Ergonomic tips for your home workspace

No matter where you are using a computer or laptop, your work space should comfortably fit your body.

Body posture awareness is important at the office, but also in a temporary work space.

No matter where you are using a computer or laptop, your work space should comfortably fit your body.

• Head forward, chin tucked, ears shoulders, and hips aligned
• Eyes level with top 1/3 of the screen, periodically look away from screen to rest eyes
• Neck straight, use headphones, do not cradle the phone
• Shoulders not raised or hunched, but in a neutral position.
• Arms relaxed, elbows at side with 90-degree bend but not extended from body, forearms straight, wrists straight
• Back has lumbar and shoulder support when seated, weight balanced over spine, not leaning to the side, not slouching or hunching
• Legs with hips at 90^o – 110^o angle and no pressure on back of knees with knees at 90^o when seated, feet flat on the floor with unobstructed leg room

Additional temporary workspace ergonomic tips:

• An ironing board is a convenient adjustable height work station.
• A rolled towel or folded socks work well as wrist rests when not typing.
• A box, cushion, folded towels or other items can elevate the laptop to proper height on top of a desk, coffee table, card table, or the kitchen table.
• Make sure the laptop fan ports are not obstructed.

Other Resources:

OSHA provides a Computer Workstations eTool to help employers and individuals analyze and improve the workstation environment. This eTool includes an office ergonomics overview, evaluation tools for workstation components, checklists, as well as and an office equipment purchasing guide.