Ergonomic Assessment
I had an appointment Monday with our health and safety person for an ergonomic assessment of my work station. She stopped by my cubicle after lunch. She said she basically liked the way I have things set up. My chair is at the right height so that my hips are above my knees, but my feet still sit flat on the floor. The monitor is placed so that my eyes hit the upper third of the screen. She did suggest tilting the keyboard tray away from me, so that the hands are in a natural position, with the fingers curved downward. She also suggested making sure to move the mouse from my shoulder, not at the wrist.
The biggest suggestion she made is to vary the heights and angles of everything--keyboard, monitor, chair--every so often so that I don't get "stuck" in one position. I have never done that before, but it makes sense.
She loved my yoga ball chair, by the way. I love it, too. It keeps me upright and balanced, and reduces the tendency to lean too far forward or to one side. Changing the height of the ball is a small inconvenience. I keep a little pump at work so I can do that. I don't want to change the height several times a day, but once a day when I first get to work in the morning would be fine.
My chiropractor suggested that I get up and move at least a few steps every 30 minutes. I've been doing that lately and it keeps me from getting quite so fatigued during the day. Moving around is key. I'm actually considering having one section of my desk raised to the correct height to use when standing. Not that I would stand all day, but it might be nice to stretch my legs every so often.
The biggest suggestion she made is to vary the heights and angles of everything--keyboard, monitor, chair--every so often so that I don't get "stuck" in one position. I have never done that before, but it makes sense.
She loved my yoga ball chair, by the way. I love it, too. It keeps me upright and balanced, and reduces the tendency to lean too far forward or to one side. Changing the height of the ball is a small inconvenience. I keep a little pump at work so I can do that. I don't want to change the height several times a day, but once a day when I first get to work in the morning would be fine.
My chiropractor suggested that I get up and move at least a few steps every 30 minutes. I've been doing that lately and it keeps me from getting quite so fatigued during the day. Moving around is key. I'm actually considering having one section of my desk raised to the correct height to use when standing. Not that I would stand all day, but it might be nice to stretch my legs every so often.