It doesn’t matter whether you are working in the office or at home, the same guidelines apply to all workspaces. Here are a few easy steps that will help you achieve a healthy working environment.
- The position of your desk has an impact on your wellbeing. You should try to ensure that your desk is at a right angle to any windows, so that your direction of vision is parallel to the window. This eliminates glare on your screen and helps reduce eyestrain and avoids assuming awkward positions to read your screen.
- Work equipment should be arranged on your desk according to its importance and usefulness. Things that are used frequently (e.g. the telephone) should be placed within easy reach (up to approximately 300mm depth, see image). This minimises any strain on the body due to twisting.
- Position your screen so that it is in your central field of vision and you don’t need to turn your head back and forth unnecessarily. Your view should be slightly downwards, so that the neck muscles are relaxed. If you are using two or more screens, place the primary screen in front of you and the others to the side, with them as close to each other as possible.
- Place your mouse and keyboard next to each other and in front of you at a distance of about 10 – 15cm from the front edge of your work surface. This will ensure that you maintain a natural posture, with forearms partially supported, arms close to your body and wrists straight. The keyboard should not be adjusted and should lie as flat as possible. Desk pads should not be used either as these can cause the wrists to bend upwards.
- The use of laptops and tablets should be limited to short periods of time. A laptop stand holds your laptop above your work surface, allowing you to work in comfort and avoid the back and neck pain associated with being hunched over. A separate mouse and keyboard should be used to ensure that you are at a sufficient distance from your laptop screen. A second screen should be used to provide you with the best possible display.
- There must be sufficient leg and foot room with no objects or pieces of furniture placed under the work surface. The dimensions for the leg and foot room should be at a depth of 80cm and a width of 85cm.
- For left-handed people, all movements are performed on the other side. If an L-shaped desk is used everything must be aligned differently. The mouse should be specifically designed for a left-handed person and positioned on the lefthand side. If the number section on the keyboard is used frequently, a separately number pad should be used and placed to the left of the main keyboard.
If you would like any further advice or information about your home office or our ergonomic office furniture, please get in touch. And, if you found this blog helpful, please feel free to share it with your social networks!
