Canadian HR Reporter

www.hrreporter.com 25 so that they can gently tilt or rock to enhance blood flow. Other features such as an independent back angle adjustment provide more movement options to go from an upright posture to one where they open the angle at the hips for greater low back comfort. The work surface: To maximize the return on investment in an ergonomically sound chair, people need to place their work tools (equipment and materials) at appropriate heights and distances. For keyboard or input tasks, the work surface should be at the elbow height when their feet are resting on the floor. Kitchen and dining room tables as well as products labelled "computer desk" are typically fixed at a height that is too high for most women and some men to safely work on technology. A height-adjustable surface is often needed to allow them to set the work surface low enough to avoid stressing the body. Given the need to move more, selecting a height adjustment range that covers both the seated elbow height and standing elbow height will allow people to comfortably move between sitting and standing postures. This can go a long way to help ward off the negative health outcomes of sedentary behaviour. Workers should think about their equipment and materials and how often they use them. They should select Workers should familiarize themselves with the controls and make adjustments throughout the day for the sake of their comfort, health and well-being. a surface size that is wide enough and deep enough to place their work tools so that their body is properly aligned and supported. As a simple rule of thumb, the most frequently used items should be within immediate reach while occasionally or rarely used items should be at arm's distance or further away. Accessories: It may be necessary for workers to add accessories such as a monitor arm, laptop support or footrest to the workstation to ensure they frequently move through neutral positions. A few pointers to consider: • The screen should be positioned at arm's distance or even farther for visual comfort, with the top line of the screen at or slightly below horizontal eye level. • If a laptop is the sole computing device, it is virtually impossible to properly position both the keyboard and screen at the same time. A common solution is to add an external keyboard and elevate the laptop on a stand or hook the laptop to a docking station and add an external monitor, which is mounted on a monitor arm, and adjust the height to keep the neck upright. • If people wearing bifocals use the lower part of corrective lenses for screen viewing, they will most likely need the screen lower than described above so they can keep their neck upright as they look at the screen. To get the most out of an ergonomically sound workstation, it needs to be used as it was designed to be used. Workers should familiarize themselves with all the controls and make adjustments throughout the day for the sake of their comfort, health and well-being ― and remember to take mental and physical breaks from work. This is the long game. It's time for people to make informed decisions that yield long-term positive outcomes for their health and well-being. CHRR Lucy Hart is the director of workplace ergonomics and well-being at ergoCentric in Toronto. For more infor- mation, visit www.ergocentric.com.

• Cover