4. Workstation Ergonomics

Information processing is enjoyable for many people. Creating new documents, organizing data, designing graphics, solving problems, and working faster can be fun and productive. However, like many other physical and mental activities, working with computers can also be harmful if you don't follow good routines and practices that protect both your health and your equipment.

People have physical, mental, and social needs at work, at school, as well as in their personal lives. Ergonomics is the study of the impact that work and workspaces have on a person's needs and capabilities. The term evolved from the Greek words ergo (meaning “work”) and nomos (meaning “laws of”). There are now professions that design jobs, worksites, learning stations, furniture, and equipment to better suit people's requirements. These professions include occupational health nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, home and office designers, health and safety coordinators, and chiropractors. However, it is up to each individual to take the time to modify and create the best workstations possible. 

Repetitive Strain Injury—What Is It?

Our bones and muscles make up our musculoskeletal system. This system allows us to perform activities such as walking, dancing, and swimming—plus everything else that requires movement of the body. As strong as this system might be, overuse of the muscles through repeated movements can put stress on your body, causing a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Other names for RSI include Cumulative Trauma Disorder and Repetitive Motion Injury.

Unfortunately, many office jobs require that we perform repetitive motions to fulfill our duties. For this reason, RSIs are the most common type of injury found in the office. Tendons are common sites of RSI pain and discomfort, but workers may also experience pain in other areas of the body depending on the tasks performed.

Symptoms of RSIs

The first signs of an RSI may be subtle and mild, and the symptoms may appear long after performing the activity. For these reasons, people often ignore the slight aches and pains, but eventually, these slight aches and pains can become serious problems down the road if ignored.

Symptoms may include

• • dull aching

  • loss of sensation (numbness), especially at night

  • aches/pains, which may be worse at night

  • tingling and burning sensations

  • swelling around the wrist/hand

  • dry, shiny palm

  • ‘pins and needles’ discomfort

  • clumsiness (loss of ability to grasp items, impaired thumb and finger dexterity

  • muscle weakness and fatigue

  • muscle spasm

  • joint restriction/loss of movement

  • a ‘crackling’ feeling when swollen tendons are pressed tightly

  • a cyst-like swelling or node, known as a ganglion, near a tendon or joint

Although ergonomic principles can help us ward off injury, we may be uninspired to implement them in our everyday habits until our muscles and joints really start to hurt. Acknowledge the warning signs as early as possible and do something about it.

Making Your Workstation Work for You

We are all different. Some people have long arms, others have short torsos, others have long legs—our differences are endless, yet many of our workstations look exactly alike. If we spend several hours a day at our workstations, why not make them fit us?

Your Chair

Since most office work is done sitting at a desk, it is important to adjust our chairs to make them as comfortable as possible.

How do I make my chair fit me?

• • Chair height. Adjust the height of your chair so your thighs are horizontal and your knees are at right angles when you are seated. (Or stand in front of the chair and adjust the height so the highest point of the seat is just below your kneecap).

  • Seat depth. The space between the front edge of the seat and the back of your knee should be the span of two to three fingers. This will minimize pressure on the underside of your leg.

  • Back support. Adjust the lumbar support so it rests in the small of your back.

  • Armrests. While seated, bend your elbows to 90 degrees and relax the shoulders. If your armrests do not allow for this position, do not use them while keying or using the mouse. If armrests are too high or too low, have them removed or get a new chair without armrests.

When you’re sitting at your desk, consider these points:

THINK REST BREAKS.

Remember that the body wasn’t designed to sit in a chair for eight hours a day. Avoid sitting for long periods of time. Try to alternate between sitting, standing, and walking while you work, or simply get up and stretch. Aim to move your back, neck, and shoulders at least every 10 minutes, or try some of the office exercises included.

THINK POSTURE.

Keep your feet flat on the floor (using a footrest, if necessary), and lean into the backrest at all times. Keep your back in good alignment and your chin tucked in. This position should feel comfortable and natural.

Your Work Surface

Imagine having the right chair perfectly adjusted to your height, only to have the desk too tall for you. Having these two elements mismatched makes for an ineffective workstation and poor ergonomic design. Generally, the work surface should be about the height of the elbows when the arms are hanging straight down while seated. If possible, adjust the height of your desk or replace it with one that is suitable for your height.

When customizing your work surface,

THINK CONVENIENCE.

Overreaching above or below the shoulder level can lead to aches and pains. Minimize the risk of injury by having the items you frequently use close at hand. That may mean moving the telephone closer to you or placing frequently used binders on your desk rather than on an overhead shelf.

THINK TIDY.

Your work surface should be free of clutter. Remove unnecessary files and office supplies and have only what you need. Likewise, your legs should be allowed to move freely underneath the desk. Gym bags, trash cans, backpacks and boxes have no place under your desk.

