Office ergonomics

Work done at a computer is often sedentary and static, and activates only a small part of the body. Many office workers therefore develop shoulder, neck, arm and hand problems, leading to headaches, bad pain or RSI. Stress and conflicts in the workplace can make problems worse, as can noise, a poor indoor climate and incorrect work lighting.

Causes

Bad back, headache, and RSI are usually caused by:

being seated in front of a computer for too long at a time
incorrect working positions or incorrect desk or chair adjustment. Use Google to find the adjustment instructions for your chair, or send an email to Ann-Rose (arbot@dtu.dk) stating the name of the chair
poor work lighting, or the screen being positioned too high or too low
using a keyboard and mouse too repetitively or having them incorrectly positioned on the desk
using equipment not suited to the given task. For example, using a desk which is too narrow

Variation in work

Even the best office chair is not good enough for your body if you sit on it for eight hours a day. Your working day therefore needs to be varied and include breaks from screen work.

In an office you need to pay special attention to the: