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Workstation Ergonomics

What are we trying to achieve?

Analyse workstations and assess and reduce risks

Ensure workstations meet minimum requirements

Plan work so that there are breaks or changes of activity

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Workstation Ergonomics

Provide Health and safety training and information

Ensure employees are equipped to make adjustments to suit their needs regarding chair, screen, keyboard and mouse

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Workstation Ergonomics

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Bad Examples

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Bad Examples

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Bad Examples

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Bad Examples

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DemonstrationThis session is intended as a brief demonstration of the physiological impact

of poor operating postures.

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Scenario 1

The computer screen is in the left corner of the desk.

The user’s neck is held turned to the left to look at the screen.

The user uses the mouse heavily, often continuously without any keystrokes required (eg. surfing, reading and filing e-mails). (The user is not aware of the keyboard alternatives to mouse).

The (standard) mouse is placed to the right of a standard keyboard, so that the right arm and hand reach forward and well to the right to hold the mouse.

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Scenario 2

The user is relatively short.

She refers to papers placed on the desk to the left of the keyboard.

She is not a touch-typist. The computer screen sits directly in front of her, on top of a system unit, relatively high.

She wears vari-focal spectacles and has to use the reading (lower) part of the lens to see both the papers and the screen, ‘chin down’ to read the papers, ‘chin up’ to read the screen.

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Scenario 3

User is a touch-typist.

The computer screen sits directly in front of her at the prescribed height according to DSE Regs.

The user primarily works on a word processor, typing long documents and reports.