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Is
you desk right for you?
Many problems, such as backache and degeneration of the spine,
muscle stiffness and cramps as well as repetitive strain injury are
related to poor office furniture.
Although more people think about these problems, at best office
furniture is designed to fit the middle 90% of the population. So if you
are significantly above or below average height then you need a desk and
chair designed specifically for your size.
For those of us in the middle, most office chairs can be and
should be adjusted appropriately.
Everyone is different so there are no magic measurements. |
The
ideal position
Sit upright with the feet flat on the floor, as though someone
was pulling you upwards by your hair
Thighs almost horizontal, but slanting only very slightly
downwards
Chair seat reaching to within a short distance of the knees. This
allows full leg movement without putting pressure on the back of the knees
Back straight and head upright
Arms resting on the desk at right angles to the body and parallel
to the floor, in line with the keyboard so that hands rest relaxed upon
the keyboard or writing pad
Head looking straight ahead, with shoulders relaxed
Room for to move around
It
may be helpful to ask someone else to comment on your position |
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Office chair design
1 Comfortable
2 Adjustable
seat height, for longer and shorter legs
3 Lumbar
support through out the length of the back, to help maintain the upright
curvature of the back while sitting
4 Adjustable lumbar support, up and
down, to allow for people with longer or shorter backs.
5 Adjustable seat , forward and back
, to allow for people with longer or shorter thighs
6 Head rest to support the head
while thinking
7
Adjustable arm rests to rest the arms between tasks and reduce
arm and neck fatigue
8 The chair should allow rotation
and forward and backward movement to allow free movement
Desk
design
1 Height adjusted so as to fit the person in their chair,
sitting in their ideal position.
2 Foot rests, for those who need to
raise the seat of their chair to reach their desks comfortably.
3 Desk
height raised for those with longer legs
VDU
design
1 Screen size sufficiently large for ordinary letters to be
seen easily
2 VDU screen, level with the
eyes - raised up on telephone directories as required
Telephone
Handsfree
set or head set if used for more than 40% of the time |
Bodystyle during office hours
1
Eyes - stare briefly out of
the window every ten minutes - This changes the focus of the eyes to
long distance, keeping the lens supple and eye muscles active
2 Fidget
- move your head arms and legs every time you remember, this helps
prevent muscles stiffness
3
Every forty minutes get up and
walk around your desk
4 Ensure sufficient legroom to
stretch out legs
5 Ensure sufficient space to work
in.
Do
this all day, every day and you will feel better in the evening. In
other words fidget and stare out of the window!
Stick
this where you will see it all the time
med4u.co.uk
says
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