Ergonomic Computer Workstations — What Are They

July 14th, 2006

Ergonomic computer workstations can make a great difference to the health of many people. With putting a little bit of extra effort in designing ergonomic computer workstations, employers can improve the productivity of their employees. This will also make employees feel more comfortable and minimize the possibilities of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

According to a study, it is not the time you spent on computers that cause these MSDs, but the factor responsible for MSDs are the poorly designed computer workstations. A well-designed ergonomic computer workstation can prevent many injuries and illnesses. It would be not an exaggeration to say that ergonomic computer workstations may offer biggest economic advantages to employers in reduced health insurance costs.

Designing Ergonomic Computer Workstations
Designers of ergonomic computer workstations keep in mind that the safety of people is important and they design ergonomic computer workstations in such a way that employees feel that working conditions are comfortable and conducive to producing better results. On the contrary, if the workplace is not designed ergonomically, it will reduce the possibilities for growth.

A study revealed that ergonomic computer workstations should have best positions for placing the mouse and that more attention should be given to the posture of upper extremities and mouse handling while doing the work. Importance of ergonomic computer workstations further increases with the fact that the offices are becoming less spacious. We cannot do anything with the space of the office. However, making ergonomic computer workstations in smaller spaces is up to us.

For making an ideal ergonomic computer workstation, we need to concentrate on the design of the chair. Chair is the most significant part of the overall design of the ergonomic computer workstations. Most prevailing health problem the office workers suffer today is back pain. Do you know the root cause of this disease? Most of the time, a person starts feeling back pain after months of sitting in an uncomfortable chair that is not designed ergonomically. Sleep aside, an office worker does not spend more time on any other activity than the time spent sitting in an office chair. This higher interaction between the user and the equipment clearly indicates why designers of ergonomic computer stations need to concentrate more on the chair.

Features of Ergonomic Computer Workstations
Here are some important features that a chair ideally should have in ergonomic computer workstations. As all of us know, changing postures and making movements frequently are vital for a person to live healthily for a longer time. Therefore, the ergonomic chairs should allow and encourage the movements. Another feature that a chair should have is that its size and shape should be according to the requirements of particular person. You should also be able to adjust the height of the armrests.

Here are some more tips on the design of ergonomic computer workstations. While working with the computer, you need to have constant contact with the monitor. Therefore, the level of monitor is a crucial factor. You must place the monitor in such a way that the top of the monitor is a little lower than your eye level. Moreover, you should keep the monitor in a centered position. Similarly, the keyboard should also be centered in the position. Glare on the screen is also not ergonomic.

Entry Filed under: Computer Workstations