Creating a healthy and usable workspace
Pain, throbbing, discomfort, aching, tingling, numbness, burning, stiffness in your neck, shoulders and wrists – these are all warning signs of a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). If left untouched, they can develop into a full-blown musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). Because these injuries develop slowly, you may not even know that you have one. They are also very difficult to treat.
RSIs and MSDs are more common than you’d think. “A recent epidemiological study followed 632 newly hired computer users for up to three years and found that more than 50 percent of them reported repetitive strain symptoms during their first year of their new job. Worse, 68 percent of the reported RSI symptoms were deemed to be severe enough to be classified as musculoskeletal disorders (198 out of 291 instances),” reports Microsoft in a white paper, “The Important of Ergonomic Input Devices in the Workplace.”
Performing the same routines, day after day – typing on a keyboard, staring at a monitor, talking on the phone, clicking away on a mouse – can cause injuries to your muscles, joints, tendons, cartilage, blood vessels, tendons and ligaments. And while our bodies have the natural ability to heal themselves against these forms of soft tissue damage, with repeated and prolonged exposure, sometimes they just can’t keep up.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most well-known MSD yet represents only a small percentage of injuries, says Dan ODell, Ergonomist and User Researcher for the Hardware Division of Microsoft. The most common problems, according to ODell, are found in necks and shoulders.
Setting up an ergonomic workspace with proper hardware, furniture, alignment and lighting will help reduce your risk. You should also establish a routine for light exercises and stretch breaks. Your after-hours activities are also important: make sure you get the proper amount of sleep to allow your body time to heal, exercise to maintain a level of flexibility and eat well. Not only will these precautions protect you from physical damage, they will increase your comfort and productivity at work.
Your primary danger is repetition. So while it’s good to be focused, every now and then, you must snap out of it and take a break. When you get wrapped up in an activity on your computer, your blink rate goes down. This puts additional strain on your eyes, says ODell, and eye fatigue is correlated to muscle disorders. Rest your eyes every 20 minutes by covering them for 10-15 seconds, or look away from your screen and focus on a distant object.
Proper lighting will also help. If your desk is near a window, minimize glare on your screen by placing your desk sideways so the light comes in from either the left or right. Make sure there is at least three feet between the window and your desk. Task lighting should come from both the left and right side to reduce shadows. Documents should be illuminated brightly, while screen lighting should be kept low. According to UCLA’s ergonomics department, a 1:3:10 ratio is ideal: your task area should be up to three times brighter than your immediate surrounding area, and 10 times brighter than the peripheral area. Too much contrast should be avoided.
Age also comes into play. For example, a 60-year old worker requires up to 10 times more light than a 20-year old worker, says UCLA. Full spectrum fluorescent lights, which mimic natural sunlight, are the best on the eyes. Stay away from bright white bulbs, which can cause headaches. Other little things you can do include keeping your monitor clean and adjusting settings such as brightness, contrast and font size to put the least amount of strain on your sight.
Make sure the top of your monitor screen is eye level and that the monitor is one arm’s length away from your face. If you use a laptop, your monitor will most likely fall below this measurement, so pick up a notebook stand to raise the screen to the proper eye level. These are priced between $45 and $100, with the more expensive units including features such as a built-in USB hub.
The height of your desk should be adjusted so that your keyboard and mouse sit at elbow height. Many desks are set too high, says ODell, designed for handwriting instead of computer use. Average desks are between 29-30 inches high. For typing, they should be set a few inches lower, around 26-27 inches.
Shopping for a proper office chair may seem intimidating, with prices ranging from $140 to $600. But more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better where ergonomics are concerned. Aside from sitting down to determine whether or not a chair feels comfortable, there are a few key features you need to look for: make sure it has an adjustable height, provides lower back support (with your hips placed securely against the back of the chair) and that the seat is the right width and depth for your body shape. A chair with five prongs at its base will be more stable than one with only four. Breathable fabrics are a plus, as are seats without deep seams or buttons that could cause localized pressure points.
