- Good posture promotes comfort, especially when you sit several hours a day. To prevent neck and back strain, keep the spine and head upright. Sit well back in the chair with feet flat on the floor. Adjust your workstation height so you maintain proper posture.
- Proper hand and wrist placement can prevent injuries. Shoulder muscles can become tense when arms and hands are held too high. Hold arms comfortably at your side, with your upper arm and forearm at about a 90-degree angle. Wrists should line up with the forearm. Wrist problems can develop if you bend them at extreme angles. Adjust your keyboard tray to ensure proper hand and wrist motion.
- Good eye care can prevent vision problems. Focusing at close range for long periods of time can cause blurred vision or sore eyes. To reduce eyestrain, keep your computer screen 18 to 28 inches from your eyes (or farther away than you would hold a book). Itching and burning may result from dryness, so blink slowly to help keep your eyes moist. Occasionally focus on objects at a distance of 20 feet or more to relieve eyestrain.
- A well-designed computer workstation lets you adjust your space to fit your needs. For comfortable head and neck placement, the top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level. To minimize tension in the shoulder muscles, the keyboard should be low enough so your arms hang freely and elbows bend naturally at right angles. Detachable keyboards and desks with a split-level design may help.
- A well-designed chair has a seat that curves down in front, provides lower back support, and adjusts for seat height, backrest height and seat pan tilt. The seat height should permit correct placement of the head, hands and knees. You shouldn't have to hunch over to see the screen or bend your elbows more than 90 degrees to reach the keys. Your knees should be at about the same level as your hips.
- Good lighting is not always bright lighting. Reduce glare by closing drapes or repositioning your screen. Adjust the monitor contrast and brightness to reduce eyestrain. Consider tools such as hoods, glare screens, or special lighting.
