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Proper organization of the computer workplace directly affects labor productivity. What should you pay special attention to in order to make your office workplace comfortable? We present to your attention four main zones:
Zone 1. Back and legs. Pain and discomfort in the lower back occurs due to incorrect back position, stooping, incorrect leg position - or, in a word, due to violation of the ergonomic requirements of the computer workplace. Back pillows and footrests will help solve the problem. The combination of a supportive pillow and footrest will relieve muscle tension, which will help prevent discomfort and lower back pain.
Zone 2. Wrist. Poor hand positioning on a keyboard or mouse can cause serious injury to your hands, wrists, and forearms. The most common disease is carpal tunnel syndrome. Supporting pads for the keyboard and mouse will help solve the problem. With their help, the load on the central carpal nerve is reduced, preventing the development of CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome) in office employees.
Zone 3. Neck, shoulders, eyes. If, working in an office, you have to bend your back and neck when working with a monitor and documents, this leads to increased stress and muscle tension, which causes pain and discomfort in the muscles of the back, neck and shoulder part of the body. Laptop and monitor stands, as well as document holders, will help solve the problem. They reduce strain on your shoulders, neck, and eyes by ensuring the screen and documents are aligned correctly with your eyes.
Zone 4. Organization of the workplace space. If the ergonomics of the computer workstation in the office is not organized correctly, then we are constantly spinning around, moving things from place to place, wasting working time, and also risk losing an important document. Accessories and cleaning products will help solve the problem. A well-organized office workspace and each workplace guarantees order and, as a result, increased productivity.
Ergonomic requirements
When designing equipment and organizing a PC user’s workplace, it is necessary to ensure that the design of all elements of the workplace and their relative arrangement meet ergonomic requirements, taking into account the nature of the activity performed by the user, the complexity of technical means, forms of labor organization and the user’s main working position.
Clause 8.1.8. SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96
The video monitor screen should be located from the user’s eyes at an optimal distance of 600-700 mm, but not closer than 500 mm, taking into account the size of alphanumeric characters and symbols
Clause 8.1.13 SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96
Eye level with a vertically positioned screen should be at the center or 2/3 of the height of the screen. The line of sight should be perpendicular to the center of the screen and its optimal deviation from the perpendicular passing through the center of the screen in the vertical plane should not exceed +/- 5 degrees, acceptable +/- 10 degrees
Clause 8.3.7 SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96
The workplace must be equipped with a footrest with a width of at least 300 mm, a depth of at least 400 mm, height adjustment up to 150 mm and an inclination angle of the supporting surface of the stand up to 20 degrees. The surface of the stand should be corrugated...
Clause 8.2.5 SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96
The surface of the seat, back and other elements of the chair (armchair) should be semi-soft, with a non-slip, non-electrifying and breathable coating, ensuring easy cleaning from dirt.
Clause 8.1.12 SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96
Office ergonomics. For those who live behind a computer.
How much time do we spend at the computer? How do we arrange our workplace? Where is the keyboard, mouse, monitor located? We will try to answer all these questions together with the orthopedic salon "Zdrava".
How to sit at a computer correctly and arrange your workplace to reduce muscle and eye fatigue and avoid spinal curvature.
Perfect option:
What if this is not achievable? Why? The children do their homework at the same computer... the father works on a project, the mother communicates on the Internet.
The adjustment of the chair itself should take into account the characteristics of all family members, but if this is not achievable under the back, a lumbar pillow can be used that follows the contours of the physiological kyphosis and lordosis of the spine.
If you spend your entire working day at the computer, and still have time to carry work home, then for prevention you simply need a seat cushion. If it is a child’s back, then it is best to use special posture correctors.
The hands should be at the same level as the wrists, as in fig. 2.
We all studied physics at school, but if we now look at the human body from the point of view of a mathematical model and physical forces??? It turns out that with this position of the hand at the level of the wrist, there is a uniform distribution of forces along the axis of the limb and does not lead to overloads of individual components of the joint.
Keyboard manufacturers have also taken this fact into account and are making a special keyboard for professionals.
I turn on the computer, grab the mouse, and a sharp pain pierces my hand. God! What is this? "Computer mouse syndrome"!!! - a real scourge of active computer users! In the area of the wrist joint, irritation and swelling develop, which puts pressure on the nerve. Hence the pain and limited movement.
First aid - bandage fixation of the wrist joint
and anesthetic gel. But then everything is not so simple. Computer mouse syndrome, or more correctly, carpal tunnel syndrome, does not occur out of nowhere. Computer mouse syndrome can occur in those who sit at a computer more than 65% of the time, scientists from the National Institute of Occupational Health in Copenhagen have found. So limit your screen time to a maximum of 5 hours.
