The Office Ergonomics Initiative provides the desk worker with ergonomic advice to prevent pain and injury.

1. OFFICE
ERGONOMICS
INITIATIVE
ERGONOMICS
SOLUTIONS FOR THE
DESK WORKER

2. WHAT IS ERGONOMICS?
• The word ‘ergonomics’ comes from the Greek
words ‘ergon’ which means work, and ‘nomos’
which means natural laws.
• More specifically, ergonomics is the scientific
study of designing the job and workplace to fit
the worker, keeping in mind their capabilities and
limitations.
• The goal is to apply this knowledge to improve
the system, human performance, and
productivity, while also focusing on the health,
safety, and well-being of the individuals involved.

3. THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE
• According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) statistics, on average,
95% of an office worker’s day is spent sitting in front of the computer.
• On average, we spend about 9.3 hours a day sitting, while only 7.7 hours sleeping.
• When your muscles are immobile and not contracting, especially certain leg muscles,
circulation slows down and the neuroelectrical activity in the muscles ceases, causing enzyme
activity to drop by 90%.
• Conventional wisdom has always been that if you watch your diet and exercise a few times a
week, you would offset all of the time you spend sitting or being sedentary. Unfortunately,
an increasing body of research on inactivity is showing that exercise alone will not undo the
harmful effects associated with sitting.

5. THE
CUMULATIVE
INJURY CYCLE

6. HOW INJURY OCCURS
• I = Insult to the part of the body
• Example: Typing
• N = Number of repetitions ( Key Strokes/Per
Minute is high)
• F = Force ( Force of activity is low with typing)
• A = Amplitude (Distance of movement of body
part is low)
• R = Relaxation (Key stroke have low rest time)
• This is why typing can be very injurious

7. THE CHAIR
• Adjust the backrest of your chair for better lumbar support. If your chairs lumbar support
is not adjustable, you can use a rolled-up towel or a back support cushion.
• The back of your chair should be adjusted slightly backward to 135 degrees in order to
reduce strain on your spine and ligaments.
• Adjust your armrest so they are out of the way while at your computer allowing for a
neutral arm position.
• Adjust your chair height so that your feet will rest flat on the floor.
• If you are unable to move your monitor or keyboard low enough, purchase an elevated
footrest to reduce strain on your neck and back muscles when you are seated higher.

8. THE MONITOR
• Make sure that you adjust your monitor and keyboard accordingly so you can sit
down at this level.
• Position your monitor so that the top inch of the visible monitor screen is level
with your eyes. If you lean back while working, adjust the monitor lower to
accommodate your more typical seated position.
• Position the monitor so that the screen is 90 degrees to your line of vision.
• If you find yourself squinting your eyes or leaning forward in your chair to see
the screen, move the monitor closer to you.
• Proper monitor positioning is essential to avoid eye strain. When seated
comfortably, the distance to the monitor should be such that you can see the
screen clearly without needing to squint or lean forward.

9. THE MONITOR…CONTINUED
• If you lean forward in your seat, you may experience back or
neck pain from this posture.
• Center your monitor at arm’s length and then move the
monitor as often as necessary to maintain a comfortable
viewing distance.
• Keep your monitor and keyboard centered in front of you, not
off to an angle. Your nose and belly button should be in a
straight line to the center of the space bar and your screen.

10. THE KEYBOARD AND MOUSE
• There should be no twisting in your shoulders or neck. Reposition
your mouse as needed once the keyboard is in the correct
position.
• Your wrists should be flat and straight in relation to your forearms
when using your keyboard and mouse. If your wrist is deviating
left or right and your middle finger is not in line with the bones of
your forearm as you type, you may need a different keyboard. If
you rest your palms on the desk while typing, your wrist will be
bent back to reach the keyboard, you should have a soft palm-rest
to level out the angle.
• There should be no twisting in your shoulders or neck. Reposition
your mouse as needed once the keyboard is in the correct
position.

11. THE KEYBOARD AND
MOUSE…CONTINUED
• Your wrists should be flat and straight in relation to
your forearms when using your keyboard and
mouse. If your wrist is deviating left or right and
your middle finger is not in line with the bones of
your forearm as you type, you may need a different
keyboard. If you rest your palms on the desk while
typing, your wrist will be bent back to reach the
keyboard, you should have a soft palm-rest to level
out the angle.
• Your arms and elbows should hang relaxed and
close to your body. Your elbows should be bent at
about a 90-degree angle. Your mouse should be
kept close to your keyboard. If it is on the right side,
you might have an excessive external rotation at the
elbow and/or shoulder.

12. THE KEYBOARD AND MOUSE…CONTINUED
• To reduce this stress on the elbow and shoulder, consider moving
your mouse to the left side of the keyboard and using your left
hand or find a way to move the mouse closer to the space bar on
the right. A keyboard with a built-in mouse or without a number
pad can alleviate this problem.
• Use a negative (downward) tilt keyboard tray and an adjustable
mouse platform to reduce wrist angles and stresses. Lower the
feet at the back of your keyboard to remove upward tilting.
• Use a stable work surface and a stable keyboard tray that does
not bounce. Organize your desk to keep frequently used items
within close proximity to avoid having to reach and strain.

