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ERGONOMICS PRESENTATION – SCRIPT The applied science of equipment design to reduce operator fatigue When we first buy a computer, we spend a lot of time deciding what we want. Do we build one (if we are able) or do we buy one? Where do we buy it? I would suggest Staples or Office Depot, as the people there know something about computers. What programs do we want installed? We will spend a lot of time in front of our computer. Do we go with what is offered in a package, or do we customize? What brand do we go for? HP, Dell, Acer, MDG? What operating system do we prefer? Windows, Mac or Linux. How big a hard drive do we want? How big a memory? Do we want desktop or laptop? Having solved these puzzles, we now think about the rest of the equipment. Should it be a regular QWERTY keyboard or a split one? How big a monitor? Traditional box type monitor, or flat? What kind of speakers? Should we get a scanner? If so which one? What kind of printer? Monochrome or colour? Should we get a copier? Should we get one of those 3 in one machines? After a large cup of coffee, with something added, we now think about virus protection, spy ware checker and firewalls. Now we are ready to roll. Who do we pick for our server? Do we go local – NetReach, Kingston Online Service? Or should we go National – Bell Frustraterco? How about International – AOL (Aggravating Our Lives)? Then there’s Wireless for those in the Boonies. What a relief to have all that decided. Now we are ready to go online. But wait a moment; we are forgetting the most important element of a computer system – the Workstation. Bet you thought I was never going to get there. That old kitchen table in the garage will do, and that disused, slightly torn lawn chair or Adirondack chair that didn’t sell at the last yard sale. Definitely not. The workstation really is the most important part of your setup, and gets the least attention. Unless you are confined to a wheelchair, in which case you have little choice, you should get the best chair you can afford, for longterm comfort. The idea is to avoid eyestrain, backache, fatigue and Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. This is wrist strain resulting from repetitive actions, such as an assembly line worker might get. There are many websites on the subject of Office Ergonomics. The following information is taken from one of them. It is wise to use an adjustable keyboard/mouse tray. If possible, make it adjustable for height, and allow the keyboard to be tilted away from you, at a slight angle to give you better posture. You should be able to use the mouse with your upper arms relaxed and close to your body. The best position for your keyboard is just above your lap. Most of us have the keyboard higher than this. A position just above the lap gives a downward tilt to the arms – a more natural attitude as the arms should not be folded back slightly at the elbows as we type. Make sure there is space for the mouse on the keyboard tray. You shouldn’t have to stretch for it. If you are broad chested, a split keyboard may work better for you Try to use a light touch when typing. Most computer keyboards are even more sensitive than an electric typewriter. You will avoid going back to delete unnecessary letters and also avoid strain that can reach as far as the elbows. The wrists should be almost straight when typing, not bent up or down. As said before, elbows should be at an angle greater than 90°. Forearms should be just less than parallel to the floor. If your chair has armrests, these should comfortably support your elbows when you take a break from typing. Never rest your arms while typing. Try to stay centered with the lettered portion of the keyboard. The use of shortcuts reduces wear and tear when typing. Shoulders should be relaxed with elbows by your side. The monitor should be directly in front of you to avoid neck or shoulder pain due to twisting, and it should be at arms length when you are sitting back in your chair. This will reduce eyestrain. If you can afford a monitor 20” or bigger, sit slightly further back. The top of the screen should be roughly level with your eyes. This position can be achieved by lowering the monitor or raising the chair, obvious really. You should avoid the need to tilt your head forward or backward. This of course has to tie in with the positioning of the keyboard. Wearers of bifocals or trifocals may need to position the monitor a little lower down to comfortably view the screen through the lower part of the lens. Most people also tilt the monitor slightly backwards, so that the top is further away from you than the bottom. This helps the user see the entire screen more clearly. Try to place your monitor so that it is not picking up glare from a window, and balance the brightness of the monitor to suit its surroundings. Most monitors have the means of making these adjustments. You should use a font size 2 or 3 sizes larger than the smallest text you can use. Black text on a white background is the easiest to discern when word processing, but many favour another background, such as green or yellow. If you have people the other side of your workstation on a regular basis, you could consider mounting the monitor on a swivel arm. Most home users would not normally have this situation, so a fixed position is more normal. Remember to keep the screen clean; it will accumulate dust quite quickly. I’ve always followed the recommendation to put glass cleaner on a soft cloth, not paper towel, and wipe the screen. Windex, or any other glass cleaner squirted directly onto the screen can run down into the monitor and cause damage. Finally, on the subject of monitors, follow the 20/20/20 rule! If you are going to be in front of the monitor for a long time, like I was as I prepared this presentation, take a 20 second break, every 20 minutes and look at least 20 feet away. This is a great way to avoid visual fatigue. The mouse has already been mentioned. Here are a few more suggestions. If you use the mouse a lot, consider a mouse tray. This is an adjustable tray that slides over the numeric keys of the keyboard, about 2” above the keyboard. The mouse functions can be controlled through the software that came with it. Speed can be adjusted, one or two clicks can be picked and the time between double clicks can be adjusted. The size and shape of the cursor can also be adjusted. Buy a mouse