Our how-to guide on office ergonomics

If you spend a lot of time sitting at your desk day-to-day, inevitably, without the correct set-up, it will start to take a toll on your body. If you can find comfort at your workstation, you can not only feel your best at work, but it can also improve your productivity!

For employers, this is a huge consideration. By making employees as comfortable as possible you can ensure maximum efficiency.

Ensuring that a few things in a workspace are adjusted correctly can do a world of good. This short guide will help employees and employers to ensure every aspect of a workspace is correctly aligned for maximum comfort during the working hours.

Your Monitor

Ideally, the monitor should be placed directly in front of you, roughly arms’ length away, with the top of the screen level with your eyebrows. If you wear bifocals, lower the monitor by 1 to 2 inches for more comfortable viewing. The monitor should be positioned directly behind your keyboard, with the centre of the monitor in line with the B key on your keyboard if using a single monitor.

Your Desk

Ensure your knees, thighs, and feet have space under the desk. If your desk is too low or cannot be raised, place sturdy blocks or boards under the legs. When your desk is too high and cannot be adjusted, raise your chair. Support your feet as necessary by using a footrest. Avoid storing items under your desk, as this can affect your leg positioning. If your desk has a hard edge, pad it, or use a wrist rest.

Footrests

If you are unable to rest your feet flat on the floor because of your chair height, or you have to raise your desk height, use a footrest. If you do not have access to a footrest, use a small stool or stack of sturdy books instead.

Check out our full range of footrests here!

Your Chair

You should choose a chair that supports your entire body. Make sure your thighs are slightly angled with the knees lower than the hips and your feet are flat on the floor or seated on a footrest. Adjust the armrests so that your arms are relaxingly supported with your shoulders untensed. The backrest may need to be adjusted backward to between 100-110 degrees, opening up your pelvic region to reduce the impact of sedentary work.

View our full range of chairs here. For advice onto to set your chair up properly or for an ergonomic assessment to help choose the best chair for you, book an ergonomics assessment with one of our experts here!

Your Keyboard and Mouse

You should keep your wrists straight while typing or using your mouse, keep your upper arms close to your body, and place your hands below the level of your elbows or slightly above. Your keyboard and mouse should both be on the same surface and be easy to reach. Align the keyboard so the B key is in line you’re your belly button/ nose to reduce the need to lean over the centre line of your body when typing. Reduce your mouse usage by using keyboard shortcuts. If possible, adjust the sensitivity of your mouse so that a light touch is all it takes to operate it. Move your mouse to the other side of your keyboard to alternate which hand operates it.

Check out our wide range of pointing devices here!

Your Other Key Objects

To reduce overreaching, keep objects you use regularly close to your body. Items such as your telephone, stapler, and printed materials that you use less regularly would be better placed in a secondary zone of reach. Stand up every time you need to reach something that can’t be reached comfortably while sitting. A headset is a great investment if you spend a lot of time making phone calls at work, and will reduce the amount you need to reach for it and you can avoid neck pain that can be caused by holding phones between your face and neck. Alternatively, you can use a speakerphone.

For more information on any of the above, a FREE consultation with one of our experts or to book your DSE assessment email us today at ergo@remtek-online.co.uk.