13. THE MOUSE TRAP
• Ever wonder why you have neck pain only on the right side of
your neck?
• We call this the “Mouse Trap” because we are seeing many desk
workers develop significant trigger point in their Upper Trapezius
muscle on the right side of their neck from the constant use of the
computer mouse.
• Every time you use the mouse, you are subtly shrugging your shoulder.
These muscles on this side are constantly activated and firing over and
over again.
• This non-stop use of these muscles causes over-use strain, trigger
points and even inflammation in the area. The main muscle groups,
especially the Upper Trapezius are affected most. The Upper Trapezius
originates from the base of the skull and inserts into the shoulder area.

14. LAPTOP CONSIDERATIONS
• Laptop users should use a height adjustable laptop stand.
• If your laptop is your main computer at work, try to use a
keyboard that you link to your laptop, instead of the
laptop’s keyboard.
• Place a stand underneath the laptop so that the
screen/monitor is at the optimal height that aligns with
your eyes.
• If the laptop is your secondary computer at work, use a
stand for the laptop so that you don’t have to look
downward to see the screen. Then when you need to type
on it briefly, move the laptop to an optimal place in front
of you to type.

15. WORKSTATION SELF-ASSESSMENT
• Y/N Does your feet rest flat on the floor or a footrest?
• Y/N Are your knees bent at approximately a 90-degree angle?
• Y/N Does your chair support your lower back?
• Y/N Is there about 2-3 inches between the front of the seat pan and the back of your knees?
• Y/N Can you easily reach your work without interference from the arms of your chair?
• Y/N Are your arms and shoulders relaxed without interference from the arms of your chair?
• Y/N Are your shoulders relaxed and not elevated when you work on your keyboard?
• Y/N Are your arms resting at your sides rather than stretched out in front of you?

16. WORKSTATION SELF-
ASSESSMENT
…….CONTINUED
• Y/N Can you reach your mouse without rotating your arm
outward or reaching to the side?
• Y/N Is your keyboard at approximately elbow level, with your
forearms level and flat?
• Y/N When typing, are your wrists in line with your forearms and
not bent upward or to the sides?
• Y/N Is the top of your computer screen at or just below eye
level?
• Y/N Can you see detail comfortably on the screen without
leaning forward?
• Y/N Are you able to read the entire screen comfortably without
tilting your head up or down?
• Y/N Do you have an adjustable document holder for reference
materials if you type from paper to the screen?
• Y/N If you spend more than an hour a day in combined
computer and phone work, do you have a headset?

17. WORKSTATION SELF-
ASSESSMENT…CONTINUED
• Y/N Are all your input devices (mouse, tablet, etc.) at
the same level as your keyboard?
• Y/N If you use an adding machine, is it close and easy
to reach?
• Y/N Are your keyboard and monitor located on a
centered line in front of you?
• Y/N Do you take short and frequent breaks throughout
the day to reduce fatigue?
• Y/N Are you comfortable and free of pain while
working.

18. EASY TO IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS
• Take active micro-breaks. (Much more on this later)
• Cut back on phone calls and emails to coworkers.
When you need to speak to a coworker, walk to his/her
workspace. Besides getting you out of your chair, this
face-to-face communication style has been shown to
improve relationships
• Stand while talking on the phone or during a
conference call
• Schedule walking meetings when possible
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator

19. EASY TO IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS
Walk or ride your bike to work. If you do drive, park your car farther away (half a mile for example) from your officeWalk or ride
Consider getting a standing desk and change your working position throughout the dayConsider
At home, stand up and walk around every time a commercial comes on the TVStand up and walk
around
Catch up with your spouse or other family members or friends by talking with them while you stroll around the
neighborhood togetherCatch up

20. THE MICRO-BREAK
• Micro-breaks are short breaks that are taken frequently
throughout the workday. Properly used, they can reduce the
strain on anatomical structures.
• Take frequent micro-breaks (i.e. 20 seconds to 2 minutes) and
stretch. It is better to take regular short breaks than a few
longer ones. Stretch at least once an hour.
• To prevent eye fatigue and premature nearsightedness, look
away from your screen every 20 minutes and focus on
something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
• They also have been shown to positively affect productivity.

21. THE DESK JOCKEY’S
MANIFESTO
• Campus Management has provided a free
copy of this 85 page e-book to you
• Contents include
• What is Ergonomics and why is it
important?
• BACKground Anatomy
• Health Effects of Sitting
• Proper Workstation Ergonomic Set-Up
• Avoiding/Preventing Injury with Exercise
• Self-Assessments
• Self-Ergonomics Assessment
• Self-Functional Assessment
• Food for Thought: How Our Diet Affects
Inflammation

22. ANY QUESTIONS?