A CHECK LIST FOR MAKING SURE YOUR WORKSTATION WORKS FOR YOU

Here are some easy to follow guidelines which I hope will make sure your workstation is well set up for you.

CHAIR:

Having your chair correctly set up for you offering enough upper and lower back support to maintain your curves is key.  Ensuring the depth and width of the seat offer enough support that you can rest comfortably and get your feet on the floor with your back into the back of the chair is important.  Ideally there should be about 3 fingers depth between the front of the chair and the back of your legs.  

DESK:

The desk should be at a height that you can sit comfortably whilst maintaining a 90 degree elbow bend.  Arms shouldn’t be reaching across your desk or causing you to slump to reach your keyboard.  If the desk is too high either lower it or raise your chair and get a footstool.  Knees and hips should be at about a 90 degree angle too or slightly more but definitely not less.

KEYBOARD & MOUSE: 

Keyboard and mouse should be within easy reach so as to maintain your elbows in by your side.  These things should not cause wrist, shoulder, neck or finger problems when using them and if they do it may be that you need something that is more ergonomic in shape.   Check out Ergonomics online website and Posturite for alternative suggestions to flat keyboards and normal mice.

SCREEN:

The top of your screen should be level with your eyes and arm’s length away and directly in front of you.  If you use a laptop for more than short bursts of work it’s a good plan to use either a desk top monitor and laptop keyboard or raised the laptop and get a desktop keyboard.  If you’re working on it all day a docking station and desk top equipment is ideal.   

PAPERWORK:

When reading, studying or doing paperwork bringing the paperwork off the desk to reduce the neck angle is ideal.  The use of a document holder or writing slope is recommended.