Adjust Chair adjust your chair to suit YOU! chair should have a seat that curves down in the front: the seat should not touch the underside of your thighs; chair should have an adjustable back rest and is able to support the back in a variety of seated postures chair should be lowered/raised: highest point of seat = just below knee cap legs are perpendicular to floor, and keep feet flat on the floor, or supported on a footrest. Armrests, if provided, should be soft, allow your shoulders to relax and your elbows to stay close to your body

Chair: Potential harms and solutions - I Harm: Poor back support and inappropriate postures may lead to back pain and fatigue Solution: 1. Use a chair with a backrest that is easily adjustable and able to support the back in a variety of seated postures. 2. Use a rolled up towel or even a pillow to temporarily provide support and maintain the natural curve of the spine.

Chair: Potential harms and solutions - II Harm: Using a chair that is too high may lead to swelling, numbness, and pain because your feet are not supported and may move forward making your spine difficult to maintain S-shape. Solution: 1. If chair is adjustable, make the highest point of seat at just below knee cap 2. If chair is not adjustable, use a footrest

Chair: Potential harms and solutions - III Harm: armrest, too low, high, wide, and close, can result in muscle fatigue in the shoulders and neck Solution: use position adjustable armrests if possible

Adjust Keyboard elbows and forearms should form 90 degree angle forearm is in line with keyboard’s Home Row wrists should NOT be leaning on the desk wrists should be loosely bent downward over the Home Row Problems: carpal tunnel syndrome in wrist

Mouse Position the mouse pad as close to your keyboard as possible and at the same height. Hold mouse loosely. Use the whole arm and shoulder to move the mouse. This spreads the work over larger muscles, not just the small hand muscles. Avoid leaning on the wrist and arm when using the mouse.

Adjust Monitor top of monitor = eye level reduce reflections from monitor: don’t wear white clothing don’t place your back to windows (use curtains, shades, blinds)‏ use anti-glare filters adjust brightness/contrast buttons on computer use directional light on documents “document holders” at same level as monitor Problems: sore eyes; itchy eyes; tiredness

Use of telephone - I Potential Harm: placing the telephone too far away can cause you to repeatedly reach, resulting in strain on the shoulder, arm, and neck. Solution: Place telephone in the area you can easily reach. Keep the telephone cord out of working areas so it does not trap you.

Use of telephone - II Harm: long conversations with the phone pinched between your shoulder and head may cause stress and neck pain Solution: use hand-free headset if you can