WRHA Occupational and
Environmental Safety & Health
Proper Workstation Setup
A Step by Step Guide to help you
organize your workstation and
reduce the risk of injury
Step 1 – Review Work Habits
• Working in a stationary position for long
periods will increase muscle fatigue &
discomfort in the back, neck, shoulders
& arms, and increase the likelihood of
repetitive strain injuries
• Short movement breaks taken frequent
& regularly throughout the day will help
you avoid fatigue & discomfort by
promoting circulation and recovery
• You will actually increase your overall
productivity
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Environmental Safety & Health
Short, Frequent Breaks
• 30 sec to 2 minutes every 20-30 minutes
• Get up out of your chair
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•
•
•
– Stand when talking on the phone
– Walk to printer, fax, water fountain, etc.
Shrug your shoulders up & down slowly
Slowly open & close your hands
Clean your Screen, adjust Brightness & Contrast
Blink more often
– Normal rate is 12-20x/min: viewing monitor is only 5x/min
• Cover your eyes with your palms & breathe deeply
for 30 sec, blinking more rapidly when you exhale
• “20/20/20” Rule to reduce eye fatigue
– Every 20 min, focus on an object >20ft away for >20sec
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Step 2 – Review Sitting Posture
• Good sitting posture is one of the
most important ways to reduce
the risk of repetitive strain injury
• The pelvis tends to rotate backward
when sitting, eliminating the normal
curve of the low back
– Increases the pressure in your
intervertebral discs to a level similar to
bending forward all day
– Places the upper back, neck & shoulders
in extreme ranges of joint motion
• Poor sitting posture will increase
your fatigue & discomfort
Nordin, M., & Frankel, VH.(1989). Basic
Biomechanics of the Musculoskeletal System (2nd Ed.)
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Good Sitting Posture
Pelvis Rolled
Forward
• Roll pelvis forward to
restore lumber curve
• Sit back in chair and adjust
chair back so lumbar
support is in small of back
• This will allow you to sit tall
with head balanced over
shoulders
– Avoids awkward neck &
shoulder posture
– Chest open for easy & deep
breathing Decreases
pressure on spinal cord
• Shoulders back and relaxed
• Active abdominals will assist
with maintaining posture
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Active Abdominals
• Helps support back
during activity & sitting
WRONG • Draw abdominals
slightly IN & UP
– It is possible to contract
abdominals and breathe
at the same time
RIGHT
• Contract abdominals
BEFORE action and
MAINTAIN DURING
action
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STEP 3 - Adjust Your Chair
• Once you are sitting with good
posture, you should adjust your
chair to help support this position
– Otherwise the chair will only support
a position of POOR posture
• Proper support from your chair will
help reduce fatigue, especially in
the shoulders & upper back
WRHA Occupational and
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Task Chair Features
•
•
•
•
Breathable fabric
Stable base with functioning casters
Height-adjustable back/lumbar support
Height-adjustable, pivot/swivel armrests
– To support the elbows close to the body when
keyboarding or using the mouse
• Back & chair angle adjustments
• APPROPRIATE SIZE
– Seat pan width & depth
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Armrest
Height
Chair
Back
Height
Forward
Tilt Guard
Chair
Back
Angle
Chair Height
Chair Angle
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Adjust Chair to Sitting Position
• Sit back in chair with proper posture
• Adjust lumbar support to combat slouching
– Chair back height & angle
– Adjust height only once, angle as desired
• Adjust armrests so that elbows are supported
comfortably slightly in front of but close to your body
– Especially when typing, using mouse, etc.
