Steps to Ergonomic Improvements for your Workstation
Seat Height Adjustment: Take time to properly learn how to adjust your chair. The first adjustment to consider is the chair height. Proper adjustment to the chair should make your thighs parallel to the floor with your feet resting flat on the floor or footrest. This will reduce pressure on the knees. Make sure the back of your knees is at least 2 inches away from the chair.
Lumbar Adjustment: Ensure the lower part of the backrest properly support the curve of your lower back.
Recline Tension Adjustment: Adjust recline tension to a high enough level to support an upright posture while tasking and also allow a comfortable recline.
Arm Adjustment: To fit body size, adjust arm height, depth, and width. Armrests help decrease the stress on the neck and shoulders and even the back by supporting the arms.
Armrests should be positioned so that the upper arms remain fairly close to the body without creating awkward postures while keeping as close proximity to the keyboard and keeping the wrists in a neutral position.
If the armrests are too high, they will elevate your shoulders and cause stiffness or pain in the shoulders and neck. If they are too low, they promote slumping and leaning to one side.
Monitor Adjustment: Monitor height factors into neck strain. Adjust the monitor height so that the top line of on-screen text is at or slightly below (15-degree angle) seated eye height. Make sure that the monitor itself is at least arm's length away to reduce strain on the eyes.
If you wear bifocal, trifocal, or progressive lenses, you may want to position the monitor lower to avoid tilting your head back to read through the bottom portion of the lens.
Keyboard Adjustment: The keyboard should be thin and flat to help keep wrists straight while you are typing. Wrist and forearms should be relatively straight, slightly above the keyboard. Your hands should be at or just below elbow height. Shoulders should be relaxed, elbow close to the body.
Keyboards can be fitted with palm rests that support your hands, minimize contact with table edges and keep your wrist straight. Make sure the palm rest supports your palms, not your wrists.
Mouse Adjustment: Your mouse should be at the same level as the keyboard. It is important to bring the mouse tight to the numeric pad on the keyboard to minimize reaching and leaning. Your arm should be close to your body for support. Your hand, wrist, and forearm should be reasonably straight and slightly above the mouse to eliminate contact stress.
Skip to main content
