Ergonomics in the Office - Hurtado & Associates

By R. Bruce Wright, CPCU

The Oxford English Dictionary reports that the word "ergonomics" derives "from Greek ergon ‘work’, on the pattern of economics," and is defined as the science of designing a correct match between the human body, work-related tasks, and work tools. As commonly used today, ergonomics refers to fitting the task or tool to the individual, as opposed to fitting the individual to the job. The twin goals of ergonomics are health and productivity.

Not so long ago, ergonomics experts or industrial engineers focused their efforts on assembly line issues and the tools used by traditional blue collar workers. But that's not where the action is today. More recently, much of this attention has been shifted onto office workers. Office ergonomic issues have been revolutionized in the past quarter century by the personal computer. Virtually unknown in offices prior to the mid-1980's (barely more than 600,000 personal computers were sold in 1975, for example) today computers are found at almost every office work station. As these new tools became ubiquitous, improper ergonomics related to computer use has also led to a steady increase in muscular/skeletal repetitive use injuries. Nearly everyone has either suffered from soreness or injury as a result of using computers, or knows someone who has. And since most of the participants in this program have about half their employees working “inside,” office ergonomic exposures associated with computer workstations merit some attention.

These injuries are not inevitable, in fact, they can be prevented by the use of the same type of planning used to avoid injuries in any repetitive stress exposures. Some fairly simple steps can help you avoid, or at least dramatically diminish, the incidence of these injuries within your office staffs. OSHA provides information on their Web site to help guide employers on the basics of computer ergonomics. The checklist provided below has been adapted from OSHA’s sample for you to use with your office workers as a guide in creating safe and comfortable computer workstations. The key point to remember is that you want to keep the body and its joints in neutral positions to the extent possible.

Workstation Posture- The workstation allows the:

Head and neck to be upright, or in-line with the torso (not bent down or back).
Head, neck, and trunk to face directly forward, not twisted.
Trunk to be erect, perpendicular to floor. (It may lean back slightly into a backrest but not forward.)
Shoulders to be level, with upper arms in-line with the torso, generally about perpendicular to the floor, and relaxed, not elevated or stretched forward.
Upper arms and elbows to be close to the body, not extended outward or reaching forward.
Forearms, wrists, and hands to be straight and in-line, with the forearms at about 90 degrees to the upper arm.
Wrists and hands to be straight or angled slightly inward, not bent up, down, or outwards.
Thighs to rest parallel to the floor, with the lower legs (shins) perpendicular to floor. (The thighs may be elevated slightly above the knees.)
Feet to rest flat on the floor or supported by a stable footrest.

Seating-The chair should have a:

Backrest that provides support for the lower back's lumbar area.
Seat width and depth that accommodate the specific user and are not too big or too small.
Seat front that does not press against the back of the knees and lower legs.
Seat with cushioning and a rounded "waterfall" front with no sharp edge.
Armrest support for both forearms while performing computer tasks that does not interfere with movement.

Keyboard & input device- The keyboard stand, tray, or support accommodates computer tasks with the:

Keyboard platform stable and large enough to hold the keyboard and input device (the mouse or trackball).
Alternative design or "ergonomic" keyboards offered as an option to those who prefer them.
Input device (the mouse or trackball) located right next to the keyboard so it can be operated without reaching.
Input device easy to activate and of a shape/size that fits the hand (not too large/small).
Wrists and hands not resting on any sharp or hard edges.

Monitor- The monitor is designed or arranged for computer tasks so the:

Top of the screen is at or below eye level so it can be read without bending the head or neck down/back.
User with bifocals/trifocals can read the screen without bending the head or neck backward.
Distance to the monitor allows reading the screen without leaning the head, neck or trunk forward or backward.
Monitor position is directly ahead to avoid the need to twist the head or neck.
Glare (such as from lights or windows) is not reflected on the screen such that it may require craning or leaning to clearly see information on the screen.

Work area- The work area is designed or arranged for doing computer tasks so the:

Thighs have sufficient clearance space between the top of the thighs and bottom of the computer table/keyboard platform that the thighs are not trapped.
Legs and feet have sufficient forward clearance space under the work surface so you are able to get close enough to the keyboard/input device.

Accessories- If provided, ensure that the:

Document holder is stable, large enough to hold documents, and placed at about the same height and distance as the monitor screen so there is little head movement, or need to re-focus, to look from the document to the screen.
Wrist/palm rest is padded and free of sharp or square edges that push on the wrists and allows forearms, wrists, and hands to remain straight and aligned when using the keyboard/input device.
Telephone can be used with your head upright, not bent, and the shoulders relaxed (not elevated) if you do computer tasks at the same time. (Headsets or well-designed receiver-to-shoulder rests are recommended.)

General issues- Ensure that:

Workstations and equipment have sufficient adjustability to provide both a safe working posture and are easily adjusted for occasional changes in posture.
Computer workstations, components and accessories are maintained in serviceable condition and function properly.
Computer tasks are organized in a way that users are able to switch between them and other work activities, or to take micro-breaks or recovery pauses while at the computer workstation.