by Adam Smith
newsletter@shoppingplanet.com
August 20, 1997
HTML by the Active Civilian
Mention Ergonomics and you will usually get one of two responses: "Huh, What?" or "Yawn!". The subject, however, is far too important to be ignorant of or ignore. At PC Shopping Planet, we value our customers and care about their good health, so we want you to have the latest information about this subject. I promise to not be too boring, and maybe even give you a few tips you haven't heard elsewhere! The time to think about ergonomics is before symptoms appear, so read on.
Ergonomics is the science of designing equipment and practices that will make our work and play safe and comfortable. Ergonomics asks the questions,"Are you comfortable?" and "Will this activity be safe?"
Good ergonomics begins with proper position and support for the body. Start with a comfortable chair. You can find good task chairs for less than $200. Look for an all steel frame that won't give out on you, and comfortable supportive padding.
Everyone's body is different, so regardless of how adjustable a chair may be, if the basic shape of the seat and back aren't right for you, the chair will be a potential source of pain and impairment. For this reason you should audition as many different chairs as you can. When you sit in the chair it should feel natural, with continuous support from your lower back up to your shoulders. Supporting the upper back reduces stress there as well as the lower lumbar area.
At a minimum, the chair should let you adjust the seat height and backrest height, depth and angle. Fancier models allow for even more adjustments. Some task chairs have height-adjustable armrests can gently support your arms and shoulders, further reducing stress on the upper torso structures.
A good computer desk should let you position the monitor directly ahead of you so that your eye level is at the same height as the middle of the monitor's screen. There should be a lowered keyboard drawer or return. Good typing posture demands that your hands be lower than a standard desktop, almost in your lap. If you are typing in the "Praying Mantis" position, you will be building up stress in your back and arm muscles as you type. In that case, you need to change desks to one that has a lowered return, or get a keyboard drawer and mount it under your desk.
Ensure that your monitor that supports at least the VESA standard of a 75 Hz refresh rate and that your graphics card can supply that frequency. When purchasing video hardware, a few extra dollars spent will pay off in the long run. When your eyes are red and sore and you have a headache, the $100 you saved on the monitor will seem like small change.
Run your monitor at an appropriate screen resolution. The monitor should be far enough away from you that the fingers of your outstretched arm do not touch the screen. Many people are tempted to run 14 and 15" monitors at 800x600 resolution, however at that distance this resolution may make text too small to read without eyestrain. 640x480 is more reasonable. Similarly, 1024x768 can be pushing the limit for a 17" monitor. 800x600 is a wiser choice.
Care should be taken to position the monitor so that it does not face any glaring light. Monitors, just like televisions, become hard to view when reflecting a lot of light. I like mine with any windows behind it, that way I have a nice view, and the monitor faces the darkened interior of the room. Likewise, room lighting should be placed so as not to reflect into the operator's eyes. I like a ceiling light just above my head: it doesn't cause glare on the screen or in my eyes, and it evenly lights the desk around me so I can work.
There used to be a device called a typewriter. They were noisy, balky, and the printer could only output one character at a time. You may still see a few in museums! Most of them did have one advantage over computers, however. On those ancient devices you could adjust the firmness of the keyboard by moving a wheel or a lever. Imagine that!
As you know, computer keyboards lack this handy feature. That makes the selection of an appropriate keyboard important. While newer typists might benefit from a firm key action, if you are an accomplished typist, a lighter touch may be easier on the hands. This is only a general rule, as individual preferences can vary. Regardless of firmness, the keyboard should provide some tactile feedback. The keys should provide some initial resistance, then complete the keypress with less resistance yielding a satisfying thunk. Mushy keyboards actually require more effort to use, because the fingers must fight the key all the way down.
Newer keyboard designs that split the keys down the middle and set them at an angle are becoming popular. This is supposed to allow the wrists to remain at a more natural angle while typing, reducing stress. Many people think they are an improvement, but others find them awkward. Now there are warnings from some doctors that these designs may actually position your wrists at a LESS natural angle than a standard keyboard!
Once you have a comfortable setup, ergonomics also talks about the WAY you work. When you are working with the computer it is very easy to forget about the time. You can sit there for hours before you realize it. To avoid this, make sure you can see a clock when you are working. There is also shareware available that will sound a warning for you to take a break at preset intervals. Taking a few minute's break every 30 minutes or so really helps. Get up, walk around, get a drink of water. Stretch your hands and arms and roll your head around. Stretch your upper body. Rest your eyes by closing them for a minute. When you finally feel rested, go back to work. If you work on the computer full time, consider getting an exercise book that will show you special stretching exercises designed for people who work at computer terminals.
Unfortunately, as I said, many people ignore the issue of ergonomics. It needs to be understood that ergonomics goes beyond mere comfort. Poor ergonomics can lower productivity, discourage use of the computer altogether, or worse, endanger the health of the operator. With computer systems and software running into the thousands of dollars, a few hundred dollars spent on a good desk and chair is always money well spent. By selecting appropriate hardware and improving our work habits, we can prevent pain and disabling injury. Considering all the time we spend with our computers, a little time spent on these simple precautions will yield large dividends.
Last updated: August 21, 1997
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