Home Office Ergonomics
Article submitted by http://www.Allfreelancework.com - 1000s of
freelance jobs, articles, and resources.
Long office hours are often necessary for freelance
professionals. This is exactly why so many of us have chronic
headaches, cracking wrists, tingling fingers, and stiff necks.
All of these symptoms can be avoided by designing your home
office with ergonomics on your mind. This article will summarize
the basics of home office ergonomic design.
CHAIR - Your chair is the most important piece of furniture in
your office. You want to find a comfortable chair that has the
following characteristics.
1. Adjustable height 2. Lower, raise, and tilt backwards 3. 16"
to 20" off of the floor 4. Lumbar support 5. Good backrest and
wide enough to support shoulders 6. Chair's seat should allow
1"-4" of space between edge of chair and your knees 7. Front
edge of seat is curved 8. 5 wheels 9. Padded armrests that can
lower or raise
Before you purchase your chair, make sure to give it a test
drive. If possible, move the chair that you like in front of a
desk and see how it feels. Adjust the seat so that your feet are
flat on the floor. When you do this the lumbar support should
fit into the small of your back. If the chair fits your body and
meets our guidelines, purchase the chair. A good chair will cost
anywhere from $400 - $2,000.
DESK - Before purchasing a desk, evaluate your needs. What is
your profession? What equipment will you be using? How much
desktop room will you need? Make sure to allow space for
computer equipment, telephone, Rolodex, other office supplies,
and writing room. Make sure that you will have room for heavily
used items on your desk, or you might have to constantly
stretch, twist, and turn to reach items that you need.
Height-adjustable large tables are found to have cost-effective
benefits. These tables let you move from keyboard to side table
without having to hunch your shoulders.
KEYBOARD / MOUSE TRAY - Since it is so important to have your
wrists at the right height when using input devices, a tray
system is important to consider as an option. Choose a system
that has the following features:
1. Height adjustable 2. Adjustable angle 3. Allows for upper arm
relaxation by right angle position of arms.
You should place your keyboard 28"-30" off of the floor. If your
keyboard is too low you will slump over your keyboard, and if it
is too high you will strain your wrists. You should also
purchase a wrist pad for in front of your keyboard to cushion
your wrists.
MOUSE - The use of a mouse causes injuries to many people. The
mouse often causes twisting of the hand into uncomfortable
positions, which causes wrist injuries. Try to use the mouse
with a sweeping movement, instead of a quick, twisting motion.
Use your mouse as little as possible, but if you find that you
can't do this, consider purchasing a trackball instead.
Trackballs are good because you can program a lock button so you
don't have to click and drag.
KEYBOARD - Split-and-Tilt keyboards tend to be better for your
health than flat keyboards that most people use. A good keyboard
will not flatten your hands and bend your wrists.
LIGHTING - Good lighting in your home office is important to
reduce eyestrain. Here are some lighting suggestions:
1. Make sure lighting isn't too bright. 2. Avoid white
reflective furniture. 3. If you are using a desk lamp, choose a
low wattage light bulb. Direct light toward papers, not eyes. 4.
Use blinds or drapes to eliminate outdoors light. 5. Avoid
bright lighting on your monitor.
MONITOR - It is important to position the monitor correctly to
ensure your good health.
1. Position monitor to minimize glare. 2. Adjust monitor so that
the screen is slightly below eye level. 3. Clean screen on a
regular basis. 4. Position yourself about 20"-24" away from the
monitor. 5. Center your monitor on the user. 6. Keep your head
at a comfortable level.
GOOD POSTURE - Ergonomic equipment will do nothing for you if
you don't assume correct posture. Make sure of the following:
1. Relax shoulders 2. Wrists straight 3. Back in contact with
lumbar support of your chair 4. Legs in contact with your seat
5. Feet on the floor 6. Elbows at a right angle when typing 7.
Upper arm and elbow close to body 8. Head and neck straight
Now that you know your ergonomic basics, use this knowledge to
your advantage. Position yourself and your equipment correctly
to ensure a quality-working environment. Healthy working to you!
Article submitted by http://www.Allfreelancework.com - 1000s of
freelance jobs, articles, and resources.