Office Ergonomics

INSY 3020
John Lesh PT
Auburn University
Spring 2007

Where are we going today?

„ Design guidelines
„ Reference posture
„ Basic office furniture and adjustments
{ Chairs, desks
„ Monitors and Document holders
„ Keyboards
„ Mice
„ Other stuff
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Who should be interested

Who should be Why
interested
Office Workers at all levels End users need to understand and
participate in injury prevention
Supervisors of Office Need to train users, deal with staff issues
Workers related to ergonomics, are probably users
themselves
Professionals who work in May be on leadership teams or in
an office environment management. Must understand and
provide “top down” support of ergonomic
process and necessary resources.
Designers Need to understand the office system and
user needs to design out problems
proactively 3

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 Who should be interested

Who should be Why

interested
Health care personnel May treat or case manage worker injuries,
need to understand prevention and
correction
Medical insurers, Need to understand potential disabilities
worker’s compensation related to cumulative trauma and possible
insurers, case managers, corrective and preventative actions, costs of
disability case managers injuries
Employers, human Worker retentions, satisfaction, productivity,
resources costs of injuries, value of prevention
Purchasing Department Will make purchasing decisions for
equipment and supplies
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The office as a system

„ The office is a complex system of many parts and
processes working together for some common goal
„ Takes a team approach from all members in the
system
„ Consider ergonomics committee comprised of
representatives from all levels of the organization

Design for Users

„ Individual workers and various worker
populations differ
{ Must design to accommodate specific users in the
office
{ Shared workstations versus individual stations
{ Full time computer or workstation use versus
occasional use
{ Support staff that must interact with the office:
„ custodial, maintenance, temporary workers, IT

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 Physical Differences in
Workers

By katmere

„ There can be a wide variance in the size and shape

of people
„ We can not accommodate 100% of workers in all
cases
{ 5% female to 95% male design criteria

{ Allows us to design for majority of workers

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Key Concepts in Design and

Selection of Equipment

„ Equipment should be easily adjustable for a variety

of users and uses
„ Promote movement with adjustable equipment and
job design
„ Let users have a choice
{ Increases satisfaction
„ Users must be trained in adjustment
„ DID WE MENTION CONSIDER USERS’ NEEDS!

Special Concerns
„ ADA-must make reasonable accommodations
„ Aging Workers
{ Common misconceptions about injury rates,
productivity, ability to learn new tasks
{ Valid age related changes
„ Visual changes, decreased hearing, physical
changes, mental and psychological changes
„ Trifocals, Bifocals and impact on neck stress and
head ache
„ Lighting issues
„ Obesity

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 Injury Risk Factors

„ Definition: Something identified by the medical

community, or by scientific method, as having a
relationship to injury. In the case of office ergonomics,
a relationship to WRMSD
{ Office risk factors are similar to other injury
risk factors
„ Repetition, forceful exertion, awkward postures,
contact stresses, psychological stress
„ Also environmental factors such as glare

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Workstation Components

„ Chairs
„ Work surface
„ Monitor
„ Keyboard
„ Mouse
„ Peripherals (phone, answering
machine, adding machine, etc…)
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Understand the Nature of the

Work

What do you see here? Can you identify by Charming Toby

any potential hazards?
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Understand the Nature of the
Work

How about this one?

Can you find any potential
hazards?
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by Bombardier

Understand the Nature of the

Work

Is this an appropriate work

posture?
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by kteague

Reference Sitting Posture

„ This is a pictorial representation of a
common reference posture.
{ Erect spine
{ Arms relaxed to the sides, forearms
parallel to the ground, wrists straight
{ Thighs horizontal, supported to within 2
inches from the back of the knee by the
chair
{ Lower leg vertical, feet flat on the floor
{ There is no twisting of the cervical
spine or trunk and the head is in a
neutral and upright posture
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 Reference Sitting Posture

„ One version, from OSHA

„ This is the standard reference position we all see
frequently.
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Reference Sitting Posture

„ These are two other proposed neutral

reference postures provided by OSHA
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Reference Standing Posture

„ Sit/stand work is also an option. Pictured is an OSHA

example of a reference standing posture
„ For prolonged standing, a foot step to decrease lumbar
curve and padding on floor would help
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 Other Important Seat Issues

„ Seat must match tasks:

{ Forward oriented work
„ Computer work, calculation/accounting,
writing
{ Reclined work or more sit back work
„ Meetings, reading, executive tasks
{ Multi tasking
„ Receptionist versus data entry

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Anatomy of a typical adjustable

task chair
Backrest with lumbar
support and Height adjustable arm
contoured lateral rest with rounded
supports surfaces and set back
•Adjusts up/down, for work surface access
forward and back
Contoured seat pan with
waterfall front edge

Swivel mechanism
Adjustment controls
for seat height, seat
depth, backrest tilt
•Conveniently placed Five legged base with
•Marked so user can appropriate casters for
identify work surface

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Chair Issues

„ Make sure employees are trained to

properly adjust their chair
„ Provide lumbar cushions for seats that are
to deep
„ Provide padding for armrests that are hard
or have square (sharp) edges
„ Perform routine preventative maintenance
and cleaning on chairs

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Chair Issues (Con’t)
„ Have employees report parts of chairs that
are missing or malfunction
„ Remove armrests if they contribute to
unwanted postures
{ Armrests may prevent the chair from being
pulled in close enough to the work area-
„ Employee will lean forward in the chair to overcome
this deficiency, resulting in the undesirable posture

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Contoured Saddle

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Inflatable Lumbar

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 High Back (Thoracic) Support

