Prolonged hunched or elevated shoulder while holding the phone |
- Telephone headset
- Speakerphone
|
Elbows splayed out (shoulder abduction) |
- Lower work surface
- Lower chair armrests
- Bring chair armrests in closer
- Awareness and habit training
|
Raised or tensed shoulders |
- Habit or tension training
- Lower work surface or keyboard
- Lower chair armrests
- Raise chair, if foot contact with the floor can be maintained
|
Twisting the head to the side |
- Bring viewed item closer to centerline of view
|
Elbow flexed for long periods using the telephone |
- Telephone headset
- Speakerphone
|
Elbow or forearm resting for long periods on hard or sharp worksurface, chair armrests |
- Pad or round surfaces, corners, and armrests
- Replace armrests
- Telephone headset
- Habit training
|
Wrists bent to the sides when using side keys |
- Habit training
- Keyboard with more accessible keys or split keyboard design
|
Wrists bent back (extended) or forward (flexed) for prolonged periods |
- Habit training
- Palm rest
- Padded or rounded surfaces, corners
|
Hands held actively over the keyboard during keying pauses |
- Habit training
- Palm or forearm rest
|
Rapid, sustained, or prolonged keying |
- Greater work variety
- Aggressive break schedule
- Reduce overtime
|
Forceful keying, key pounding |
- Habit training
- Light-touch keyboard
|
Significant amounts of hand stapling, punching, lifting, opening mail, or other forceful exertions, especially combined with awkward postures |
- Mechanical aids, such as electric stapler or punch
- Reduce size of lifted loads
- Bring heavy loads close to the body, at a medium height
- Substitute sliding (worksurface) or wheeling (floor)
- Sharpen letter openers
|
Prolonged mouse use |
- Greater work variety
- Aggressive break schedule
- Alternate hands
- Alternative pointing devices
- Arm support, including small table
- Mouse close to body (extended keyboard tray)
- Learn keystroke substitutes for menus
|
Prolonged sitting, especially in only one posture |
- Greater work variety
- Aggressive break schedule
- Chair that supports posture change, through movement, size, or easy adjustability
- Habit training
- Move phone and printer to the other side of the office to force standing, or suggest standing when on phone
- Check chair fit
- Monitor in-out mechanism
- Sit-stand worksurface
|
Lumbar back area not supported |
- Lumbar cushion
- Backrest height and tilt
- Check chair fit, especially backrest/lumbar height
|
Feet dangling, not well supported, or a posture which seems to put pressure on the backs of the thighs |
- Lower chair
- Lower worksurface
- Habit training
- Foot rest (last resort)
|
Chair backrest not used for long periods |
- Check chair fit, especially seat pan depth and height
- Check leg room
- Check monitor distance and character height
|
Twisted torso |
- Rearrange work
- Provide more knee space
- U-shaped worksurface layout
- Swivel chair
|
Frequent or prolonged leaning or reaching |
- Rearrange work
- Mouse pad, palm or forearm rest
- Bring mouse and keyboard closer to body
|
Working with one or both arms “reaching” toward a mouse or keyboard |
- Bring keyboard closer to body
- Mouse pad, palm or forearm rest
- Bring mouse closer to keyboard
|
Light sources that can be seen by the worker |
- Cover or shield light sources
- Rearrange work arena
- Lower other viewed objects to lower field of view
|
Reflected glare on the screen |
- Shield light sources
- Shade screen
- Move monitor so light enter from side angle, not back Do NOT tip monitor down
- Lower light levels
- Move light sources
|
Too much contrast between screen and surroundings or document; worker feels relief when bright areas are shielded |
- Lower ambient light levels
- Turn off, reposition, or dim task lights
- Block offending light sources
- Change screen polarity to black on white
|
Very bright ambient lighting (above 500 lux or 50 fc) or shadowed areas caused by over-illumination |
- Lower ambient light levels to 200-500 lux (20-50 fc) and use task lights
|
Monitor closer than approximately 65 cm (25″) |
- Push monitor back (enlarge font size)
- Computer glasses
- Bring keyboard forward, possibly with a keyboard tray
|
Different viewed objects (screen, documents) at different distances from the eyes |
- Use document stand or otherwise equalize distances to within about 10 cm (4″) if rapid viewing changes are required
|
Screen or documents not oriented perpendicular to the line of sight (tipped back slightly is even better) |
- Change monitor, document stand angle
|
Prolonged near focusing throughout the day with few far-focusing opportunities |
- Move monitor back as far as possible
- Habit training
- Rearrange space to provide view
- Introduce glazing
|
Monitor image dim, fuzzy, flickery, small, or otherwise difficult to read |
- Upgrade monitor
- Use software to enlarge image
|
Use software to enlarge image |
- Improve lighting on documents if documents cannot be changed
|
Forward head posture (peering) or squinting |
- Lower monitor
- Tilt monitor back
- Check for monitor image quality problems, character height or monitor distance
- Suggest consultation with vision specialist
|
Eyestrain complaints |
- Check all aspects of visual environment
- Suggest consultation with vision specialist
|
Neck extended backwards, head tilted back, even slightly |
- Remove CPU from under monitor
- Remove tilt-swivel base from monitor (leave ventilation space)
- Check for bifocals and suggest full-frame “computer glasses” prescription
|
Neck severely flexed (downward) |
- Tilt face of monitor back
- Tilt document – do not lay flat on worksurface
- Raise document or monitor to a comfortable height
- Adjust posture
- Check glasses for proper prescription
|