Office worker ergonomics
Safety+Health shares – in pictures – how the National Safety Council conducts ergonomics assessments of workers’ desks and chairs to help prevent MSDs.
Monitor and documents
An employee should be able to easily adjust the height and location of the computer monitor, and reading materials should not require excessive neck movement to view.
Click on a tab to view the illustrated recommendation.
Raise or lower the computer monitor so the top of the screen is at or slightly lower than eye level. Use a monitor riser if necessary to increase height.
To achieve a comfortable viewing distance, have the employee extend his or her arms and adjust the monitor’s distance so that it barely touches the fingertips.
Document holders should be provided to any employee who frequently switches between looking at the screen and paper documents.
To prevent eye strain, experts recommend employees follow the “20-20-20” rule: Glance away from the computer screen every 20 minutes for 20 seconds, and focus on an object that is at least 20 feet away.
Photos: Ian Palmer
Special thanks to Susan Evangelou and Al Legoo
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