Workstation Ergonomics

1. Workstation Ergonomics Office of People and Capability, Safety, Emergency and Wellbeing

2. Objectives • Understand the basic principles of ergonomic workstation setup • Conduct the ergonomic workstation setup on your own workstation • Know how to source additional assistance as required

3. Consequences • treatment required • time off work • loss of productivity • errors • Impacts on home life and leisure activities • increase risk of injury • feeling unhappy & ‘cranky’ • Common problems • neck, shoulder, back pain • headaches • eye strain • tendonitis (“tennis elbow”) • bursitis • fatigue • poor concentration

4. Lifestyle, Fatigue and Poor Concentration The brain requires a constant supply of oxygen to keep it functioning • Healthy diet, keep hydrated • Limit tea, coffee & alcohol • Adequate quality sleep • 30 min moderate physical activity daily • Vigorous activity once a week

5. Static and Sustained Postures Even when posture is good, staying in one position (static posture) for too long can cause problems (e.g. prolonged sitting or standing) • Muscles and other soft tissues can fatigue • Smaller muscles fatigue earlier • More proximal muscles (shoulders and back) are used to sustain smaller muscles so they can used (e.g. fingers and hands) • Repetitive Movements - may be underestimated - small muscles and joints can be easily overused

6. Monitor your posture and Movement • Human Body is designed for movement (dynamic) • Encourage dynamic movement in the workplace e.g. stand up / walking meetings, pick up printing, get a glass of water, stand up when on phone, walk to rubbish/recycle bins, walk and talk instead of email, lunch time walk, change posture, do a few stretches, shake, etc. • Vary your work tasks during the day

7. Posture • Equipment is important but the way you use it is critical • Good posture creates good balance, flow, improves comfort and increases blood flow to the brain • Poor posture is felt over a period of time What is good posture? • Sit upright; weight balanced on bottom and thighs • Knees slightly lower than hips • Feet supported • Look forward with chin tucked in • Shoulders relaxed; shoulder blades down & symmetrical

8. Office Chair • Familiarise yourself with your chair adjustments • Seat height adjustments • Back height • Lumbar adjustment • Seat tilt adjustment • Arms are not recommended for computer based tasks

9. Seat height • Feet flat on floor • Thighs comfortable on the seat pan • Backrest • Adjust the backrest angle 90° - 110° for most work actions • Lumbar Support • Feel for the deepest part of the low back curve • Adjust the height of the lumbar support to match the deepest part of the curve • Adjust the lumbar support tension for comfort

10. Seat pan adjustment • MUST ALWAYS place backside as far back into the chair as possible and adjust position from there • Thighs comfortable on the seat pan • Tilt is best adjusted forward (front down) for concentrated work at the desk as it brings you close into the workspace • Seat tilted back (seat front upwards) may be used for conversation / non workstation tasks

11. Office Chair and the Desk • Move into the desk; Re-adjust your seat height to ensure that the elbows are just slightly lower than the wrists and the shoulders feel comfortable (keyboarding) • The feet should sit comfortably on the floor; if your feet are not able to take some weight on the floor, then a footrest may be required • Remove all under desk clutter – there should be no obstructions to allow free movement of feet and legs

12. The Monitor • If using two monitors equally, place yourself (chair) in between the monitors so that equal distance exists between you and each screen • If using one main monitor, and the other as a secondary screen, place yourself midway in front of the main screen (as per single monitor) and the second screen to the side slightly at an angle 00 – 150 tilt is preferable to minimise glare • Adjust your monitor height by sitting up in the chair and matching the height of the top of the screen with the middle of your forehead (this may need to be lower if you wear bifocals) • Sit comfortably in your chair and reach forwards with one hand and outstretched fingers toward the monitor • The point at which your fingers touch the screen is usually the best focal length for you to use your screen (this may change if you have glasses / contacts or a non standard size screen)

13. The Keyboard • Place the keyboard in front of the screen with the centre of the keyboard in line with the centre of the monitor/s • Place the keyboard close and parallel to the edge of the desk with a good gap between the keyboard and the monitor • If, after some time, the keyboard is not parallel to the edge of the desk, you are not in line with the screen; adjust accordingly to centre yourself, the keyboard and the monitor • If you use a document holder, place it between the keyboard and monitor

14. The Mouse • Keep the mouse close to the side of the keyboard at all times • Keep your hand/wrist position straight / neutral; aim for less than ten degrees angle at the wrist • Try to use a mouse that fits the size of your hand • Consider alternate right / left use • Avoid holding mouse when not in use • Learn keyboard shortcuts • Vertical or upright mouse may assist in wrist or forearm symptoms • Novelty type mouse are not usually practical for long term use

15. Accessories • Place the phone on the dominant hand side of the desk • Headset can go either side • Place all other tools and work material that is used frequently within an arm distance arc from your body • Place less used tools outside the arc

16. Laptop Computers and Mobile Devices • Initially designed for short term use; now used frequently • Issues stem from proximity of laptop (and similar mobile devices) monitor & keyboard • to position the laptop monitor at the right height for your back and neck, you have to lift your arms and shoulders too high, causing shoulder and neck problems • to position laptop keyboard at the best height for your arms and shoulders, you must hunch your shoulders and neck to see the monitor

17. Laptop Computers and Mobile Devices • Advice is similar to that of standard workstations • Use a correctly set-up desktop computer instead of a laptop / mobile device as often as you can • Use peripheral equipment, such as a docking station, separate keyboard, mouse and laptop stand • Take frequent breaks • Carry your laptop in a backpack or in wheel-along luggage

18. Components of Ergonomic Workstation Setup: • Good Posture • Seating • Desk • Keyboard • Mouse • Equipment placement • Adequate desk and under desk space • Incorporation of dynamic movement into work day / tasks

19. What Next? • Now you are ready to use theSelf-Setup Guide to setup your own workstation • New adjustments may feel a little strange at first (as you are changing the way you have previously been asking your muscles to work), so give it a little time for you to adjust • You may wish to revisit from time to time and check your adjustments with the self-setup guide to confirm your adjustments remain in place • If you continue to have issues, view / review the ergonomic workstation • Self-Assessment Tool. • Choose the assessment that best matches your problem (neck, forearm, etc.) - follow through the steps and record your actions in the space provided • Make the advised changes, and trial for 2 to 3 weeks to determine if this alleviates your problem

20. Need Assistance? • If you continue to have difficulties, or your issue needs immediate attention, contact the Safety, Emergency and Wellbeing (SEW) Department (sew@cdu.edu.au) who will organise an appointment for a workstation assessment • Please attach the Workstation Assessment Request Formand the completed Self-Assessment Toolwhen contacting SEW, and complete the subject line as ‘Surname, First name, Workstation Assessment Request’. • You MUST notify your Supervisor when you have requested a Workstation Assessment • Note • A Workstation Assessment should be conducted prior to ordering any non-standard Ergonomic Workstation Equipment e.g. sit stand equipment, ergonomic keyboards and mouse, chairs (SEW has some loan equipment available to trial). The purpose of this is to ensure that the equipment purchased is fit for purpose and one ergonomic issue is not replaced with another. • All ergonomic equipment is ordered by and costed to individual department cost centres.

21. Thank you