Workstation Ergonomics

This material is an excerpt from The Myth of the Standing Desk: Strategies for Health in the Digital Age by Dr. Tom Oddo

Remember: Workstation Ergonomics is about body position first and equipment position second. Below you will find checklists for orienting your body in appropriate upright posture for work while seated and standing. Then you will find information about the correct orientation for your equipment so that it does not pull you out of position.

Body Position for seated work:

• Head and neck upright
• Head, neck, and trunk not twisted
• Trunk perpendicular to the floor
• Shoulders and upper arms perpendicular to the floor
• Upper arms and elbows close to the body (not extended outward)
• Forearms, wrists, and hands parallel to the floor (elbow flexed to 90 degrees)
• Wrists and hands neutral (not flexed upward, downward, outward, or inward)
• Pelvis perpendicular to the floor (neutral, not tilted forward or backward)
• Thighs parallel to floor or knees slightly below hips (with space below the table surface so that they are not trapped)
• Lower legs perpendicular to the floor
• Feet flat on the floor or supported by a stable footrest surface
• Intermittent breaks

Body position checklist for standing work:

• Head and neck upright
• Head, neck, and trunk not twisted
• Trunk perpendicular to the floor
• Shoulders and upper arms perpendicular to the floor
• Upper arms and elbows close to the body (not extended outward)
• Forearms, wrists, and hands parallel to the floor
• Wrists and hands neutral (not flexed upward, downward, outward, or inward)
• Pelvis perpendicular to the floor (neutral, not tilted forward or backward)
• No hyperextension of knees 
• Feet flat bilaterally or unilaterally resting on an elevated surface
• Shift positions frequently (this will come naturally; it is challenging to stand in a static position for extended periods)

Arm position for both sitting and standing:

• Arm hanging at your side with elbows at 90 degrees
• Forearms, wrists, and hands parallel to the floor
• Wrists and hands neutral (not flexed upward, downward, outward, or inward)
• Your keyboard should be directly in front of you and within reach in this position

Monitor Checklist:

• The main monitor should be placed at a distance from your eyes that allows you to read without leaning or moving — for most people, this is approximately 16-30 inches away (roughly the length of an outstretched arm). 
• The main monitor should be placed directly in front of you (so that no twisting or movement is required to see).
• The top line of the screen should be placed at or below eye level, giving a 20-degree downward gaze angle with your head neutral. 
• If you wear glasses, your main monitor location should match the transitions of your lenses (you should not need to move your head to be able to see).  
• There should be no glare on your monitor; generally, the screen should be perpendicular to outside windows and between overhead lighting. 
• There should be no fingerprints or other debris on the screen that interfere with your ability to see. Make sure to clean your screen at least once per day. 
• Laptop use: A separate monitor or keyboard is recommended for regular work. A secondary option would be using a prop or box to place the laptop on top of.
• If a secondary or tertiary monitor are required, place these monitors to the side of the main monitor at 30 to 45 degrees from you so that only small head movements are required to reference them.
• A document holder should be used (at the same height and distance as the your secondary monitor) if document reading is a major component of your work. 

Keyboard Checklist:

• Place your keyboard at a distance that matches the length of your forearms when your arms are at your sides and elbows are bent to 90 degrees. 
• Place the keyboard directly in front of you.
• Ideally, the front of your keyboard should be parallel to your main monitor.
• Your main monitor should be the place where the letters that you are typing from your keyboard populate when you are inputting.

Seated Workstation Ergonomics:

• Table height should be 1-3 inches below the elbow with the arm hanging at the side.
• The workstation Ergonomics/desk should have enough room underneath it for you to pull their chair close enough to achieve an ideal position.

Chair Checklist:

• The chair should be sturdy and simple.
• The chair should be high enough that it places your flexed elbow 1-3 inches above the height of the surface upon which your keyboard is resting.
• The chair should be positioned at a height that allows the feet to rest flat on the floor, with hips and knees at or above 90 degrees.
• Props may be required to be placed under the feet to create the 90-90 position of the hips and knees

Standing Workstation Ergonomics:

• Match the position of the table to the type of work you are doing: for input/typing, table height at 1-3 inches below the elbow with the arm hanging at the side; for video conferencing, table height should match the appropriate framing of your upper body for video.  
• A step, slant board, or ball under the desk to allow for something to step on.
• A tall stool is recommended for “high resting” or leaning/perching.
• A semi-soft material, like a rug or anti-fatigue mat, should be placed on the floor below where you stand to prevent strain on the legs from standing on a hard surface. 
• Workstation Ergonomics:  you do not have a rug or anti-fatigue mat, you can wear flat-soled shoes or stand on a yoga mat (anything softer than hardwood, tile, or concrete will suffice).

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