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An executive chair
It does have:
Generally, has •Seat height adjustment
less adjustments •Swivel
than task chair. •Five legged base
This one has •Casters
fixed : •Lumbar contour
•Seat Depth •Lateral backrest and
•Seat to seat pan supports
backrest angle •One to one ratio tilt
•Arm rest height adjustment
•Higher back rest than
task oriented seating

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Molded Chair

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Arm Rest Height

Promotes Promotes Promotes

neutral elevated abducted arm
posture. shoulder postures and neck
Arms postures and and arm tension
supported in neck tension
relaxed
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position to side

Some issues with work

surfaces

„ Computer use or other use

„ Reach envelopes
„ Contact stress
„ Leg room
„ Recommended heights
„ Various available desk configurations
{ Straight, “L” shaped, corner, computer
station
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Work Surface
„ Open leg tables are
usually better than
desks with drawers
„ Sharp edges (90
degrees) should be
avoided
„ Work surfaces capable
of adjustments are
preferred

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Work Surface (Con’t)
„ Position items that
are used the most
closer to the worker
„ Symmetry is not
usually an issue in
the office setting
„ Remember ADA
guidelines if
necessary

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Work Surface (Con’t)

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Work Surface (Con’t)

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 Reach Arcs (Horizontal)

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Reach Arcs (Vertical)

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Not enough space in primary zone

Notice:
•Clutter
•Keyboard too high
-discussed later
•Mouse placed at end of
secondary reach
-should be in primary
reach if used often

„ Not having enough space in the primary reach zone may

cause poor postures during work tasks
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Contact stress on work
surface

„ Sharp edges can compress forearm soft tissues causing

fatigue, impeding circulation or nerves to the hands

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Leg room under work surface

OSHA recommends the following minimum

leg clearance dimensions for the 5% female
to 95% male:
•20 inches (52 cm) wide.
•17 inches (44 cm) deep at knee level.
•24 inches (60 cm) deep at foot level.
•4 inches (10 cm) high at the foot.

„ Storage under work surface should not

impede leg movement or placement 38

Monitors

„ Main concerns:
{ Height
{ Distance
{ Angle of screen
„ Other factors:
{ Glare
{ Document location
{ Colors
{ Size of font
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Guides to monitor placement

„ Monitor placed just •Screen tilted upward

below eye level at 20 slightly
inches or more •promotes neutral
neck posture

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Locating the Monitor

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Monitor Height

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Monitor Distance
„ Place the monitor 18”
from the eyes, but not
greater than 30”
{ May not apply to large
flat screens
„ You should be able to
easily read the text
without squinting or
leaning forward

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Monitor Angle
„ Tilt the monitor up
about 10 to 20
degrees, ensure the
screen remains
essentially
perpendicular to the
User’s gaze
„ Adjust appropriately
for a person wearing
bifocals, etc...

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Other monitor placement

concerns

„ Bifocals or reading
glasses
{ If not properly
adjusted, promote
extended neck
postures
{ Workers may need
special computer/work
glasses with different
lens location and focal
point than
conventional reading
glasses
{ Even more critical with
aging workforce
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Large Monitors

„ Large Monitors (>17”) may have to be

pushed back further than smaller ones.
If not the user will have to lean their
head forward to see the bottom of the
screen
„ Should also consider the use of larger
font to eliminate some of this effect

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Guides to monitor placement to

combat glare

„ Place monitor to limit glare from windows,

overhead lights and other office surfaces
and light sources
{ Monitor perpendicular to windows
{ Window shades
{ Anti glare screens or louvers
{ Keep monitor screens free of dust
{ Flat neutral/non-glare paints and office surfaces
{ Fine tuning screen tilt may help
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Document Location

„ Setting documents the same distance as the

screen prevents unnecessary refocusing of
the eyes
„ If the source document is placed flat on the
surface, you may also have to move your
head in order to see it
„ Two basic options:
{ Stand-up holder
{ Clip-on holder
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Document Holder

„ Stand-up type
allows for
movement to
accommodate for
different size fonts
„ Can add to desk
clutter

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Document Holder

„ Clip-on type places

the source
document at the at
the same distance
as the screen
„ Document location
is closest to the
screen to minimize
neck twisting
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Conventional Keyboards

„ User’s sometimes demonstrate awkward or

non-neutral postures while working on
conventional keyboards.
„ Rotate forearms so that palms face
keyboard
„ Often bend hands outward & upward.
„ Elbows also may be held out from the body.

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Keyboards

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Keyboards

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Keyboards

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Alternative Keyboards

„ Use different designs in an attempt to

change the user(s) posture.
„ Built in wrist & palm rests are designed
to provide additional support and
alignment.
„ Newer keyboards are also designed
for minimum force.

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Keyboards

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Keyboards

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Keyboards

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Keyboards

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Keyboards

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Mouse without Pad
„ Many styles and
varieties are
available
(cordless).
„ Should conform
well to the palm of
the user.
„ Locate close to
keyboard to
minimize reach.
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Mouse with Pad

„ The addition of the

pad forces the wrist
into a more neutral
alignment
(minimizes flexion /
extension).
„ Newer models are
made of gel type
materials.
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Ergonomic Improvement

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 Keyboard and input device
support surfaces

„ 3 options:
{ Place on work surface
(adjustable or
nonadjustable)
A keyboard tray or roll
out keyboard support
{ Place on roll out keyboard
support (not adjustable)
{ Place on adjustable
keyboard support
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Peripherals

„ Anything else commonly used in the

workplace. Items such as phone,
stapler, answering machine, adding
machine, etc…
„ Locate by amount of time spent using
this device

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Consider Primary Task

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Questions & Comments

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