Workstation setup

It is important to adjust your workstation so that:

  • The chair height allows feet to be flat on the floor or on a footrest.
  • The backrest supports your lumbar curve.
  • There is adequate clearance between the desk and thighs.
  • Thighs are parallel to the floor.
  • Shoulders are relaxed and elbows are at about a 90 degree angle when hands are on the home row of keys (a-l).
  • Wrists are straight when resting on the home row of keys.
  • The screen is set at a comfortable viewing distance (at approximately arms length).
  • The top of the screen is set at about eye level.

Laptops and notebooks

For laptop and notebook computers, the setup is basically the same configuration as for a desktop computer, but the important thing to remember is that laptops are made for convenience, not for comfort.

So you need to add auxiliary items to the laptop in order to be safe and comfortable. Attach an independent keyboard and mouse, and have your laptop up on a riser so that the top of the screen can be at eye level. Alternatively, attach a monitor to your laptop and have your laptop off to the side, and then adjust your monitor position as you would for a desktop computer.

Resources

Introduction to Computer Comfort

Introduction

Hello, I'm Tina from the Safety and Wellbeing team here at UTS. We've designed these videos to assist you with setting up your workstation correctly. What this will do is reduce the fatigue on your body and also more evenly distribute the workload.

Now, I want you to remember that it doesn't matter how beautifully you set up your workstation, or how fabulous your posture is - if you don't get up and move regularly, then you will have problems, because the human body wasn't designed to sit for hours on end.

 

Produced by Video Poduction Unit / Events, Exhibitions and Projects 2009

Safety and Wellbeing

University of Technology, Sydney

 

 

 

Adjusting your chair

Adjusting your chair

With [a] correct workstation, we're going to start by adjusting our chair. The first thing you need to do is sit right back in the seat and ensure that your thigh is supported and you have between two and four fingers behind your knee. This will ensure that you have reasonable circulation to your legs. The next thing is to make sure that the maximum padding on the back support is in the small of your back, behind your navel. S we just incrementally increase it until it sits in that spot.

This back lever here will adjust the angle of the back support. We want to bring it in close, to offer optimal support while we're seated at the workstation. Now, we're ready to move into the workstation with our chair.

Produced by Video Production Unit / Events, Exhibitions and Projects

(c) 2009 Safety and Wellbeing  University of Technology, Sydney

 

 

Adjusting your desk

How to adjust your desk

The next part of workstation setup is bringing the chair into the desk surface. We want the desk surface to be at elbow height, so that we can maintain a nice flat wrist while we're keying. You want to sit flush to the desk edge, and square to the task that you're undertaking to ensure spinal alignment. With the keyboard, tuck your elbows in close to your side and turn yopur hands over. Your fingers should fall on the middle row of keys and this will avoid over-reaching or retracting of the arms.

The next thing you look at is your mouse. It should be right in close to the end of the keyboard so that you don't have to take your arm away from your body when you're keying. It's also important to train yourself to alternate mouse use between the left and right hand from time to time.

It's important that when you're sitting, flush to the desk edge, the screen is at approximately arms' length away which is a comfortable viewing for middle distance focus. The top of the screen should be at eye level, and this will ensure that you keep correct neck alignnet and not have your chin protruding or retracting when viewing the screen.

Reference documents, if they're utilised, can be kept on a document holder between the keyboard and the screen. This will remove the need to turn to the side, which causes neck muscle torsion. It will also reduce neck flexion. With the telephone, for example, if you're on it regularly, it should be within easy arms' reach.

Another couple of things to consider, is that when you bring yourself in to waist height at your work surface, if your feet aren't flat in the floor perhaps a foot stool is needed. The other thing is, if you wear multi-focal glasses, the top of the screen should be lower than eye level. When you're reading through the base of your glasses, you should tilt the screen and lower it so that you have correct neck alignment.

 

Produced by Video Production Unit / Events, Exhibitions and Projects  (C) 2009

Safety and Wellbeing    University of Technology, Sydney

 

Adjusting your laptop or notebook computer

How to adjust your laptop or notebook computer

The setup is basically the same as for a PC, but the important thing to remember is tthat laptops are made for convenience, not fo comfort. So you need to add auxiliary items to the laptop in order to be safe and comfortable. So attach an independent keyboard and mouse, and have your laptop up on a riser so that the top of the screen can be at eye level - or the other alternative option is that you attach a monitor to your laptop and just have your laptop off to the side, and adjust your monitor as you would with a PC.

 

Produced by Video Production Unit / Events, Exhibitions and Projects

(C) 2009 Safety and Wellbeing  University of Technology, Sydney

 

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.