Admittedly I am a certified computer network addict because I spent most of my time infront of my work station and sadly, lately, I am experiencing backaches and pains which persist for quite some time now.   I know that it is attributed to my regular or should I say overused computer time so I sought the help of friend’s aunt who happened to be an Occupational Health Nurse.  When I had the chance to talk to her, first thing she asked was “Are you sitting comfortably enough”? She also visited my condo unit to check the type of computer chair I am using.  True to her suspicion, my workstation is not properly set up and that I am exposed to common computer use risks like eye fatigue, pain, stress and musculoskeletal discomfort.

The hand out she gave me is worth sharing so I thought of posting it here because I know that a lot of people also regularly use computers in extended sessions.  I’ve found the rules simple and yet sometimes, I myself tend to overlook such simple rules to follow like adopting comfortable posture to avoid unnecessary back , neck and wrist pain.   We all have a responsibility to work safely and enjoy every minute of our time in our work station.

Here is the information contained in the document given by Aunt Carol:

Simple but effective rules to follow:

1. Adjust the chair height so that your forearms are horizontal when using the keyboard
2. Ensure there is room between the tops of your leg and the work-surface
3. Move any obstacles such as boxes or equipment if this is restricting movement of legs under the work-surface
4. If feet is dangling off the floor when the chair has been adjusted to the correct height then use a footrest to take the pressure off the back of the legs
5. Adjust chair back to ensure an upright posture is maintained.  Good lumbar support is essential.
6. Avoid flexing wrists too much when using keyboard or mouse.  Use a wrist rest if this helps.
7. The top of the display screen should be roughly in line with your eyes.  Without excessive tilting of the monitor.  Raise the monitor if necessary.  If you are not a “touch typist”, you may benefit by positioning the display screen below eye level to avoid repeated shifting of focus and bending of the neck
8. Keep the mouse and keyboard within easy reach.  Avoid using with arms outstretched.
9. Keep a clear area of 2 to 4 inches ( 5-10 cm) in front of the keyboard to rest the wrists when not typing.

 Gee, I know that this would be a great help to both you and me!