Determine seat height by making sure it allows you to rest both of your feet flat on the floor, with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Make sure the seat is the proper depth: you should be able to fit your fist between the back of your knee and the front of your seat. The seat should also be wide enough that there is at least one inch on either side of your hips. Men tend to need deeper seats to accommodate long legs, says UCLA, while women need wider seats to accommodate hips. The back of your seat should be positioned at a 100- to 110-degree angle, as a slight recline reduces pressure on your lower back.
While sitting, you should have a comfortable, natural position. There is not one “perfect” way to sit, and even if you think you found it, sitting in that same position all day could cause prolonged damage. Remember to change your posture throughout the day. What keyboard and mouse you use has a significant impact on your health and productivity at work. According to a Microsoft user research survey, mice and keyboards are the objects used most often during the day, second only to a pillow. Using these peripherals creates low-impact forces to your body, so avoid bad habits such as clicking keys hard, resting your wrists or palms on a surface while typing or clicking, gripping your mouse tightly or relaxing your arms, hands or wrists on the edge of your desk.
A study on ergonomic computer peripherals by Moore and Swanson, “The Effect of Alternative Keyboards on Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Disorders” found that fixed split keyboards have a significant positive effect on musculoskeletal symptoms. The split keyboard “better accommodates the natural posture of each arm,” explains Microsoft, compared to straight keyboards that require you to modify your posture to an unnatural position. Microsoft was the first company to introduce a fixed ergonomic keyboard and has since become a leader in this category. Microsoft employs a full-time ergonomist and bases its “ergo” label on extensive university research.
The Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 ($74.95, www.microsoft.com/hardware ) is the best-selling wired keyboard in the U.S., and the company’s latest wireless model, the Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 ($149.95), is based on that popular design. This Desktop set includes the Natural Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard 7000 and Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 7000. The keyboard features a padded palm rest that helps your wrist stay straight while typing. When you stop typing, the padding is also a good place to rest your hands. There is a removable palm lift with a seven-degree reverse tilt that helps reduce tension in wrists and prevents them from dropping while typing. The Natural arc curves the keyboard layout so your pinky fingers don’t need to stretch so far to reach the keys at either end. To keep your arms in a natural handshaking position, there is a 14-degree gable angle.
Some people find the split keyboard too difficult to adjust to. If this is the case, Microsft also offers keyboards with the Comfort Curve design. While not as beneficial as a 12-degree split angle, the Comfort Curve 6-degree curved design still provides a more natural wrist posture than regular straight models. The new Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000 ($349.95) is an elegant keyboard and mouse set that features the Comfort Curve, as well as freedom from wires via Bluetooth, soft keys, Vista shortcuts, and backlighting with a proximity sensor that detects your fingers approaching the keys. (Mac users can use the lower centre button as the Apple key.)
Considering the average typist on a conventional QWERTY keyboard moves his or her fingers between 12 and 20 miles per day (says Microsoft), picking up an ergonomic keyboard is a good idea and costs about the same as a premium regular keyboard. Also try to utilize one-touch buttons and shortcut keys. Shortcuts can eliminate common keystrokes by up to 40 percent (according to internal Microsoft research).
Mice are used three times more than the keyboard, says ODell, who helped develop the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000 and the Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 ($99.99 at Best Buy). With traditional mice, he explains, people tend to rest the heels of their palms on their desks, which places pressure over the carpal tunnel. The Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 is designed to distribute even pressure by filling the gap that occurs when your hand is resting in a natural position. The mouse slopes your wrist to a vertical, rather than horizontal, position, which removes that dangerous lower carpal tunnel pressure. Slants and scoops support the natural curve in your fingers so you don’t strain to keep them straight.
Only a right-handed version is available, due to supply-and-demand. About 10 percent of users are left-handed, explains ODell, and only 10 percent of these users actually use a left-handed mouse. Many lefties either adapt to a right-handed mouse or use a symmetrical mouse that works for both. Laptops users should also invest in a good mouse and ignore their trackpads for regular use.
