BC4-20_2.

2_ My Project

Table of contents

Table of contents 1

Title My Project, Keyboards and chair 2

Monitors, document holder, 3

Desk, lighting, 4

Glare and Reflection 5

Using a mouse, Typing Technique 6

Speed of keying, Length of time on the keyboard……………………………….7,8

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My Project

Appendix A

WORKPLACE ERGONOMICS
POLICY AND PROCEDURE

All recommendations are based upon Australian Standard AS 3590 - Screen-based

workstations, Part 2 To a large extent the above standard still applies, but there
have been significant advances in the field of ergonomics since 1990, as per the
graphic here. Consideration should be given to the:
 Accessories required to operate properly
 Layout of equipment on the desk
 Location of furniture in the room.

Keyboards

Place the keyboard in a position that allows the forearms to be close to the
horizontal and the wrists to be straight. That is, with the hand in line with the
forearm. If this causes the elbows to be held far out from the side of the body then
re-check the work surface height. Some people prefer to have their wrists
supported on a wrist rest or the desk. Be careful not to have the wrist extended or
bent in an up position
Chairs

Adjust the seat tilt so that you are comfortable when you are working on the
keyboard. Usually, this will be close to horizontal but some people prefer the seat
tilted slightly forwards. Your knees should be bent at a comfortable angle and

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greater than 90º flexion. If this places an uncomfortable strain on the leg muscles,
or if the feet do not reach the floor, then a footrest should be used. The footrest
height must allow your knees to be bent at 90º; the height of the footrest may need
to be adjustable. Adjust the backrest so that it supports the lower back when you
are sitting upright. A range of chairs is available. Phones Avoid cradling the phone
between your head and shoulder when answering calls. If you need to use your
computer at the same time, use a headset or the phone's hands-free/speaker-
phone capabilities if the environment is suitable.

Monitors

Set the eye-to-screen distance at the distance that permits you to most easily focus
on the screen. Usually this will be within an arm's length. Set the height of the
monitor so that the top of the screen is below eye level and the bottom of the
screen can be read without a marked inclination of the head. Usually this means
that the centre of the screen will need to be near shoulder height. Your eyes should
be level with the tool bar. People who wear bifocal or multi-focal lenses will need to
get a balance between where they see out of their lenses and avoid too much neck
flexing. The height of the monitor can be adjusted using a monitor riser.

Document holder

Place the document holder close to the monitor screen in the position that causes
the least twisting or inclination of the head.

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Desks

Adjust the height of the work surface and/or the height of the chair so that the work
surface allows your elbows to be bent at 90º, forearms parallel with the floor, wrist
straight, shoulders relaxed. Place all controls and task materials within a
comfortable reach of both hands so that there is no unnecessary twisting of any
part of the body. Most people prefer the document holder to be between the
keyboard and the monitor. There are many different types of document holders
available.

Lighting, glare and reflection Lighting

Place the monitor to the side of the light source/s, not directly underneath. Try to site desks
between rows of lights. If the lighting is fluorescent strip lighting, the sides of the desks
should be parallel with the lights. Try not to put the screen near a window. If it is
unavoidable ensure that neither the screen nor the operator faces the window.
If the monitor is well away from windows, there are no other sources of bright light and
prolonged desk-work is the norm, use a low level of service light of 300 lux. If there are
strongly contrasting light levels, then a moderate level of lighting of 400-500 lux may be
desirable.

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Glare and Reflection

It is important to detect the presence of glare and reflection. To determine whether

there is glare from overhead lights, sit down and hold an object such as a book
above the eyes at eyebrow level and establish whether the screen image becomes
clearer in the absence of overhead glare. To detect whether there are reflections
from the desk surface, hold the book above the surface and assess the change in
reflected glare from the screen. You can eliminate or reduce the influence of these
reflections in a number of ways:
 Tilt the screen (top part forwards) so that the reflections are directed below eye
level.
 Purchase an LCD screen.
 Cover the screen with a light diffusing surface or anti-glare screen.
 Negative contrast screen (dark characters on light background) will reduce the
influence of these reflections.
If you experience eye discomfort when using a bright screen, you should make the
following adjustments:
 Turn the screen brightness down to a comfortable level.
 Look away into the distance in order to rest the eyes for a short while every 10
minutes or so.
 Change the text and background colours. We recommend black characters on
white or yellow background, or yellow on black, white on black, white on blue and
green on white. Avoid red and green and yellow on white.

