4 ways to prevent computer-related injuries
Kim Komando writes about workplace technology and security issues. She's the host of the nation's largest talk-radio show about computers and the Internet, and writes a syndicated column for more than 100 Gannett newspapers and for USA Today. Find Kim's show on the radio station nearest you, and send an e-mail to subscribe to her free weekly e-mail newsletter.
By
Kim Komando
According to recent numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 100,000 employees missed three to five days of work in the past year due to a musculoskeletal disorder.
That's a fancy of way of saying those workers had a sore back, neck or wrist. And the numbers don't include the hundreds of thousands of workers who missed more or fewer days.
A larger company can absorb those sick days without too much worry. But most small businesses feel a significant blow when a worker is out due to a preventable injury. Everyone plays an important role when you only have 15 employees.
Most office injuries are the result of repetitive actions — typing, using the mouse, 10-key data entry, and so on. By making just a few minor adjustments in office equipment, you can thwart injuries and sick days.
The adjustments will cost money. But it's better to spend a few hundred dollars on an ergonomically-friendly office than to suffer a loss when your top salesperson is out for a week with a wrenched neck.
It's crucial that you set up your employees' workstations to promote proper posture. When typing, wrists should be neutral and forearms and hands flat. The elbow should be at or greater than 90 degrees, and the upper arm and elbows should be relaxed and close to the body.
I know it sounds like playing a game of Twister, but proper posture can save your company big money. When designing or redesigning your employees' workstations, keep these four tips in mind:
1. The eyes have it.Improper lighting causes eye strain. This can lead to headaches and reduced work performance.Although track lighting is great for displaying works of art, it's not ideal for an office. Use ambient lighting with computer workstations. Too much lighting creates a glare on the monitor. When it comes to monitors, make sure they aren't 10-year-old, 15-inch models. You and your employees will be staring at these things for eight hours a day. When looking at new monitors, determine how they will be used. If word-processing or accounting tasks are the main chores, then 17-inch LCDs (liquid crystal display) or 19-inch CRTs (cathode ray tube) are fine.Graphics work is more visually intensive and warrants a bigger screen. But that doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune. I purchased a bunch of 18-inch LCDs on sale for about $400 at my local computer store. Monitors don't have to be name-brand, either. Just make sure you see the monitors in action at the store. When lined up, you can easily tell the difference between the good- and poor-quality monitors.Place monitors where the line of sight is two to three inches below the top of the screen. Monitors should be an arm's length away.More expensive LCDs have bases that allow you to raise, lower and tilt the monitor. Otherwise, you can use old phone books to raise your monitors. That is cheap and effective.Document holders can help save pains in your neck. Some can be attached directly to the monitor and others are freestanding. Either way, they are good at reducing excessive head movement. They only cost $20 to $30 at your local office supply store.
2. A seat fit for a king.Uncomfortable chairs are just bad business. I once had a chair that was so bad that after a few hours, I could think of nothing but the pains shooting in my lower back.I resolved that by getting a very nice adjustable chair — my recommendation is the Aeron (www.hermanmiller.com). Ergonomically, it's great, but it's very pricey (about $900).You don't have to go that far. Just make sure chairs are height-adjustable and have lumbar backrests. The seat pan should be large enough that there is at least one inch of room on either side of the users' hips. And the seats shouldn't be so long that they catch employees behind the knees.If you have comfortable chairs without great back support, consider purchasing footrests. Raising the legs aligns the spine. Or, purchase a lumbar roll. This straps onto your chair and provides lower back support. Both of these products start at about $30.
3. Make your desktop setup functional and user-friendly.Although office equipment has changed due to technology, office furniture has not. Most desks are 28-30 inches above the floor. This is the proper height for writing, but is improper for computer work.To work around this, lower the keyboard and mouse. Adjustable keyboard and mouse trays are easy to install on the undersides of desks. The keyboard should be at a negative tilt, with the front edge slightly lower than the rear.There are a bunch of so-called ergonomic keyboards on the market. Some keyboards are split in the middle and others use different lettering systems. Some of these keyboards tend to be more trouble than they are worth. Relearning how to type can be difficult.Look for a keyboard that allows you to minimize your mouse usage. I use the Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop Elite. It has additional function keys that launch often-used programs such as Word or Internet Explorer. It also has a scroll wheel and back and forward keys for Web surfing. Belkin, Kensington, Logitech and others make souped-up keyboards as well.
4. Take a break!You may love the idea of your employees working for hours on end. After all, what could be more productive than that? Well, taking many short breaks throughout the day is.Ergonomists recommend eye breaks and stretch breaks. Eye breaks should be taken every 15 minutes. Look away from the monitor for a minute at an object at least 20 feet away. Blink your eyes rapidly a few times to clear dust from the surface.Every hour or so, get up from your desk. Get a drink of water, walk around a bit or do some light stretching. Anything that breaks up the repetitiveness of daily office work will help reduce body fatigue. Once again, the break only needs to last a minute or two.If you're like me, this never happens. I often get so caught up in work that I forget lunch. For those who are truly focused and need help breaking up their day, there is software available to remind you. RSIGuard (www.rsiguard.com; $40) and ErgoEnterprise (www.magnitude.com; $49.95) track workers' keyboard and mouse habits and alert them to take a break.Ergonomics shouldn't be a dirty word in the office. When its principles are applied, you'll wind up with a safer and more productive work environment.