The placement of objects on your desk is also important. Objects you often use, such as your phone, notepad and mouse, should be located within two to three feet of your body. Your monitor and keyboard should rest in the centre of your desk, directly in front of you. If you find yourself spending a lot of time on the phone and often crank your neck to hold the handset in between your shoulder and cheek, you should consider switching to a wireless headset so you can free up your hands and prevent strain on your neck. A document holder (about $25) is handy for placing pages upright on your desk while typing or reading and should be spaced between your keyboard and monitor.
Clean up any clutter underneath your desk so there is adequate room for your legs to move. If you can’t adjust the height of your desk and need to raise your chair so your elbows are level with your keyboard and mouse, you can purchase a foot rest for about $25 to raise your feet to the appropriate height.
Remember, the key is to avoid prolonged repetition. So switch back and forth between typing and handwriting, interchange between your mouse and keyboard (such as scrolling vs. arrow keys, or menu bar selections vs. keyboard shortcuts), use shortcut buttons, communicate with email and then make some phone calls – mix it up, add some variety. Don’t become a robot at your desk.
Every hour, take a five to 10 minute break from the activity you were performing and do something else. Try to enforce the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at a point 20 feet away from your monitor for 20 seconds. You should also take a one or two-minute break to stretch.
And don’t trust a product simply because it has “ergonomic” on the label. There are no regulations in place for ergonomic branding, says ODell, so you should research the company and make sure you can trust their brand.
• Monitor and keyboard centred with body• Window at least three feet away from desk• Desk situated so light comes from the side• Relaxed shoulders• Back of seat at 100- to 110-degree angle• Lower back support with hips placed against back of chair• Knees bent at 90-degree angle• One- to two-inches of seating available on either side of hips• Adjustable chair height• Secure chair with five castors• Back of knees have one-fist clearance from front of seat• Feet flat on the floor, or on a footrest• Document holder placed between monitor and keyboard• Clutter-free leg room• Keyboard and mouse sitting at elbow height (approx. 26-27 inches high)• Straight wrists• Monitor one arm’s length away from face• Top of monitor screen at eye level
Pain, throbbing, discomfort, aching, tingling, numbness, burning, stiffness in your neck, shoulders and wrists – these are all warning signs of a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). If left untouched, they can develop into a full-blown musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). Because these injuries develop slowly, you may not even know that you have one. They are also very difficult to treat.
RSIs and MSDs are more common than you’d think. “A recent epidemiological study followed 632 newly hired computer users for up to three years and found that more than 50 percent of them reported repetitive strain symptoms during their first year of their new job. Worse, 68 percent of the reported RSI symptoms were deemed to be severe enough to be classified as musculoskeletal disorders (198 out of 291 instances),” reports Microsoft in a white paper, “The Important of Ergonomic Input Devices in the Workplace.”
Performing the same routines, day after day – typing on a keyboard, staring at a monitor, talking on the phone, clicking away on a mouse – can cause injuries to your muscles, joints, tendons, cartilage, blood vessels, tendons and ligaments. And while our bodies have the natural ability to heal themselves against these forms of soft tissue damage, with repeated and prolonged exposure, sometimes they just can’t keep up.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most well-known MSD yet represents only a small percentage of injuries, says Dan ODell, Ergonomist and User Researcher for the Hardware Division of Microsoft. The most common problems, according to ODell, are found in necks and shoulders.
Setting up an ergonomic workspace with proper hardware, furniture, alignment and lighting will help reduce your risk. You should also establish a routine for light exercises and stretch breaks. Your after-hours activities are also important: make sure you get the proper amount of sleep to allow your body time to heal, exercise to maintain a level of flexibility and eat well. Not only will these precautions protect you from physical damage, they will increase your comfort and productivity at work.
Your primary danger is repetition. So while it’s good to be focused, every now and then, you must snap out of it and take a break. When you get wrapped up in an activity on your computer, your blink rate goes down. This puts additional strain on your eyes, says ODell, and eye fatigue is correlated to muscle disorders. Rest your eyes every 20 minutes by covering them for 10-15 seconds, or look away from your screen and focus on a distant object.
