Advice
Ergonomic advice
Ergo2Work is happy to help you create a healthy and efficient workplace, both at home and in the office. Guidelines on occupational health and safety state that the workplace must be adapted to the employee, so that he can work responsibly and healthily. What this exactly means varies of course from person to person. We can therefore provide you with specialized and personal advice, so that you are actually helped. We supply all kinds of products that can help set up an ergonomic workplace.
If you need personal advice, you can contact our specialists by phone or email. Ergo2Work has specialists with a background in ergonomics and physiotherapy.
Tips voor setting up an ergonomic workplace
Below you will find some general advice for setting up an ergonomic workplace. This is described on the basis of the following sections:
The correct sitting position
There are a number of rules of thumb to achieve the correct ergonomic sitting position.
Legs:
- The thighs are horizontal;
- Feet are flat on the ground;
- The angle between upper and lower legs is 90º to 120º.;
- The seat depth is sufficient, so that a maximum of a fist's width fits between the seat and the back of the knee.
If your office chair is not sufficiently adjustable in height, a footrest is recommended. That way you can still place your legs in the right angle and position.
Arms:
- The forearms are horizontal, with the angle between the upper and lower arms being 90º.;
- The forearms rest on an armrest or can rest on the tabletop.;
- Ideally, the office chair has armrests that can be adjusted in width, height and depth. If not, an external armrest offers a solution.
Back:
- The backrest offers sufficient support at belt and lumbar height;
- The backrest is slightly reclined in an angle between 95º and 105º;
We have different types of office chairs and ergonomic saddle stools in our range, which contribute to an ergonomically correct sitting position. The chairs provide adequate support; the stools ensure that the user remains in constant movement and thus trains the muscles.
If you have a chair that meets the requirements in terms of height, but not quite yet in terms of support, seat cushions or lumbar rolls offer a solution.
Work standing
Desktop workplace
In addition to a correct sitting position, the height of the desk is also important.
Seated work can lead to excessive static load on the body, especially if the work continues uninterrupted, with no movement in between. For this reason, more and more employers are switching to the use of height-adjustable desk workstations, which allow both sitting and standing.
The desk should be set at such a height that the arm position as described above can be achieved. The forearms remain at an angle of 90º. This applies to both sitting and standing work. A handy tip for purchasing a height-adjustable workstation: the maximum height of the table should be about 50-60 cm lower than the body height (distance from top of head to elbow).
At the bottom there is enough room for the feet and to stretch the legs to an angle of 120º. There is also enough space for the thighs. A hand-sized space between the thighs and the underside of the tabletop is a good rule of thumb.
The height-adjustable desk systems are designed for long-term and frequent use. Available are models with hand crank, 1 built-in motor and 2 built-in motors. We also have variants in the range that can be set up at an angle of 90º or 120º. Do you already have a tabletop? In most cases this can be easily placed on all our table frames.
Monitor height
Desktop workplace
With a desktop workstation, the screen is placed at a distance of about 50 cm, with the top edge of the screen being level with the eyes. This way the neck is put under the least strain. A greater distance to the screen is also less straining for the eyes.
To achieve this, you can use a monitor stand or monitor arm. These can be mounted on your desktop, and some also on the wall. In addition, a monitor arm provides more space on the desk.
Research has shown that working with two monitors leads to higher productivity and a lower margin of error. This method also offers a better overview when working with several documents or programs at the same time.
Laptop workplace
With frequent use of a laptop, neck complaints mainly occur, because the screen is actually too low. You can improve your laptop workspace by using a laptop stand. Thanks to the laptop support, the screen is at the correct height. Some laptop stands in our range also offer the possibility to place documents in front of the laptop (provided an external keyboard is used).
The screen is approximately one arm's length away. If possible, use one or more external monitors.
Mouse use
The mouse is the most commonly used device in the workplace and is therefore also the main cause of complaints. Many people still work with a computer mouse that has a flat, traditional shape. Because in this position the joints in the forearm are rotated, long-term use of a normal mouse can lead to RSI or other related complaints.
In the first place, it is important to always operate the mouse within easy reach, so that the muscles and tendons do not have to stretch unnecessarily. In addition, the shape of the mouse and the position and posture of the hand and forearm are important.
A vertical mouse such as the Evoluent, Newtral or HE Mouse offers a solution. This vertical position ensures that the joints and muscles can relax, preventing or reducing complaints in the wrist and forearm.
In case of shoulder complaints, it is advisable to use a central mouse such as the Rollermouse. You work close to the body and within the shoulder line, so that the muscles are not unnecessarily burdened. These computer mice are also a suitable alternative for neck complaints.
If you mainly have complaints in your fingers due to clicking, the Rockstick mouse can be a suitable solution. Clicking the Rockstick mouse is done from the whole hand, which puts considerably less strain on the hand muscles and nerves.
In case of complaints in the hand, the Hippus HandshoeMouse also offers a solution. Thanks to its shape, the mouse supports the entire hand, and the keys have a very light touch, so that the muscles in the hand and fingers hardly need to exert any effort.
In addition, a foot pedal mouse is a suitable tool to reduce the number of mouse clicks by hand. You can then combine this with a vertical mouse to ensure a natural position of the wrist/arm, which will reduce muscle tension in the wrist and forearm.
Keyboard usage
In addition to a mouse, the use of an ergonomic keyboard is also strongly recommended for people who perform a lot of computer work. We distinguish between compact keyboards and adjustable keyboards.
The position of the keyboard is straight in front of the body, within shoulder width. The upper arms still 'hang' along the body and do not have to exert themselves.
A mini keyboard reduces the reaching distance to the mouse, lowers muscle tension in the forearms and is generally perceived as more comfortable than a standard keyboard. Compact keyboards are ergonomic because the numeric part has been omitted, reducing the distance to the mouse and allowing you to type within the shoulder line.
Adjustable keyboards have the great advantage that they are adjustable in height, so that the wrists can be placed at a natural angle. Adjustable split keyboards enable users two use two keyboard halves and thus ensure a neutral and relaxed position of the forearms and wrists.
Even if you have a laptop, we recommend using an external keyboard. You not only benefit from the ergonomic design, but in combination with a laptop stand you also have room to put documents in a handy place.
Other resources
Complaints are not isolated and often have multiple causes. Ergonomic mice and keyboards can help to reduce complaints, but the cause of these complaints can also be a wrong general working posture or an inadequate arrangement of the workplace. In improving this, a complete workplace consisting of a height adjustable desk and associated products such as monitor arms and document holders has an optimal effect.
Monitor arms allow you to adjust the monitor to a perfect height, distance and angle. Document holders prevent the neck from being twisted unnecessarily when reading or writing next to the keyboard and mouse.
If you have any questions regarding the above information, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are happy to give you personal advice.