|
Things
to look for:
|
Possible
solutions, depending on further analysis:
|
| Prolonged
hunched or elevated shoulder while holding the phone |
Telephone
headset; Speakerphone |
| Elbows
splayed out (shoulder abduction) |
Lower
work surface; Lower chair armrests; Bring chair armrests in closer;
Awareness and habit training |
| Raised
or tensed shoulders |
Habit
or tension training; Lower worksurface or keyboard; Lower chair armrests;
Raise chair, if foot contact with the floor can be maintained |
| Twisting
the head to the side |
Bring
viewed item closer to centerline of view |
| Elbow
flexed for long periods using the telephone |
Telephone
headset; Speakerphone |
| Elbow
or forearm resting for long periods on hard or sharp worksurface,
chair armrests |
Pad
or round surfaces, corners, and armrests; Replace armrests;
Telephone headset; Habit training |
| Wrists
bent to the sides when using side keys |
Habit
training; Keyboard with more accessible keys or split keyboard design |
| Wrists
bent back (extended) or forward (flexed) for prolonged periods |
Habit
training; Wrist rest; Lower, raise, or change slope of the keyboard |
| Wrists
or palms resting for long periods on hard or sharp keyboard or worksurfaces |
Habit
training; Wrist rest; Padded or rounded surfaces, corners |
| Hands
held actively over the keyboard during keying pauses |
Habit
training; Wrist or forearm rest |
| Rapid,
sustained, or prolonged keying |
Greater
work variety; Aggressive break schedule; Reduce overtime |
| Forceful
keying, key pounding |
Habit
training; Light-touch keyboard |
| Significant
amounts of hand stapling, punching, lifting, opening mail, or other
forceful exertions, especially combined with awkward postures |
Mechanical
aids, such as electric stapler or punch; Reduce size of lifted loads;
Bring heavy loads close to the body,
at a medium height; Substitute sliding (work surface) or wheeling
(floor); Sharpen letter openers |
| Prolonged
mouse use |
Greater
work variety; Aggressive break schedule; Alternate hands; Alternative
pointer devices; Arm support, including small table; Mouse close to
body (extended keyboard tray); Learn
keystroke substitutes for menus |
| Prolonged
sitting, especially in only one posture |
Greater
work variety; Aggressive break schedule; Chair that supports posture
change, through movement, size, or easy adjustability; Habit training;
Move phone to the other side of the office to force standing, or suggest
standing when on phone; Check chair fit; Monitor in-out mechanism;
Sit-stand work surface |
| Lumbar
back area not supported |
Lumbar
cushion; Backrest height and tilt; Check chair fit, especially
backrest/lumbar height |
| Feet
dangling, not well supported, or a posture which seems to put pressure
on the backs of the thighs |
Lower
chair; Lower work surface; Habit training; Foot rest (last resort) |
| Chair
backrest not used for long periods |
Check
chair fit, especially seat pan depth and height; Check leg room; Check
monitor distance; Habit training |
| Twisted
torso |
Rearrange
work; Provide more knee space; U-shaped worksurface layout;
Swivel chair |
| Frequent
or prolonged leaning or reaching |
Rearrange
work; Mouse pad wrist or forearm rest; Bring mouse and keyboard closer
to body |
| Working
with one or both arms "reaching" toward a mouse or keyboard |
Bring
keyboard closer to body; Mouse pad wrist or forearm rest; Bring mouse
closer to keyboard; |
| Light
sources that can be seen by the worker |
Cover
or shield light sources; Rearrange work arena; Lower other viewed
objects to lower field of view |
| Reflected
glare on the screen |
Shield
light sources; Shade screen; Glare screen; Move monitor so light enter
from side angle, not back; Lower light levels; Move light sources |
| Too
much contrast between screen and surroundings or document; worker
feels relief when bright areas are shielded |
Lower
ambient light levels; Turn off or dim task lights; Change screen polarity
to black on white |
| Very
bright ambient lighting (above 500 lux or 50 fc) or shadowed areas
caused by over-illumination |
Lower
ambient light levels to 200-500 lux (20-50 fc) |
| Monitor
closer than approximately 40 cm (16") |
Push
monitor back; Habit training for reclining; Computer glasses
Bring keyboard forward, possibly with a keyboard tray |
| Different
viewed objects (screen, documents) at different distances from the
eyes |
Use
document stand or otherwise equalize distances to within about 10
cm (4") |
| Screen
or documents not oriented perpendicular to the line of sight |
Change
monitor, document stand angle |
| Prolonged
near focusing throughout the day with few far-focusing opportunities |
Habit
training; Rearrange space to provide view; Introduce glazing |
| Monitor
image dim, fuzzy, flickery, small, or otherwise difficult to read |
Upgrade
monitor; Use software to enlarge image |
| Shiny,
low-contrast, or small-print documents |
Improve
lighting on documents if documents cannot be changed |
| Forward
position of the head (peering) or squinting |
Check
for monitor image quality problems or monitor distance; Suggest consultation
with vision specialist |
| Eyestrain
complaints |
Check
all aspects of visual environment; Suggest consultation with vision
specialist |
| Neck
extended backwards, head tilted back, even slightly |
Remove
CPU from under monitor; Remove tilt-swivel base from monitor (leave
ventilation space); Check for bifocals and suggest full-frame "computer
glasses" prescription |
| Neck
flexed (downward) |
Raise
document or monitor to a comfortable height; Adjust posture; Habit
retraining; Check glasses for inadequate prescription |