The distance between the eyes and the monitor should be between 45-70 centimeters.
Your back should touch the back of the chair, sit on your butt straight in the seat)
The knees should be bent at right angles, both feet touching the floor, as in Fig. 2
Bent elbows should be approximately near the waist:
Look at yourself sitting at the computer as if from above. The ears should be level with the shoulders. Don't lean forward or lean back too much. The monitor should be positioned so that you do not need to turn your head to see it.
If necessary, adjust the monitor so that your eyes don't get tired. Increase the font size if necessary and set the brightness to a comfortable level. Also set the screen refresh rate to between 70-85 hertz (higher - the monitor wears out faster)
Well, we have covered the main points. If you have any questions, ask, the staff of the orthopedic salon will answer your questions. Good luck.
At the end of a busy day at the computer, do you get up from your desk with a feeling of stiffness in your neck, back and shoulders and a “heavy” head? And you involuntarily think about buying “that same” ergonomic chair that promises comfort at work?
In fact, there may be two reasons for your discomfort.
One of them is inadequate vision correction. Trying to get a better look at the image on the screen, you lean forward with your whole body, stretch your neck or throw your head back, trying to look through the bottom of the glasses. In such an uncomfortable position, the muscles of the neck, back and shoulders are tense, which leads to pain.
Another cause of muscle pain is improper organization of the workplace.
Dear computer sitters and monitor watchers, I continue to remind everyone (including myself;) the rules of ergonomics when working at a computer.
It is also useful to pass on this information from the older generation to help the younger generation, so that our shift does not have sagging chests, vision deterioration, or cramped fingers.
In short, so that communication with your iron friend is as safe as possible for your health.
General provisions
The main health hazards when working at a computer, as with any sedentary work, are the following nonspecific (i.e., not specifically related to working at a computer) factors:
- Prolonged physical inactivity. Any position with prolonged fixation is harmful to the musculoskeletal system, in addition, it leads to stagnation of blood in the internal organs and capillaries.
- Non-physiological position of various parts of the body.
The physiological position for humans is the so-called fetal position, which can easily be experienced by yourself if you completely relax in salt water. When the muscles are relaxed and only the natural resting tone affects them, the body comes to a certain position.
It is recommended to try it and remember it, especially for the limbs.
For the back and neck in an upright position, it is physiologically different - when the lumbar and cervical curves of the spine are clearly expressed, with a straight vertical line passing through the back of the head, shoulder blades and tailbone.
Correct posture must be learned by the “body” by controlling it for some time, and then it will be maintained automatically.
The easiest way is to stand against a flat wall and press your heels, calves, buttocks, shoulder blades, elbows and the back of your head tightly against it. Achieving the ideal is not easy in general, especially during work, but we must strive for this - at least for individual parts of the body.
- Long-term repeated monotonous movements. Here, not only the fatigue of those muscle groups that perform these movements is harmful, but also the psychological fixation on them (the formation of stable foci of excitation of the central nervous system with compensatory inhibition of its other areas). Although it is the repeated monotonous loads that are most harmful. Through fatigue, they can lead to physical damage to joints and tendons. The most well-known among MS users is tenosynovitis of the carpal tendons, associated with entering information using a mouse and keyboard.
- And, finally, a long stay in a closed, and even worse, stuffy and smoky room.
- Light, electromagnetic and other radiation mainly from the monitor - but this is a specific damaging factor when working with a computer.
To combat 1, 3 and 4 damaging factors, the recommendations are simple - you need to take breaks at least once an hour, walk around, and warm up.
If you smoke, go to another room to smoke - this is both a warm-up and less harmful to health and the safety of equipment.
It's even better to do a couple of physical exercises to suit your taste. It’s very good to create a set of exercises for yourself to independently unlock the spine, for example, Office gymnastics: How to relieve back tension
If any problems have already arisen, it is better to contact a specialist, fortunately there are enough of them now. They usually call themselves chiropractors.
Well, you can do it yourself Prevention of carpal tunnel syndrome: a set of wrist exercises
Don't forget - your eyes also need rest and warm-up!!!
If due to attention strain (especially during an online fight) you begin to blink rarely, blink consciously, every 5 seconds somewhere, or actively “blink” when the tactical situation becomes less tense. ;)
This not only helps to moisturize the cornea and remove dead cells, but also massages the eyeballs, which is also useful.