Proper lighting will also help. If your desk is near a window, minimize glare on your screen by placing your desk sideways so the light comes in from either the left or right. Make sure there is at least three feet between the window and your desk. Task lighting should come from both the left and right side to reduce shadows. Documents should be illuminated brightly, while screen lighting should be kept low. According to UCLA’s ergonomics department, a 1:3:10 ratio is ideal: your task area should be up to three times brighter than your immediate surrounding area, and 10 times brighter than the peripheral area. Too much contrast should be avoided.
Age also comes into play. For example, a 60-year old worker requires up to 10 times more light than a 20-year old worker, says UCLA. Full spectrum fluorescent lights, which mimic natural sunlight, are the best on the eyes. Stay away from bright white bulbs, which can cause headaches. Other little things you can do include keeping your monitor clean and adjusting settings such as brightness, contrast and font size to put the least amount of strain on your sight.
Make sure the top of your monitor screen is eye level and that the monitor is one arm’s length away from your face. If you use a laptop, your monitor will most likely fall below this measurement, so pick up a notebook stand to raise the screen to the proper eye level. These are priced between $45 and $100, with the more expensive units including features such as a built-in USB hub.
The height of your desk should be adjusted so that your keyboard and mouse sit at elbow height. Many desks are set too high, says ODell, designed for handwriting instead of computer use. Average desks are between 29-30 inches high. For typing, they should be set a few inches lower, around 26-27 inches.
Shopping for a proper office chair may seem intimidating, with prices ranging from $140 to $600. But more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better where ergonomics are concerned. Aside from sitting down to determine whether or not a chair feels comfortable, there are a few key features you need to look for: make sure it has an adjustable height, provides lower back support (with your hips placed securely against the back of the chair) and that the seat is the right width and depth for your body shape. A chair with five prongs at its base will be more stable than one with only four. Breathable fabrics are a plus, as are seats without deep seams or buttons that could cause localized pressure points.
Determine seat height by making sure it allows you to rest both of your feet flat on the floor, with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Make sure the seat is the proper depth: you should be able to fit your fist between the back of your knee and the front of your seat. The seat should also be wide enough that there is at least one inch on either side of your hips. Men tend to need deeper seats to accommodate long legs, says UCLA, while women need wider seats to accommodate hips. The back of your seat should be positioned at a 100- to 110-degree angle, as a slight recline reduces pressure on your lower back.
While sitting, you should have a comfortable, natural position. There is not one “perfect” way to sit, and even if you think you found it, sitting in that same position all day could cause prolonged damage. Remember to change your posture throughout the day. What keyboard and mouse you use has a significant impact on your health and productivity at work. According to a Microsoft user research survey, mice and keyboards are the objects used most often during the day, second only to a pillow. Using these peripherals creates low-impact forces to your body, so avoid bad habits such as clicking keys hard, resting your wrists or palms on a surface while typing or clicking, gripping your mouse tightly or relaxing your arms, hands or wrists on the edge of your desk.
A study on ergonomic computer peripherals by Moore and Swanson, “The Effect of Alternative Keyboards on Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Disorders” found that fixed split keyboards have a significant positive effect on musculoskeletal symptoms. The split keyboard “better accommodates the natural posture of each arm,” explains Microsoft, compared to straight keyboards that require you to modify your posture to an unnatural position. Microsoft was the first company to introduce a fixed ergonomic keyboard and has since become a leader in this category. Microsoft employs a full-time ergonomist and bases its “ergo” label on extensive university research.
The Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 ($74.95, www.microsoft.com/hardware ) is the best-selling wired keyboard in the U.S., and the company’s latest wireless model, the Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 ($149.95), is based on that popular design. This Desktop set includes the Natural Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard 7000 and Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 7000. The keyboard features a padded palm rest that helps your wrist stay straight while typing. When you stop typing, the padding is also a good place to rest your hands. There is a removable palm lift with a seven-degree reverse tilt that helps reduce tension in wrists and prevents them from dropping while typing. The Natural arc curves the keyboard layout so your pinky fingers don’t need to stretch so far to reach the keys at either end. To keep your arms in a natural handshaking position, there is a 14-degree gable angle.
