What’s wrong with this picture?
The worker in this picture is doing 3 things that increase his risk of a repetitive stress injury (RSI):
- He’s hunched over in a posture that places stress on his back, neck and shoulders
- Because his wrists are anchored to the desk surface, he has to stretch his fingers and twists his wrists to reach the keys
- Leaning his forearms against the desk creates contact stress
The Moral: The right posture is essential to avoiding carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis and other RSIs associated with keyboard work
3 Reasons to Pay Attention
- More than 1 in 4 workers’ compensation claims filed are for RSIs
- Office workers who work in computer work stations suffer RSIs at a disproportionately high rate
- Roughly 75% of office workers suffer pain in their neck, shoulders, wrists and back during the week, according to a recent survey of over 1,000 office workers
Safe Posture for Sitting at Computer Workstations
Don’t be like the worker in the picture. If you sit at a workstation all day, make sure you maintain an ergonomically neutral posture:
A Neutral Posture Means…
- Hands, wrists, and forearms are straight, in-line and roughly parallel to the floor;
- Head is level (or bent slightly forward), forward facing, balanced, and in-line with your torso;
- Shoulders are relaxed;
- Upper arms hang normally at the side of your body;
- Elbows stay close to the body and are bent between 90° and 120°;
- Feet are fully supported by the floor or a footrest if the desk height is not adjustable;
- Back is fully supported with appropriate lumbar support when you are sitting vertically or leaning back slightly;
- Thighs and hips are supported by a well-padded seat that is parallel to the floor;
- Knees are about the same height as your hips; and
- Feet are slightly forward.
Other Workstation Ergonomic Risk Factors
- Being too close to or far from your computer monitor—20 to 40 inches is optimal distance
- A computer monitor that’s tilted too far left or right—monitors should be tilted no more than 35° degrees to either side
- A monitor or keyboard that’s too high or too low to use in a neutral posture
- The amount of work surface on and clearance room beneath your work desk
- A desk or chair that’s either too high or too low
- Glare on your monitor
- Too much or too little light in your workstation
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Vicky Pickford2024-07-08T21:49:16+00:00