Additionally, you can massage the eyeballs with your fingers, from the outer corner to the inner, then in a circular motion in and out.
The eyelids should be closed. It is also useful to roll your eyes with your eyelids closed.
Warm-up for the muscles of accommodation (sharpening the lens) is as follows: stand in front of a window from which you can see the distance, and alternately focus your gaze on the frame, then on the horizon.
Correct ergonomics of the computer workplace
How to work efficiently, without harm to health, with comfort and pleasure? Ergonomics is designed to answer these questions.
- Place the monitor directly opposite you, at a distance of 60-75 cm, but no closer than 50 cm.
Eye level should be at the top third of the screen. - Choose a desk with a work surface height of 68-80 cm and sufficient legroom.
- The work chair should be height adjustable. And the back tilted forward corresponds to the physiological curves of the spine.
- While working, your arms and legs should be parallel to the floor. Armrests provide comfortable hand position. Use a footrest if necessary.
- Place the keyboard at a distance of 10-30 cm from the edges of the table.
- It is advisable to use a music stand or document clip.
Healthy Habits
Straight back. It's worth paying close attention to the old advice: sit up straight and don't slouch! This needs to be constantly monitored.
But a properly selected chair or armchair, which can be adjusted according to your figure and the location of the keyboard and monitor, is very helpful in maintaining good posture. the back of the chair should support the lower half of the back, but tilt so as not to impede movement during work.
It is better to remove your wallet and other items from the back pockets of your trousers. Nothing should interfere with hip flexion.
Your posture at the computer should not cause pain from straining the muscles of your back and hips.
Shoulders relaxed, elbows bent at right angles. When you place your fingers on the keyboard, your shoulders should not be tense and your arms should be bent at approximately 90 degrees. This ensures good blood circulation.
If your chair has armrests, make sure they don't rest on your elbows or force your shoulders up too high, putting pressure on your neck.
Head position. The head should be straight with a slight tilt forward. Try to position your monitor and work documents so that you don’t have to constantly turn your head from side to side. This may cause pain in the neck, shoulders and back.
Vision. Oddly enough, the size of the monitor does not matter. In most cases, a 15-inch monitor is sufficient for home use, although a 17-inch screen is usually much easier to see small details.
The brightness of the monitor should be selected so that it is minimal. This not only extends the life of the monitor, but also reduces visual fatigue. However, so that when the screen brightness is low, you do not have to look closely at the dim image.
The room lighting should be dim and subdued.
It is best to sit sideways by the window.
It is better to close curtains or blinds, and it is better to turn off general lighting or keep it minimal. It is best to leave only dim local lighting aimed at the book or document you are working with.
Keyboard
Mastering touch typing is a very useful keyboard skill.
The optimal height of a table or pull-out shelf for a keyboard is 68 - 73 cm above the floor. The height of the chair and table should be chosen so as to minimize strain on the muscles of the shoulders, arms and wrists. Wrists may touch the table in front of the keyboard. But under no circumstances should you transfer at least part of your body weight to them.
The keyboard is height adjustable. Choose the most convenient angle of inclination for yourself. Some keyboards, such as Microsoft Natural Keyboard 9cm. photo above), have great possibilities for adjustment.
These keyboards have a split in the middle of the letter section and a special shape designed to allow the wrists to rest more naturally over the keys. However, it makes sense to have such a keyboard only if you write a lot and master the ten-finger touch typing method. In other cases, there is no ergonomic gain from such a keyboard.
In computer stores you can find special supports and pillows for installation in front of the keyboard, designed to rest the wrists and prevent carpal tunnel syndrome - acute pain due to overload and damage to the tendons of the wrists. These devices aren't much use unless you get used to using them correctly. But taking regular short breaks from typing can really help. So it’s better to get into this habit than to clutter your desk with unnecessary tools.
Mouse
Even when working with a mouse, you should develop good habits.
A mouse seems to many to be a very simple device: just roll it and click buttons. However, there are rules in this that should be strictly followed:
Main areas
What should you pay special attention to in order to make your office workplace comfortable? I present to your attention four main zones:
Zone 1. Back and legs. Pain and discomfort in the lower back occurs due to incorrect back position, stooping, incorrect leg position - or, in a word, due to violation of the ergonomic requirements of the computer workplace.
Back pillows and footrests will help solve the problem. The combination of a supportive pillow and footrest will relieve muscle tension, which will help prevent discomfort and lower back pain.
Zone 2. Wrist. Poor hand positioning on a keyboard or mouse can cause serious injury to your hands, wrists, and forearms. The most common disease is carpal tunnel syndrome.
