Office ergonomics

Many employees do not have proper office ergonomics and they are not doing their bodies any favors. Eye strain, muscle fatigue, chronic knee and joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and a handful of other medical problems are directly related to office ergonomics. How often do you get up and move around when you are sitting at your desk? Did you know that employees that sit for extended periods are at a higher risk for developing blood clots in their legs? Here are some easy tips to help you have proper office ergonomics:

Desk Setup
The first thing you need to look at is your desk. One of the simplest ways to prevent injures is to properly set up your desk. Take a look at the area underneath your desk, this area needs to be free from clutter. You may have an under-the-desk bike machine; this is okay just make sure you have enough room for your legs and feet to stretch out without bumping into anything.

Do you spend a lot of time on the phone? If you do, you may want to use the speakerphone or a headset. This will allow you to maintain proper posture because you won't be holding the phone to your ear for an hour or longer. Keep your desk clean and free from excess clutter. If you struggle with this, purchase an organizing folder that you can place things into. This will help you keep your workstation clean and it will be much easier to find things when you need them.

When you sit in your chair, there should be about a finger-width of room between your legs and the desk. Your eyes should be level with the computer screen, this will prevent you from looking up or looking down with your neck so you can read what is on the screen. Your elbows should be at a 90 degree angle and they should rest on the armrests. Your wrists should rest comfortably on the desk; consider purchasing a wrist pad to help with carpal tunnel syndrome. The mouse should fit comfortably in your hand, if it seems too big you need to get a new one.

The Computer Monitor
The computer screen should be dimmer than the office lighting. Consider using an anti-glare screen to reduce the glare from your computer screen. If you prefer to have your screen brighter, open a window or turn on another light.

Your eyes are not designed to deal with the brightness of the computer screen all day. They also are not designed to deal with all the images that randomly flash and change every second. To prevent eye strain, you need to take a break from the computer screen every 15-20 minutes. Just looking away at the floor and tracing figure eights for 30 seconds can give your eyes the break they need. You also need to blink often to keep the eyes moist. Blinking helps to reduce the strain on the eyes and it soothes them.

The Office Chair
One of the most important aspects of proper office ergonomics is your office chair. When you sit, are you sitting straight up? Do you get proper lumbar support? When you are sitting, the lower part of your spine should be supported and there should be a slight curve to your spine, enough to allow the small of your back to sit up straight. If your office chair does not provide you with proper lumbar support, purchase a lumbar pillow.

If you have outdated materials in your office (like a blurry computer screen) you need to purchase a new one. If the computer screen is blurry, it will change your eye focus and can mess up your vision. An ergonomic keyboard can help to prevent against carpal tunnel syndrome and it will reduce the strain on your wrists.