Set up your Work Environment for Maximum Productivity and Safety

Following proper ergonomic principles will ensure your productivity is maximized without sacrificing your health.  A properly set up work environment will avoid joint and muscle pain, fatigue, eye strain, and repetitive strain injuries.  Here are some key principles:

Monitor Set Up:

• Arms length away from your eyes.
• Away from windows and light sources, to reduce glare and reflections.
• No light sources behind monitor, to keep light from shining directly into your eyes.
• The top border of the monitor should be just below the height of your eyes.
• Adjust your monitor settings (such as resolutions, brightness, display scheme, contrast, and font size) to provide the clearest, most comfortable view.
• When typing text from a piece of paper, use a document holder to place the paper in an upright position right next to the monitor.

Mouse:

• Keep it close to the keyboard, so it can be reached easily.
• Use the Mouse control panel to adjust the mouse speed so that it is comfortable.  Try to find the speed that best works for you.  If the mouse pointer moves too fast, you will tend to overshoot the item you want to click on.  If it moves too slow, too many mouse movements will be needed.

Keyboard:

• Use a wrist or palm rest to reduce hand and arm movement, stabilize your hands, and increase finger reach.
• The letters on keyboard should be directly in front of you. The letter ‘B’ should be directly at your midline.
• The keyboard should be positioned so that your forearms are parallel to the floor and your elbows are bent at a 90 degree angle.
• If possible, use a height and angle adjustable keyboard holder in order to get the best positioning.

Chair:

• Use a chair with a lumbar support.
• Your feet should be able to rest fully on the floor and be fully supported by the floor.  If this is not possible, use a foot rest.

Our Custom Typing Training web site includes a complete section on ergonomics.  To go directly to our ergonomics section, click on the link below:

http://www.customtyping.com/tutorials/erg/ergonomics.htm

Tip of the Week: Returning to a Web Site you Recently Visited

To view the history in Internet Explorer, go to the "View" menu, click on "Explorer Bar", and choose "History". If you're a Firefox user, you can find the history command under the "Go" menu.  In both browsers, you can also press control-H on the keyboard.

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