Supporting pads for the keyboard and mouse will help solve the problem. With their help, the load on the central carpal nerve is reduced, preventing the development of CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome) in office employees.
Zone 3. Neck, shoulders, eyes. If, working in an office, you have to bend your back and neck when working with a monitor and documents, this leads to increased stress and muscle tension, which causes pain and discomfort in the muscles of the back, neck and shoulder part of the body.
Laptop and monitor stands, as well as document holders, will help solve the problem. They reduce strain on your shoulders, neck, and eyes by ensuring the screen and documents are aligned correctly with your eyes.
Zone 4. Organization of the workplace space. If the ergonomics of the computer workstation in the office is not organized correctly, then we are constantly spinning around, moving things from place to place, wasting working time, and also risk losing an important document.
Accessories and cleaning products will help solve the problem. A well-organized office workspace and each workplace guarantees order, and, as a result, increased productivity.
Ergonomic experts emphasize the importance of taking short but frequent breaks from using the computer. Frequently changing activities is the best way to avoid possible troubles. Moving more is the most important skill.
based on materials from www.ixbt.com, www.vseozrenii.ru[, digrim.ru, diyjina.narod.ru
Ergonomics of the workplace
Working comfortably on a laptop: The ergonomic equation
OFFICIAL DOCUMENT (WHITE PAPER)
Fig.2
The size and power requirements of traditional desktop computers are inherent limitations that portable PCs have overcome in their evolution, but which, paradoxically, provide some degree of reliability when it comes to comfort, and therefore performance, which is the crux of the matter. in any discussion on ergonomics.
Until now, published head-to-head comparisons of the features and benefits of laptop and desktop computers rarely include arguments for ease of use. In other words, the average consumer doesn't have the full picture when purchasing a laptop or desktop computer.
The negative consequences of this are felt literally in terms of health and figuratively in terms of price, since the design of a typical laptop computer is ergonomically flawed: the keyboard and display screen are located close to each other, like two flaps of a clam shell, whereas from an ergonomic point of view the keyboard should be located on one level with your elbow bent (bent elbow level), and the top of the screen is approximately at eye level.
Oddly enough, size and portability, which are the main advantages of a laptop computer - the characteristics that most distinguish it from a desktop computer - are also its ergonomic failure. And this situation is exacerbated by the current trend away from 4:3 screens in favor of 16:9 screens - a reality created by manufacturers of glass used in computer displays.
If you are currently convinced that ergonomics and computer portability are mutually exclusive concepts, you will be interested to know that the illustrations in this article and the text you are reading were completely and conveniently prepared on a laptop computer using basic ergonomic principles, a dose of common sense sense and some creativity.
The purpose of this work is to demonstrate that laptop computers can be used productively and comfortably by applying ergonomic principles based on an understanding of how our bodies interact with the computer and its immediate environment.
PART ONE
Science of ergonomics
In simple terms, ergonomics studies the laws of work. The impulse behind these “laws of work” is to maintain high levels of productivity while ensuring worker comfort and well-being. Comfortable working conditions are a mandatory condition applicable to any person involved in a business aimed at solving any problems: parents, athletes, artists, musicians, scientists, etc.
Ideally, the items we use in common tasks (sports equipment, construction tools, gardening supplies, computer keyboards and mice) should be designed to complement the size and shape of our bodies and should serve us in the appropriate environment with unnecessary risk. In reality, we often put ourselves at risk, whether through a “sin of action,” such as removing the safety device from a power saw, or a “sin of omission,” such as not reading the instructions for using the saw.
Every day we expose ourselves to dangers known and unknown. Warning signs and “No Trespassing” signs have become almost invisible, despite their presence. Ergonomics should be taken seriously, but until something hurts and you can understand the reason for it, useful advice about posture, stretching and resting will not be convincing. Before we explore the use of laptop computers in an ergonomic context, let's take a quick look at what's at stake otherwise.
The science of ergonomics developed over many years of studying the human body at rest and in motion. The resulting measurable characteristics, collectively known as anthropometric data, are used to enhance healthy interactions between people, their tools and work environments. Understanding the relationships between these three factors is vital to preventing the various clinical disorders resulting from fatigue and tension.
MAN’S “NEW BEST FRIEND” –
LAPTOP,
HE IS WITH US EVERYWHERE
WE DID NOT TURN OUT
Preventing computer-related pain
As you read this, you are most likely sitting; about 70 percent of all work done in America today is done while sitting in front of a workstation. On their own, this statistic seems harmless, but when you consider that sitting increases pressure in the lower back five times more than standing, finding 10 is truly alarming.
