Complete Guide to Office Ergonomics [Infographic]

Reuben Yonatan https://getvoip.com 3m 684

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

Ergonomics and Posture

Did you know that your eyes should be level with the top of your computer monitor, not looking down at it? How about that you are not actually supposed to sit at a 90 degree angle? There are many common misconceptions about proper posture and ergonomics. There are specific ways to set your monitor, your keyboard, your mouse, and even if you don’t have a footrest – consider getting one. Everything you do for long periods of time and if you are reading this right now, we can assume that you likely work in an office, where you probably sit for at least a good portion of your day, and it does affect your health. The good news is that there are things you can do to ensure you reverse the effects of the negative consequences on your health!

Stand up every half hour, go for a short walk, even if it is for just five minutes around the office. Take a bathroom break, go get a drink of water! Make sure you stand up straight when you are walking. Stop leaning over as you are walking! Get that body posture normal again. If you work at a computer, consider investing in a standing desk. Believe it or not, sitting down for long periods of time slows down your metabolism which can lead to weight gain! By the way, if you read these two paragraph already, you should have blinked several times already! Don’t forget to blink and refresh those eye balls!

There is no getting around working in an office and having to be there for eight hours a day, but there are ways to get around the consequences of working in an office for eight hours a day. Some offices will actually supply you with more comfortable office supplies including ergonomic-friendly keyboards, mouses, chairs, footrests, among other things. If not, ask the office computer technician or make a suggestion to the supervisor about getting office supplies. Many jobs want you to be comfortable working there, so they should not have huge issues with you making a few requests to have more ergonomic-friendly supplies handy.

That is why GetVoIP created the complete guide to proper posture. With these simple tips, you can avoid back pain, eye strain, or other debilitating injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome.

Infographic submitted by Reuben Yonatan, article summary by Reuben Yonatan and Matthew Gates

Click to open / Right-click for save options

Text-Friendly Version

ERGONOMICS

The Complete Guide To Proper Posture

MONITOR PLACEMENT

Single Monitor

1. Centered Horizontally
2. Arm’s length away
3. Tilted Slightly

Two Monitors

4. Place them at an angle in front of you with edges touching
5. If you use one more than 80% of of the time, place that in front and the other to the side

MONITOR SETTINGS

1. Brightness – match the room brightness
2. Refresh rate – at least 70 Hz
3. Resolution – 800 x 6000
4. Dot Pitch – .28 mm

KEYBOARD PLACEMENT

1. Keyboard – Slightly negative tilted
2. Keyboard and mouse – Shoulder distance apart

SITTING

1. Eyes – Level with top of the monitor screen
2. Ears – Directly above shoulder
3. Arms – Close to side of body
4. Forearms – Parallel to the floor
5. Wrists – Straight or below elbow level
6. Keyboard Height – 1 to 2 inches above your thighs
7. Back – Tilted slightly back in seat
8. Thighs – Parallel with floor
9. Knees – Few inches of space between your seat and the back of your knees
10. Feet – Flat on the floor (use footrest if they don’t reach)

STANDING

1. Eyes – Level with the top of the monitor screen
2. Head/Neck/Torso/Legs – In line
3. Arms – Close to side of body
4. Forearms – Parallel to the floor
5. Keyboard and mouse – On same level
6. Shoes – Get shoes with proper support
7. Footrest – Use to shift weight from foot to foot
8. Feet – Flat on standing mat

THE IMPORTANCE OF ERGONOMICS

• Looking down at your phone increases the force to your spine 50 lbs
• Metabolism slows down 90% after 30 minutes of sitting
• Get up and move frequently — too much sitting can lead to heart failure later in life

Source: https://getvoip.com/blog/2016/12/05/office-ergonomics/

(