that is comfortable in your hand, they do come in different sizes. Try to avoid just using the wrist to move the mouse. The whole lower arm should be utilized. Shortcuts on the keyboard can reduce mouse usage. A mouse with a scroll wheel also reduces wear and tear on the wrist and arm. Don’t let your fingers hover above the buttons, this causes strain. Let them rest lightly on the buttons, and use gentle pressure to click the buttons. Like keyboards, the mouse is very sensitive to finger pressure, so don’t wear yourself out! If there’s no need to use the mouse for a few minutes, let go of it, it isn’t going to run away. Try using the other hand to operate the mouse now and then. I’ve had to do this due to hand surgery, and you can get used to it. Since it involves a little twisting, it’s not a good idea to do this for too long, but it does give the dominant hand a rest. Now the chair, a very important device! Most ergonomic experts agree, your chair is the single most important component of a healthy working environment. The chair should be adjusted before all the other things. You should be able to sit comfortably in the chair, using the chair back for support. Buy one with an adjustable lumbar support. This should fit comfortably in the curve of the lower back. Your feet should be flat on the ground, with the back of the knees at an angle of 90 or slightly greater and never compressed. If the chair has a recline lock, set this at a comfortable position and remember to unlock it periodically. This will allow the backrest to move with your back as you change posture. It’s better to slightly reclined as this helps relieve lower back tension. The seat size is also important. You should allow for one inch between your legs and one inch between the legs and the side of the chair. There should be no pressure to the back of the knees. Some chairs allow a tilt to the seat to attain a comfortable position. If possible, adjust the height, width and position of the armrests, and remember not to rest your arms here as you type; they are only to be used when taking a break from typing. Some chairs allow for the armrests to be lowered or swung out of the way as you type. Be sure to move obstacles so that the chair castors move smoothly. And don’t wrap your feet around the castor supports as one member did. When she stood up her feet wouldn’t come free and she fell to the floor. If you don’t have an adjustable chair, the experts’ advice is – buy one! Ergonomists agree, there is not one best position to sit on the chair. It’s a good idea to change your position slightly throughout the typing session to improve circulation and reduce muscle fatigue. Other points to consider are placement of documents if you are doing research etc.; lighting; the phone and the desk itself. It is recommended if you refer to a lot of documents that they not be placed flat on the desk. This causes a lot of twisting and head turning, with a stiff neck as a reward. A document holder that fixes to the side of the monitor, aligned the same as the monitor, is a good purchase. As an alternate, you could get a freestanding holder that angles the documents, the same as the monitor. Be sure you have adequate lighting, especially if you have taken steps to reduce glare on the monitor screen. The positioning of the phone often leaves a lot to be desired. We’ve all seen people with a phone squashed between the shoulder and the ear. Many of us have done this ourselves. The result can be muscle aches in the upper back and neck. The head should be straight and the shoulders relaxed. I personally stop what I’m doing to answer the phone and turn away from the keyboard. If I’m really pushed for time, I hold the phone in one hand and type with the other. If you converse a lot while you’re typing, a headset could be considered. I think it’s bad manners to clatter away on the keyboard as someone is talking to you on the phone. I’ve never mastered the art of doing two or more things at once, and doing them properly. I’m hopeless at driving a car, talking on the cell phone, eating a sandwich and combing my hair all at the same time. Finally, the desk. This is a critical component of the workstation. With a fixed height desk, you might have to place the keyboard and mouse on the top of the desk. This would probably involve raising the seat of the chair. This is not an ideal situation, so an adjustable height work surface should be considered, with a height adjustable tray for the mouse and keyboard. The desk should be arranged so there is room either side, and also easy access to the spaghetti like mass of cables that tie everything together. To reduce stress and strain, once you are sitting comfortably in your chair, pull up close to the edge of the work surface and look straight ahead. This is the optimal viewing zone. What you look at as you work, (screen, documents etc.), should be in or close to this zone. Stretch your arms out to the sides of your body then move them until your hands are together in front of you. The semicircular area covered by the sweep of your arms is called your normal reach zone. Everything you use should be inside, or close to this area. You should not have to stretch to reach items that you use frequently. Now relax the upper arms down the sides of your body. Using your elbows as pivot points, swing the forearms out to each side, then move them back again so that your hands touch in front of you. The area covered by the sweep of the forearms is similar to the area covered by a pair of windshield wipers. This is known as the normal working area. Things operated by hand, such as the keyboard and mouse, should be within this area, and positioned for optimum comfort. Finally a brief mention concerning laptop computers. Most laptop users lay the computer flat on the desk and flip up the monitor panel. It is recommended that an external keyboard and mouse be used, and the computer be mounted on a laptop stand. This allows the eyes to be level with the screen as previously mentioned. If you don’t have, or want the expense of an external keyboard and mouse, use a docking station. This allows the screen to be elevated at a reasonable angle. Everything else already mentioned for a desktop setup applies. For ergonomic information in depth, go to http://www.healthycomputing.com/office/setup And for more setup diagrams, in the search box, type in Google Images and type in computer ergonomics in the search box.