HEALTHY COMPUTING GUIDE : DOCUMENT HOLDERS AND DESK

Healthy Computing Guide : Document Holders and Desk

Aug.10, 2008 in Computer, Tips

photo credit: –nathan

While working with printed materials, document holders keep them near the user and the monitor. These can be positioned according to the convenience of the user depending on the type of the document and the task performed. Risk factors like awkward postures of the head and neck, fatigue, headaches and eyestrain can be reduced by proper placement of these holders. If the monitor and keyboard are well placed and the user’s chair is properly adjusted, then the holder can be placed without causing strain to the different body parts.

Document Holder Guidelines

The height and distance at which the printed materials are placed should be the same as that of the monitor.

Probable Risks

You tend to move your head and neck frequently or keep your head in awkward postures if the printed material that you are working is kept too far from the monitor. Such postures can lead to muscle fatigue and tenderness of the head, neck and shoulders.

Feasible Solutions

Ensure that the document holders that you use can place the documents at almost the same height and distance as the monitor. Even if you have to work on a big textbook, ensure that the holder is stable enough for that purpose.

In fact, you get good document holders in the market that can be placed directly below the monitor. This gives a powerful writing surface if at all written entries are required and hence decreases the frequent motion of your head, neck and back.

Ensure that task lighting on the document does not create glare on the monitor.

Document Holder Recipe

It is better to go for document holders that are stable so that it stays firmly throughout your work. The height, position, distance and viewing angle of the document holder should be easily adjustable by multiple users.
If your job involvement is more with the monitor, then prefer a document holder that can sit next to the monitor at its same height and distance.
A holder that can be placed conveniently between the monitor and the keyboard should be preferred if your job involves accessing the document frequently (such as writing on the document).

Desks

Before selecting a desk for your computer workstation, you should keep in mind its design and space. It should provide enough leg space, adequate space for other components and accessories and should help you minimize awkward postures and exertions. The installation, setup and configuration of relaxed and productive workstations involves the following considerations:

Desk or work surface areas
Areas under the desk or work surface

Desk Quick Tips

Ensure that the desk surface is capable of keeping the monitor directly in front of at a distance of at least 20 inches away.
Do not keep items like CPU under the desk.
The desk should allow you to work in various comfortable postures.

Desk or Work Surface Areas

Probable Risks

When the desk doesn’t have enough space to accommodate all the components and accessories, you tend to place them in unfavorable positions. This in turn leads to awkward postures when you have to access a pointer or mouse or look at a monitor that is placed to the side.

Feasible Solutions

Ensure that at least your mouse and keyboard are placed conveniently so that you don’t have to sit in awkward positions every time you access them.
Ensure that your work surface allows you to see the screen at a distance of at least 20 inches (50 cm) and position it to achieve the appropriate viewing angle, which is generally directly in front of you.
Frequently used devices such as keyboard, phone and mouse should be kept in the most easily accessible positions.

Probable Risks

There are some workstations where the desks and certain equipments have hard edges that usually touch the arm or wrist of the user. This, in the long run, may lead to contact stress affecting the nerves and blood vessels, causing tingling and sore fingers.

Feasible Solutions

Reasonably priced materials like pipe insulation can be padded on the hard edges of the table to reduce contact stress. Also use wrist rest and select only furniture with rounded desktop edges.

Probable Risks

Discomfort and inefficient performance of the computer operator may be due to insufficient clearance under the work surface. Some common discomforts are shoulder, back and neck pain due to the long distance of the users from computer components, causing them to reach to perform computer tasks; and generalized fatigue, circulation restrictions and contact stress due to limitation of movement and inability to frequently change postures.

Feasible Solutions

Give enough clearance space for users to frequently change working postures. Items like files, CPUs, books and storage should not be kept there.
Ensure that the clearance spaces under all working surfaces accommodate at least two of the three seated reference working postures, one of which must be the upright-seated posture.

Probable Risks

Too high or too low desk surfaces can lead to awkward postures such as extending your arms to reach the keyboard or raising your shoulders to get the job done. This may lead to muscular fatigue of the arms and shoulders.

Feasible Solutions

Risers like boards or concrete blocks can be inserted under the desk legs to lift the work surface.
Certain conventional desks have center drawers that block your thigh space. This can be removed for free movement of your thighs.
Cutting off the legs of the desk, if required can lower the work surfaces. If this does not work, the chair can be rose a little depending on the height of the user. A footrest, if necessary, can be used to support the user’s feet.
Always select height-adjustable desks. Normally, the desk should be between 20-28 inches (50-72 cm) high.

Desk and Work Surface Recipe

Ensure that the desk area is deep enough to accommodate a monitor placed at least 20 inches away from your eyes.
It is recommended that the desk should have a work surface large enough to accommodate a monitor and a keyboard. Normally, a desk with a depth of about 30 inches is used to accommodate these items.
The height of the desk should be adjustable between 20 inches and 28 inches while the user is in sitting position. The desk surface should be at about the height of your elbow while sitting with your feet flat on the floor. Adjustability between seated and standing heights is desirable.
Ensure that the user has sufficient space to place the frequently used items like keyboard, mouse and monitor directly in front of you.
Your desk should provide enough space underneath for your legs while sitting in all convenient positions. The minimum under-desk clearance depth should be 15 inches for your knees and 24 inches for your feet. There should be at least 20 inches clearance width.
When you purchase a desk with a fixed height, ensure that you have a keyboard tray to provide enough height adjustment to suit multiple users.
Avoid glass tops and glossy desktops. Ensure that your desktops have a matte finish to minimize glare.
At areas where your arms touch the work surfaces, ensure that there are no sharp edges. Rounded or sloping surfaces are preferable.
The leading edge of the work surface should be wide enough to accommodate the arms of your chair, usually about 24 inches to 27 inches. If the space is lesser than this, it will interfere with armrests and restrict your movement. This is to be kept in mind especially while working in four-corner work units.