Coronavirus – ergonomics tips for working at home

April 23, 2020

Not everyone has a home office or dedicated desk that they can use to set up their computer equipment correctly.

Aspects of your work environment can often have an impact on your work at a computer workstation. This includes lighting, noise and the thermal environment

Top tips to help optimise your posture and improve your comfort when working at home.

1. Work at a desk or table with adequate knee/foot clearance so that you can sit/stand close to your laptop.
2. Use a separate keyboard and mouse with your laptop.
3. Position the keyboard and mouse directly in front of you within easy reach.
4. Position your laptop so that the top of the screen is level with your eye height. If you don’t have a laptop riser, use a box file or some books to raise your laptop. Or plug in a separate monitor if you have one.
5. If sitting, use an adjustable chair. Use a rolled-up hand towel for extra lower back support, if needed. If your chair is too low, sit on a cushion to raise your seat height.
6. Maintain a good posture; if sitting, try to ensure that the small of your back is supported, your shoulders are relaxed (not slumped, not elevated), and that there is no unwelcome pressure on the back of your knees. If standing (e.g. at your kitchen worktop), keep your legs, torso, neck and head approximately in line and vertical – don’t slouch, lean or twist to the side.
7. Don’t sit or stand for too long – change your posture every few minutes and take regular micro-breaks away from your laptop. Take a 5 minute break every 20 minutes.
8. Use lighting efficiently, if the room is too bright try closing curtains\blinds, if the room is too dark, use extra lamps to give you more light.

If you are getting strained or tired eyes try: increasing the character on your PC\laptop size using the zoom function or display settings, change the background or text/image colours, or the contrast and brightness settings on the screen (in Windows this can be done through the start/control panel/display/ appearance menu).

9. Move frequently, be fidgety and change positions often.

Good posture

l use the backrest of your chair and don’t slouch forwards; keep your shoulders above your hips

l position items so you don’t twist your back or neck l don’t stick your chin forward – keep your head so that your ears are above your shoulders

l relax your shoulders

l don’t stretch when keying or using the mouse – keep your upper arms relaxed beside your body

l don’t rest your wrists or forearms on the edge of the desk – raise your seat height to avoid this

l make sure there is nothing underneath the desk that restricts your posture

Practical Tips

Create a routine to prepare for work in the morning—take a shower, change your clothes—this will put you in the right frame of mind for work

Assess your house for trip hazards and clean up items that can cause injuries

Make sure you have dedicated work spaces—if possible, have multiple spaces in which to work from (movement from space to space will prevent fatigue and encourage blood flow)

Remind your family you are working and not available to do chores or any household tasks; set the ground rules up front

If your children are at home, set up activities in advance and let them know you need to focus during the workday.

Use breaks to provide your family with attention—still stick to a routine or a schedule

Walk outside in the front or backyard to get fresh air periodically

Stretch periodically, this will actually make you more productive, encourage blood flow and wake up your body and keep muscles loose

Make sure the room is not too hot or too cold, if you are feeling uncomfortable with the room temperature, ‘layer up’ with a good jumper if cold, open the window for some air if too warm.

Remember to drink frequently, take that 5 minute break to get hydrated.

Interact with colleagues by video and voice conferencing to stay connected— feelings of isolation and loneliness may emerge, have a 5 minute break and ‘virtually’ chat to a friend.