We are often asked our advice on how to improve people’s workstations. So we’ve put all our top tips in how to improve your workstation
How to safeguard your eyes
- Keep your monitor at about an arm’s length
- Reduce monitor brightness till comfortable
- When sitting, avoid facing a window or bright light
- Invest in a desk lamp if your workstation is poorly lit
- Make sure that all windows have blinds that block light
- If working from copy, place a copy-holder on the side of your dominant eye.*(see below on how to work out your dominant eye). Or, even better, use an in-line copy holder
Be kind to your Head, Neck and Shoulders
- Make sure the monitor is at the correct height (the toolbars at the top of the screen should be at eye level)
- Find the correct height for your desk, by sitting with your feet flat on the floor then hold your arms at a relaxed 90° angle. Measure the space between the floor and your hands – and this is the best desk height for you
- If your job involves working with documents, invest in a copy holder. If your work involves a lot of writing, think about a writing slope. Both products mean that you don’t have to drop your head and neck to work
Minimise your risk of getting backache
- Help improve your posture by selecting the correct seat height. To find your optimal seat height, sit with your feet flat on the floor and raise your chair as high as possible (but keeping your feet flat on the floor)
- When you’ve found your optimum seat height, if your elbows are below your wrists when using the keyboard, then your sitting position is to low. You can solve this by raising your chair, so that your elbows and wrists are level and support your feet on a footstool
- If your optimum seat height means you can’t get your legs under your desk, either raise your desk or invest in a height adjustable workstation
- It is obvious but avoid sitting in the same position for long periods, so take regular breaks
Ouch! My wrists, forearms and hands hurt
- Avoid bending hands up at the wrist when typing (wrists should remain at a similar height to the keyboard or mouse)
- Forearms should be parallel to the floor
- Invest in an ergonomic mouse, which can help alleviate some of the wrist pain associated with RSI
Don’t forget your legs and feet
- Enhance circulation in legs by using an office chair which uses a free floating mechanism – this keeps you moving whilst you are sitting
- Make sure there are no obstructions under the desk area
- Remember to adopt a good sitting posture (feet flat on the floor or footrest, and hips slightly above your knees)
- Ensure there is adequate space from back of the knee to seat on the office chair (minimum of 50mm or roughly two or three fingers width)
How to determine your dominant eye*
- Create a circle with your fingers and hold at arms length in front of you
- With both eyes focused look through the hole keeping a distant object focused in the centre. Close one eye. Repeat using the other eye
- The eye that keeps the object in the centre is your dominant eye
Click on the link below if you’d like this information in a PDF format (handy to send on to your friends).
