Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1993 13:21:19 -0500 From: "Alan K. Jackson,544-4442" Subject: Re: Help To: Multiple recipients of list SOREHAND In-reply-to: Message from jaffe_j@POETS.WHITTIER.EDU of "Mon, 04 Oct 93 08:03:02 -0700. <9310041654.AA14248@uu5.psi.com> On Mon, 4 Oct 1993 08:03:02 -0700 jaffe_j@poets.whittier.edu wrote: > Hi. I am a college student and have gotten a mild case of CTS. I get pains > in my forearms and some numb feeling in my fingertips. The reason, I believe > was becasue the chair was about 7 inches to short. The school finally got > me a chair that raises, articulates, etc. My question (finally) is at what > angle should it be, how close should my wrist guard be to the keyboard, and > should I keep the keyboard flat or should I raise it up with the little legs > in back? Right now I have the legs down and the pad about 2 inches from the > keyboard. One last question: Even though I have the chiar which is close > to being right, the desk has a drawer which I can not get my legs under > becasue now I am too high, but I am still experiencing some pain. Will it > go away and how long? Thank you so much in advance for your help. > -Jonathan Jaffe SETTING UP YOUR WORKSTATION Chair pan - height and tilt should be adjusted for comfort. 90 degree angle between the upper and lower legs is comfortable. The seat pan should be long enough to support the buttocks and legs but not too long so that there is excessive pressure on the back of the lower thigh. Chair back - height and tilt should be adjusted for comfort. Again, keeping the back at approximately right angles with the thigh is comfortable for most people. The chair back should provide adequate support for the lumbar region of the back. Pads and rolls can be added for lumbar support. Chair arms - both the height and width can be adjustable. In some cases, it is best to completely remove the arms if they get in the way of neutral posture. Footrest - with the seat pan adjusted for a comfortable position the feet should be flat on the floor. If they are not then a footrest should be used and adjusted to support the feet. Keyboard - position should be adjusted for comfort. The keyboard should be positioned to allow the wrist to be kept straight. The upper arms should hang by your sides. Wrist Rest - sometimes required to support the wrist during pauses in typing. The support should be the correct size to support the wrist in a neutral position without interfering during typing. VDT Screen - should be positioned so that the top of the screen is slightly below eye level. The VDT should be at a distance that allows the user to comfortably read the screen. Document Holder - should be at the same height and distance from the user as the VDT. Layout of the equipment and furniture is important. The VDT and document holder should be placed so that the most frequently viewed is directly in front of the user. Have adequate space available for using a mouse or reference books. Keep frequently used equipment, supplies, books and files within easy reach. Also have adequate space available under the desk to move your legs around - don't put the CPU in the way. ADJUSTING THE COMPUTER WORKSTATION IF THE KEYBOARD SURFACE IS NOT ADJUSTABLE 1. Chair pan height adjusted so that arm angle is 70 135 with hands at keyboard. 2. Add footrest if necessary. 3. Finish chair adjustments: seat pan angle back height back angle 4. VDT monitor to eye level or below. IF THE KEYBOARD SURFACE IS ADJUSTABLE 1. Chair pan height adjusted so that leg angle is 60-100 degrees with feet comfortably on floor. 2. VDT monitor to eye level or below. 3. Finish chair adjustments: seat pan angle back height back angle 4. Keyboard adjusted so that arm angle is 70-135 degrees with hands at keyboard. WHAT IS NEUTRAL POSTURE? BACK - Upright or slightly reclining with lumbar support. HEAD - Comfortably aligned so that support is from the spine and not from neck & shoulder muscles. ARMS - Upper arm hanging straight down along trunk. Forearm at 70-135 degree angle. WRISTS - On a straight line with forearm. No bending side to side or up and down. THIGHS - At 90-105 degree angle from trunk. Supported on seat pan without pinching off blood flow behind knee. LOWER LEGS - At 60-100 degree angle with thighs, while feet are resting on floor or footrest. Alan K. Jackson - Interpretive Data Processing Coordinator Pecten International Company (a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell Oil Co) voice :(713)544-4442 fax :(713)544-4873 snail :Box 205,Houston,Tx 77001 UUCP: ...!{uupsi}!shell!ajackson INTERNET: ajackson@shell.com