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Using a mouse

A well-designed mouse should not cause undue pressure on the wrist and forearm
muscles. A large bulky mouse may keep the wrist continuously bent at an
uncomfortable angle. Pressure can be reduced by releasing the mouse at frequent
intervals and by selecting a slim-line, low-profile mouse. Keep the mouse as close
as possible to the keyboard, elbow bent and close to the body. Keyboard
equipment and radiation Computer screens emit visible light that allows the
characters on the screen to be seen. Weak electromagnetic fields and very low
levels of other radiation that are not visible to the human eye can be detected by
sensitive instruments. Similar emissions are produced by television receivers. The
levels of most radiations and electromagnetic fields emitted from computers are
much less than those from natural sources, such as the sun or even the human
body, and are well below levels considered to be harmful by responsible expert
bodies such as the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA). Posture
while typing Good posture is essential for all computer users. You should adopt a
natural and relaxed position, providing opportunity for movement, from which you
can assume a number of alternative positions.
 There is no single, rigidly defined position.

Typing Technique
Typing is a physical activity, and using a keyboard requires skill, hence the need to
learn correct typing technique. Unskilled ('hunt and peck') typists are particularly at
risk of "occupational overuse injury" because they:
 Often use only one or two fingers which may overload the finger tendons
 Are constantly looking from keyboard to screen to keyboard, which may strain
neck muscles
 Often adopt a tense posture (wrists bent back and fingers 'poised to strike').

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Speed of keying
The efficiency and speed of modern computers makes it possible for a skilled
operator to type extremely quickly. This capability, reinforced by workload
pressures, means the potential exists for operators to key at speeds which may
cause or contribute to occupational overuse syndrome. The role of the repetitive
movement in injury is not fully understood, but is believed to interfere with the
lubrication capacity of tendons, and the ability of muscles to receive sufficient
oxygen supplies. Ten thousand to 12,000 keystrokes per hour is considered an
acceptable standard.

Length of time on the keyboard

The maintenance of a fixed posture for long periods is tiring and increases the
likelihood of muscular aches and pains. In addition, long periods of repetitive
movement and sustained visual attention can also give rise to fatigue-related
complaints. It is recommended that operators take regular postural/stretching
breaks to reduce intense periods of repetitive movement. Employees newly
engaged in keyboard work, and staff returning from an absence of two or more
weeks, need a period of adjustment. The adjustment may be achieved through
reduced work rates, or provision of alternative duties with a gradual reintroduction
to keyboard work. Jobs should be designed and organized so that either:

 computer-related tasks can be interspersed with non-computer related, or

 Computer based tasks can be rotated amongst several staff (task/job sharing).
Supervisors should ensure that workload controls are exercised using the following
strategies:
 Planning ahead to avoid peaks, and rushed jobs
 Delegating fairly to all staff not just the best workers
 Considering the total workload of the individual (often comes from a number of
sources)
 Clearly defining each operator's workload
 Implementing systems of prioritization such as work request forms and waiting
lists
 Using relief staff
 applying strict tests to the use of 'urgent' labels

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 discouraging 'endless' drafts

 discouraging the use of typed internal minutes and memoranda
 encouraging authors to have realistic expectations
 teaching authors keyboard skills
 teaching operators how to be assertive, and how to priorities
 supporting operators when authors impose unrealistic expectations
 refusing illegible drafts.

Posture and environment Change your posture at frequent intervals to minimize

fatigue. Avoid awkward postures at the extremes of the joint range, especially the
wrists. Take frequent short rest breaks rather than infrequent longer ones. Avoid
sharp increases in work rate. Changes should be gradual enough to ensure that
the workload does not result in excessive fatigue. After prolonged absences from
work the overall duration of periods of keyboard work should be increased
gradually if conditions permit
Relevant Legislation Work Health and Safety Act 2011

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