To increase your comfort and reduce potential safety risks, use this checklist to help you evaluate your work posture and habits. To read more information about a certain subject, click the button next to the question. Seated Position Have you found a range of seated postures that are most comfortable for you? Are you changing postures within your "comfort zone" throughout the day, especially in the afternoon? Are your feet firmly planted? Are the undersides of your thighs near your knees free of pressure? Are the backs of your lower legs free of pressure? Is there sufficient space under your work surface for your knees and legs? Is your lower back supported? Shoulders, Arms, Wrists, and Hands Are your shoulders relaxed? Are your hands, wrists, and forearms aligned in a straight, neutral position? If you use arm supports, are they adjusted so that your shoulders are relaxed and your wrists are straight? Are your elbows in a relaxed position near your body? Do you avoid resting your hands and wrists while typing or pointing? Do you avoid resting your hands and wrists on sharp edges? Do you avoid cradling the phone between your ear and shoulder? Are items you use frequently, such as your phone and reference materials, easy to reach? Eyes Do you rest your eyes frequently by focusing on a distant point? Do you get your eyes examined regularly by a vision care specialist? Do you blink enough? If you wear bifocals or trifocals, do you avoid tilting your head back to see the monitor? Typing Style Are you training yourself to lighten up when you find you are pounding on the keys? If you are not a touch typist, have you been taking typing lessons? Are you training your fingers to relax when they become tense? Do you use your whole arm to reach for keys not located near the home row? Keyboard and Pointing Device Is your keyboard positioned directly in front of you? Are your keyboard height and slope adjusted so that your wrists are straight and your shoulders relaxed? If you are typing with the keyboard on your lap, are your shoulders relaxed and your wrists straight? If you are using a mouse or detached trackball, is it placed to the immediate right or left of your keyboard? If you are using a mouse or trackball, are you holding it loosely, with a relaxed hand? Do you let go of your pointing device when you are not using it? Are you using a light touch when you click the buttons on your pointing device (mouse, trackball, touchpad, or pointing stick)? Are you cleaning your mouse or trackball frequently?

TIPS Double-check Review your postures and habits using this checklist. Periodically reread this Guide. Listen to your body Any time you make changes to your tasks, work area, or posture, "listen" to your body. Its signals of comfort or discomfort will help you know whether your adjustments are right. Monitor Is your monitor positioned in front of you and at a comfortable viewing distance, about arm's length? Or if you look at a paper document more than your monitor, is your document holder in front of you with your monitor to one side? Are the text and images on your monitor easily visible in a comfortably seated position? Have you eliminated glare and bright reflections on your monitor, without compromising your posture? Is your monitor's entire viewing area located just below your eye height? Is your monitor tilted so your face and the monitor are parallel? Have you adjusted the brightness and contrast controls to improve the quality of text and graphics? Is your document holder positioned near the monitor, at the same distance, height, and angle as the monitor? Notebook Computing Do you change postures frequently? Do you avoid resting your wrists on your thighs while typing? To avoid neck fatigue when using the computer on a sofa or bed, do you avoid reclining too far? Where possible, have you tried using a full-size keyboard and detached pointing device, such as a mouse or trackball, with your notebook computer? Similarly, have you tried using a full-size monitor? General Prevention Do you take breaks and walk around briefly, at least once per hour? Do you exercise regularly? Periodically, do you take inventory of the stress in your life and change what is within your control to change? If you experience any symptoms that you think may relate to your using a computer, whether you experience them during work or at other times, have you consulted a doctor and, if available, your company's health and safety department?

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