eyes naturally trend straight
ahead and downward when at rest.
 Bearing that in mind, the trick to determining the angle that’s best for
you, without breaking out the protractor, is remarkably simple.
 When gazing at a computer monitor, your eyes should be at rest when
viewing a browser’s address bar. If that’s not the case, and you’re seeing
the trash bin or upper toolbar, then you may want to adjust the angle at
which you’re viewing the screen.
 Set up the monitor directly in front of you, centered
with your eyes. This will ensure that you do not
have to twist your neck or body to view the screen.
 Note: If you use a program that is not centered on the
screen, you may want to set up the monitor so that the
center of the program is directly in front of you.
 If possible, set up your monitor perpendicular to a
window to avoid glare. If your office is bright, tilt
the monitor slightly down to reduce reflections and
glare.
 NOTE: If you wear bifocals or progressive lenses,
you may need to slightly tilt the monitor
backwards. This will help make sure that your neck
is not in a poor, backwards position.
WHAT OTHER FACTORS SHOULD I BE AWARE OF
REGARDING COMPUTER SCREEN POSITIONING?
GLARE

 A computer screen’s viewing angle and distance are not the only factors
that should inform positioning. Although a computer screen’s positioning
may be perfect for your height, it does not take into account the effect of
external light sources.
 Specifically, if you fail to heed the presence of windows and other
sources of light, you could end up with a fair amount of glare. In certain
scenarios, not only will glare cause eyestrain due to its inherent
reflection, but also because of the shifts in position you might take to
avoid it.
 When aiming to reduce possible glare, there are several steps
you can take.
 First of all, you can change the screen’s tilt in order to mitigate effects
from overhead sources. As a means of eliminating window-related glare,
it is suggested that you place your screen at a ninety-degree angle from
all nearby windows, or else that you make use of window shades.
 Ultimately, the presence is easily determined by turning off your screen.
If glare is present, you will obviously see it all over your darkened
screen. If you’ve already taken all possible steps to handle the glare and
find it still present, then perhaps a third-party accessory is needed. Glare
and light filters are often used for this purpose.
FONT SIZE

 Although your computer screen may be of proper

distance from your seated position, it’s possible that
you have not accounted for the influence of font
size. Sometimes, even when all else is perfect, you
might find yourself wishing that the screen was a bit
closer so as to read a bit more comfortably. It is in
this case that you may want to consider altering
your font size.
 Primarily, it must be noted that in all situations, a
font size increase or decrease will always be of
greater benefit to your eyes than a change in screen
viewing distance and position. With that in mind as a
general rule of thumb, consider that the font size
deemed best for your eyes is roughly three times
larger than that of the smallest you can legibly read.
BRIGHTNESS

 While viewing angle and distance are indeed

important, the visual makeup of the screen is
important as well. Stemming from brightness,
this important aspect also includes contrast and
resolution. As a general rule, your computer
screen’s brightness should be equal to that of the
environment behind it.
 Explicitly, in highly contrasting areas where

you’re forced to contend with uneven brightness,

you’ll be at higher risk of eye strain, fatigue, and
headaches. In order to keep these effects at bay,
simply pay attention to how your workstation’s
brightness changes through the day, and alter
your settings proportionally.
CHAIR
 While you may not be sitting in a classic hardback chair, or
even a swivel or La-Z-Boy, the essence of non-detrimental
chair positioning remains rather universal.
 For starters, your back should be straight, shoulders back,
feet flat, and knees at a ninety-degree angle. When sitting in
front of a computer for long periods, take care to ensure that
your hips are flush with the rest of your body, in order to
provide the best support possible.
 Despite the austere position requirements, the aim is to
provide beneficial comfort. Armrests, for instance, may help
to relax your shoulders while keeping them in the desired
position. Moreover, extra back and seat cushions will help to
support the entirety of your back.
 As we’ve all heard over and over throughout our lives, all of
this boils down to maintain good posture. This article by the
Cleveland Clinic has some good tips about how to sit
correctly and how to improve your posture.
KEYBOARD

 A keyboard has a lot more influence than meets the eye. Rather
than just being the computer’s input device, it has much bearing
on the position of your arms, wrists, elbow, shoulders, and back.
To that end, you should do what you can to ensure that your
elbows remain beyond a ninety-degree angle’s extension from
yourself.
 To that end, your keyboard should be as close or far away as
necessary to achieve such. While emphasis should be obviously
placed on keeping the keyboard in front of you, as opposed to
being in some obscure position, you may want to adjust its
positioning based on which part of the keyboard you use most
frequently. In order to solve this issue, many users opt to use
keyboard trays and tilts.
 If we’ve managed to catch your attention about the importance
of ergonomics, you can read our
complete guide to office ergonomics. This guide will help get you
on your way to creating a healthier and more comfortable work
environment. You can also visit our workplace solutions page for
more informative ways to improve the way you work.
 Keep your forearms parallel with the floor,
resting on your desk.
 Keeping your forearms parallel with the floor,

resting on your desk helps to reduce the

amount of stress on the joints of your upper
extremities. Ensure that you place your
keyboard and mouse at appropriate distances
from your body so that you don’t have to
continually reach forwards to use them. If you
have to stretch your arms to reach you
keyboard and/or mouse, your shoulders will
start to rotate forward which can lead to
rounded shoulders posture as well as upper
back pain.
 Set up your monitor so that the top line of the screen
is at or below eye level. This should align your eyes
with the top of the viewing area of the screen.
 You should not need to tilt or bend your neck forward
to properly see the monitor.
 Set up your monitor directly in front of you, at least
20 inches away.
 A good general rule is to place the monitor arm’s length
away from you.
 Ergonomics trick!
 Sit with good posture, close your eyes, and when you
open them they should land on the address bar. If
not, lower or raise the monitor via risers, books, or
the built in option if your monitor has it.
 According to the Cleveland Clinic, good
posture involves positioning your body to
walk, stand, sit, or lie in a position that
places the least amount of strain on the
supporting muscles and ligaments of your
body.
Sitting with poor posture can lead to:

– Neck and back pain

– Forward head posture
– Rounded shoulders
– Hyperkyphosis
– Anterior pelvic tilt
– Bulging disc
– Muscle stiffness
– Decreased mobility
– Poor balance
– Decreased athletic performance
Benefits of proper posture include:

– Keeps bones and joints in proper alignment to

encourage
efficient use of muscles.
– Helps reduce abnormal wear and tear on joint surfaces.
– Decreases the stress on the spinal ligaments.
– Prevents abnormal spinal positions.
– Prevents muscle fatigue.
– Prevents injury including strains, sprains, and overuse
injuries.
– Contributes to a good appearance.
– Improves self-esteem.
NECK EXERCISES

[Link]
ets/neck-exercises/