Ergonomics in the workplace

In this session, learn how to improve your workspace and prevent pain and tension through ergonomic adjustments. Discover the right sitting posture, ergonomic furniture and tools to relieve your spine.

Ergonomics in the workplace

The correct working posture

Having the right office furniture and making an effort to sit properly can do wonders for helping us feel more relaxed at work.

Here are a few tips:

The angle between the upper body and thighs should be greater than 90° (open-seated angle).
The seat of your chair should slope gently downwards. Dynamic sitting, or regularly changing positions, also prevents stiffness.Feet should be comfortably planted, using a footstool if needed. The back of your chair should not be fixed, so it’s flexible, allowing it to move with the body. Your arms should rest easily and be in line with the elbows.

If you tend to have a pronounced lumbar lordosis (swayback), it is generally recommended to have a sitting angle of around 90 degrees.

Chairs and desks should be adjusted to each other and to your height. The correct desk height alwyas depends on the person’s height.

Important: For an ergonomic seated posture, start by adjusting your chair. You should be able to sit with a straight back and your forearms resting on your desk at a 90-degree angle. When the chair height is set correctly and the back is straight, the shoulders should be relaxed and the upper body should be straight.

Screens, keyboards, and posture

The importance of changing position

Some desks allow us to work both seated and standing, making it easy to change positions regularly.

Even if you don’t have an adjustable desk, there are still plenty of opportunities to do tasks while standing: making a call, reading printed documents, attending a meeting… the list goes on!

Screen orientation

Placing your screen at the right distance ensures that eye, neck and back muscles aren’t under too much strain. The monitor should be positioned so that the posture of the head is as natural as possible.

Start by sitting upright in your chair, leaning against the backrest and stretching out your arms in front of you. To know if you’ve got enough space between you and your computer, your fingers should not touch the screen.

The ideal distance needed from your screen depends on its size.

Consider the following aspects regarding the distance to the screen:

The minimum distance should be 60 cm. If you’ve got a large screen, it could be up to 80 cm.

Display size: 17 in = 60 cm distance

Display size: 19 in = 70 cm distance

Display size: 21 in = 80 cm distance

Tilt your screen so that as you gaze straight ahead, your vision is in line with the center of it. You should be able to look effortlessly above the screen without having to lift your head.
Adjust the screen height so that you can see the top line of the screen when looking horizontally at the screen.
Since it’s easier on the eyes to scan down, your field of vision should be 20° to 50° below the top edge, where the most important information on the screen should be visible

Keyboard position

Did you know that people who write a lot, do about 80,000 keystrokes a day? This is why it’s important to adapt your keyboard to your posture.

When typing, keep your wrists as straight as possible without bending up or sideways. Forearms and hands should form a line. Take regular short breaks to loosen your arms.

The keyboard’s shape: A specially designed or flat keyboard or even a wrist rest can be helpful. The feet of the keyboard, if any, should be set to flat.

The position of the keyboard: The keyboard should be placed directly in front of you and about 10-20 cm from the edge of your desk, so that the ball of your thumb rests on the keyboard. Pay careful attention that your shoulders and neck are not doing any of the work.

Upper and lower arms should form a 90-degree angle so that the load of the arms is held as close to the body as possible.
Follow these tips and feel more relaxed at work in no time!