– Adjust height only once, pivot/swivel as needed
• Raise chair so armrests are slightly above desk
– Ensure adequate thigh clearance under desk
– Use a footrest to keep thighs parallel with floor
– If a keyboard tray is used, adjust chair height so that
hips are slightly higher than your knees (feet on floor)
• Adjust the keyboard tray height so keyboard is slightly
below level of hands
• If tray does not adjust, do not use (work on desk surface)
• Make other adjustments (chair tilt, etc.) as desired
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Step 4 - Organize Workstation
• Many ailments of the upper back,
neck, shoulders & arms (fatigue,
discomfort, injury) can be
prevented/alleviated with proper
organization of your workstation
• Use the following slides to reduce
the hazards associated with overreaching and neck extension
WRHA Occupational and
Environmental Safety & Health
Reducing Reaching Hazards
Z412-00 Guideline on Office Ergonomics
• Frequent reaches (1º zone) - Keyboard, mouse
• Infrequent reaches (2º zone)- Phone, documents
• Occasional reaches (3º zone) - Monitor, reference
material
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Armrest
support under
elbows
T
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www.openerg.com/dse/ideal.html
Monitor
• Place directly in front of user and position to avoid
glare
– The screen acts just like a mirror and will reflect direct light
sources (window, task light, overhead lights)
– Tilt screen slightly so it is comfortable to read
• Monitor should be 60-80 cm away from eyes
– Just beyond your fingertips reach (in Tertiary Work Zone)
• The top of the screen should be level with or slightly
below the height of the eyes
– A higher monitor position will contribute to neck & eyestrain
– Most new height-adjustable monitors should not be placed
on top of the CPU
• Progressive/Bifocal lens wearers should place the
monitor lower than normal to reduce neck strain &
promote proper sitting posture
– Middle of screen in the middle of appropriate lens section
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Keyboard
• Placed within easy reach (Primary Work Zone)
• Do not extend keyboard feet
– Keep keyboard flat or angled slightly away from you
• Keep wrists in a neutral position to reduce stress
– Avoid holding wrists in extended position
• Avoid resting wrists on table, etc. to eliminate
contact stress
– Hands should float like playing a piano (arms should be
supported under the elbows by the chair armrests)
• Wrist rests can provide some assistance with
maintaining neutral wrist posture but can also lead
to wrist discomfort resulting from contact stress
– They will not solve problems caused by poor workstation
setup
– They should never take the place of chair armrest support
WRHA Occupational and
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Mouse
• Choose a mouse that fits your hand size and
promotes neutral wrist posture
• Close enough to reach when elbow is resting on
armrest close to your side
– Should be at same level as keyboard
– Can be placed slightly above keyboard if very close
• Mouse bridge/pad over number keys
• Use shoulder & arm to move mouse (car waxing
motion)
– Fixing/resting the hand on a wrist pad focuses all
movement at the wrist which can increase the risk of
injury to that area
• A mouse wrist pad will not solve problems caused by poor
workstation setup
• They should never take the place of chair armrest support
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Keyboard Trays
PRO
• Can provide space for keyboard/mouse if monitor
takes up entire desk (small desk) or if desk is too
high (places them at a more comfortable height)
CON
• Mouse often forced to the side or on a different level
– Increases reaching hazard with unsupported arm
• Many offer minimal adjustability
– By design or installation/placement
• Most move user further away from items on desk
– Reaching hazard
– Work zones also shift away from desk with user
– Built-in models (part of actual desk) alleviate this hazard
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Laptops
• Fine for use in short intervals (< 1hr)
• Monitor too low/keyboard too high for user
over long periods (several hours at a time)
– Use peripheral devices to minimize hazardous
postures while using a laptop in your office
• Docking station with external monitor, keyboard &
mouse
• External keyboard & mouse with stand to raise
laptop/screen to appropriate height
• Can add considerable bulk & weight if
transported to/from the office
– Consider paring down the materials you need (files,
extra supplies, etc.) in order to minimize the
amount of weight you have to carry
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Other Standard Equipment
PHONE
• Keep phone close (2º work zone) to avoid over-reaching
• NEVER cradle the phone between your shoulder & neck
• Use a headset if you:
– Need to write/type when talking on the phone
– Use the phone frequently
DOCUMENT HOLDER
• Use one if you need to reference written material when
typing/using a mouse
– Helps eliminate neck strain
TASK LIGHTING
• Illuminates written material if too dark to read clearly
• Should not be directed towards monitor
– Increased glare will increase eye fatigue
– Shine away from monitor and make sure you cannot see the
bulb directly or reflected in your screen
WRHA Occupational and
Environmental Safety & Health
Additional Resources
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/office/
– Information on a variety of topics (menu on left)
• Manitoba Workplace Safety & Health
http://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/safety/ergonomic.html
– Bulletins on individual topics (adjusting chair, etc.), links
• Open Ergonomics: Safe Office Practices
http://www.openerg.com/dse/
– Workstation setup information by equipment or symptom
WRHA Occupational and
Environmental Safety & Health