Some people find the split keyboard too difficult to adjust to. If this is the case, Microsft also offers keyboards with the Comfort Curve design. While not as beneficial as a 12-degree split angle, the Comfort Curve 6-degree curved design still provides a more natural wrist posture than regular straight models. The new Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000 ($349.95) is an elegant keyboard and mouse set that features the Comfort Curve, as well as freedom from wires via Bluetooth, soft keys, Vista shortcuts, and backlighting with a proximity sensor that detects your fingers approaching the keys. (Mac users can use the lower centre button as the Apple key.)
Considering the average typist on a conventional QWERTY keyboard moves his or her fingers between 12 and 20 miles per day (says Microsoft), picking up an ergonomic keyboard is a good idea and costs about the same as a premium regular keyboard. Also try to utilize one-touch buttons and shortcut keys. Shortcuts can eliminate common keystrokes by up to 40 percent (according to internal Microsoft research).
Mice are used three times more than the keyboard, says ODell, who helped develop the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000 and the Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 ($99.99 at Best Buy). With traditional mice, he explains, people tend to rest the heels of their palms on their desks, which places pressure over the carpal tunnel. The Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 is designed to distribute even pressure by filling the gap that occurs when your hand is resting in a natural position. The mouse slopes your wrist to a vertical, rather than horizontal, position, which removes that dangerous lower carpal tunnel pressure. Slants and scoops support the natural curve in your fingers so you don’t strain to keep them straight.
Only a right-handed version is available, due to supply-and-demand. About 10 percent of users are left-handed, explains ODell, and only 10 percent of these users actually use a left-handed mouse. Many lefties either adapt to a right-handed mouse or use a symmetrical mouse that works for both. Laptops users should also invest in a good mouse and ignore their trackpads for regular use.
The placement of objects on your desk is also important. Objects you often use, such as your phone, notepad and mouse, should be located within two to three feet of your body. Your monitor and keyboard should rest in the centre of your desk, directly in front of you. If you find yourself spending a lot of time on the phone and often crank your neck to hold the handset in between your shoulder and cheek, you should consider switching to a wireless headset so you can free up your hands and prevent strain on your neck. A document holder (about $25) is handy for placing pages upright on your desk while typing or reading and should be spaced between your keyboard and monitor.
Clean up any clutter underneath your desk so there is adequate room for your legs to move. If you can’t adjust the height of your desk and need to raise your chair so your elbows are level with your keyboard and mouse, you can purchase a foot rest for about $25 to raise your feet to the appropriate height.
Remember, the key is to avoid prolonged repetition. So switch back and forth between typing and handwriting, interchange between your mouse and keyboard (such as scrolling vs. arrow keys, or menu bar selections vs. keyboard shortcuts), use shortcut buttons, communicate with email and then make some phone calls – mix it up, add some variety. Don’t become a robot at your desk.
Every hour, take a five to 10 minute break from the activity you were performing and do something else. Try to enforce the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at a point 20 feet away from your monitor for 20 seconds. You should also take a one or two-minute break to stretch.
And don’t trust a product simply because it has “ergonomic” on the label. There are no regulations in place for ergonomic branding, says ODell, so you should research the company and make sure you can trust their brand.
• Monitor and keyboard centred with body• Window at least three feet away from desk• Desk situated so light comes from the side• Relaxed shoulders• Back of seat at 100- to 110-degree angle• Lower back support with hips placed against back of chair• Knees bent at 90-degree angle• One- to two-inches of seating available on either side of hips• Adjustable chair height• Secure chair with five castors• Back of knees have one-fist clearance from front of seat• Feet flat on the floor, or on a footrest• Document holder placed between monitor and keyboard• Clutter-free leg room• Keyboard and mouse sitting at elbow height (approx. 26-27 inches high)• Straight wrists• Monitor one arm’s length away from face• Top of monitor screen at eye level
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