Your Laptop

Laptop computers are lightweight, portable and convenient. Unfortunately, the laptop’s compact design, with attached screen and keyboard, forces laptop users into awkward postures. When the screen is at the right height, the keyboard position is too high; when the keyboard is at the right height, the screen is too low. This creates an ongoing trade-off between poor neck/head and hand/wrist postures.

Making Your Laptop Work for You

For any laptop use, set up your workstation to promote:

• • Neutral postures with the neck aligned with the spine (NOT bent or thrust forward)

  • Back relaxed and supported

  • Shoulders relaxed (NOT hunched or rounded)

  • Elbows close to the body and bent at an angle between 90 and 120 degrees

  • Wrist and hands straight (NOT bent or turned)

If using a laptop for over an hour in one sitting:

• • Use a laptop stand or place laptop on a stable support surface (e.g., monitor risers, reams of paper, phone books, textbooks) so that the screen height can be adjusted.

  • Attach (or use wireless) an external keyboard and mouse at or slightly below elbow height.

  • Use a footrest if needed.

  • Make sure to keep an upright posture. Don’t hunch shoulders forward or lean body towards laptop screen.

If you are using your mouse on a surface then:

• • Best arrangement for a mouse is a platform over the number keypad and just above the keyboard. 

  • Good arrangement is a pad on an angled platform to the side of the keyboard. 

  • Poor arrangement is a flat surface to the side of the keyboard.

  • Worst arrangement is on the desk out to the side of the keyboard.

If using a laptop for under an hour in one sitting:

• • Place the laptop on desk or lap to help keep wrists straight while typing. Try a binder or lap platform to maximize the height of the screen and maintain an upright head posture.

  • Use a chair that supports a comfortable upright or slightly reclined posture. Use a towel roll or inflatable lumbar pillow for lower back support.

  • Tilt the screen to maintain a neutral posture.

Office Exercises

Not only do proper diet and regular exercise help strengthen our bodies and contribute to mental alertness, they also help our bodies spring back from injury much faster. Done frequently and properly, the following exercises can help relieve joint and muscle tension and offset injury.

A few things to remember about doing exercises:

• • If you are under medical treatment, please contact your physician before doing any of the following suggested exercises.

  • Perform all exercises within your comfort zone, and breathe naturally.

  • Stretches should be done slowly and smoothly. Do not bounce or strain. If you feel discomfort, STOP.

Wrist/Forearm Stretches

Drop your arms and hands to your sides. Shake them out for a few seconds.

Sit on a chair with elbows on a table in front of you. Bring palms together as you slowly lower wrists to the table until you feel a stretch.

Straighten one arm in front of you, palm down. Using the hand of the other arm, slowly bend your hand down until you feel a stretch. To intensify the stretch, make a fist with the hand of the outstretched arm. Switch arms.

Shoulder/Arm Stretch

Reach one arm across the chest, grasping the opposite shoulder.

With the other arm, gently pull the elbow across the chest and towards the body until you feel a stretch. Hold this position for six to ten seconds.

Shoulder Shrug

Let the head relax as you look straight ahead.

Slowly squeeze your shoulders up towards your ears. Hold for one to two seconds (Position A).

Stretch shoulders by extending fingers down to the floor, gently drawing in the chin (Position B).

Repeat slowly, changing from Position A to Position B.

Executive Stretch

Lock your hands behind your head.

Stretch slowly backwards in your chair.

Arch your back slightly and gently.

Hold for six to ten seconds. Relax for five to ten seconds. Repeat.

Upper Back Stretch

Extend both arms out in front of chest at shoulder height. Do not overextend the elbows.

Interlock fingers, palms facing away from the body.

Maintaining an upright posture, reach forward with the arms until you feel a stretch in the shoulder/upper back region. Hold for six to ten seconds.

Raise and stretch both arms overhead, keeping arms extended and fingers interlocked. Keep stomach muscles tight to avoid arching the low back. Breathe naturally and hold for ten seconds.

Neck Stretch

Sitting up straight, draw the chin in gently.

Gently and slowly bend your head towards your right shoulder until you feel a mild stretch on the left side of your neck.

Hold for five seconds and repeat on the other side.

Palming Your Eyes

Cup your hands.

While resting your elbows on a desk or table, cover your eyes with one hand and overlap with the other to ensure all light is blocked. Do not put direct pressure on the eyes.

Breathe naturally as you hold this position for 30 seconds.

Remove hands and open eyes slowly.

You are solely responsible for your body—it’s yours to listen to, yours to keep safe, and yours to keep active. We hope that you will use the tips here to help you work smarter and safer, but more importantly, we hope it has inspired you to take your body’s well-being into your own hands.

It’s your body, and you only get one (while on this Earth)! Please take care of it!

From “Office Ergonomics” © 2007 by the Workers' Compensation Board – Alberta. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission.

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