For example, thirty-one million Americans are reported to experience low back pain at any given time; that a third of all Americans over the age of 18 have had back problems in the past five years severe enough to require professional help, and the cost of such treatment is estimated to be approximately US$50 billion annually. eleven
Ergonomists and physicians involved in the diagnosis and clinical management of neuromusculoskeletal pain have long recognized the relationship of risk factors to various painful and often disabling syndromes. But warning signs, ranging from mild to serious, are simply ignored or misunderstood.
Symptoms such as numbness, reduced joint mobility, swelling, burning, pain, tingling, redness, weakness, ringing in the ears and cracking or cracking of joints do not necessarily indicate the source of discomfort, and if left uncontrolled, the area of the body under stress may initiate downward spiral of general chronic pain. Understanding of this phenomenon is increasing among health care providers, who are taking steps to educate patients on how to report the intensity, duration, and location of their pain for faster and more accurate diagnosis.
Just like tie colors and skirt lengths, some pain styles become fashionable while others fall out of favor. So many acronyms (often containing the letter "R" for repetitive nature) are used to explain a wide variety of ailments and pains: RMI, RMD, RSI, OS, WRMSD 12 - we risk causing despair rather than igniting a spark of understanding in sufferers.
And despite the extensive scientific literature linking them to poor work postures, the above disorders do not fully elucidate the many interrelated factors that lead to their symptoms because, in general, humans are incredibly complex creatures. Putting a new spin on an old saying: we humans are much more than the sum of our body parts—ergonomists know this all too well.
Table 1 - Cumulative trauma disorders are divided into six groups. The diagnosis was made on the basis of many years of practice in identifying the root causes of pain, and not on the basis of a statement of symptoms. The difference in these approaches is significant: we either eliminate the cause or treat the consequences. The most important thing is that it is “repetition” that is highlighted as a source of discomfort when a stationary or “harmful” working posture becomes the root cause of the disease.
In any case, computer users who experience pain and discomfort over a long period of time are suffering from the negative effects of a variety of interrelated problems. Is it not logical to assume that their treatment should take into account all physiological aspects, like any strategy aimed at preventing them?
The trick is to start with what you have: your own body. When working on a computer, be aware of how your body interacts with the various elements involved in the task you are performing and how they, in turn, relate to each other: chair, desk, computer, keyboard and mouse, room temperature and lighting, ambient sounds , thickness and height of walls, etc.
Everything is designed to ensure your comfort; and how successful depends on a good design based on good research: anthropometric data distributed by sex, size and age, usually presented in tables such as the one below. Engineers and designers take these dimensions into account when designing furniture, appliances, tools, living rooms and even fast food restaurants.
The following illustration (Figure 4) shows a neutral head position relative to the natural direction of gaze and the recommended distance from the eyes to the computer screen, which is the longer the better. You can increase the font size if your comfort level does not fit into the general recommendations.
Fig.4
Focusing on close objects can cause eye strain. To focus on close objects, the extraocular muscles rotate the eyeballs inward and the ciliary muscles work to form a lens.
Prolonged viewing of close objects leads to visual strain and visual discomfort. One solution is to position a nearby object (computer screen) well below the user's eye level. While this may be effective in reducing eye strain on the user, it can unfortunately force the user to flex their neck, causing musculoskeletal discomfort. Fortunately, mounting the monitor at a minimum viewing distance and at an appropriate height relative to the user's eyes is effective in eliminating both visual and musculoskeletal discomfort for computer users. Refer to the footnote for text size calculations. 15
Figure 5 reflects the formula that proves the nature of the ergonomic problem with laptop computers:
If "y" represents the fifth percentile for women whose eye-to-elbow distance is 48 cm (as shown in Table 1 of this book), it is logical to assume that:
If your laptop screen is 15 inches diagonal,
and the screen aspect ratio is 4:3 (see footnote for an example of 16:9 image aspect ratio),
and the viewing distance is at least 50 cm,
then the viewing angle = 36.3 degrees.
But
since the ideal viewing range is 15 to 30 degrees below horizontal,
then the laptop screen is below the acceptable range limit.
Fig.5
Current research and technical standards recommend that monitor height be determined by the user's eye level; The top of the screen should be no higher than eye level, and the center of the screen should be approximately 15-30? below user eye level. A simple way to estimate the angle between eye level and the center of the screen is to measure the distance between the user's eyes and the screen, and then the distance below horizontal eye level to the center of the screen. The distance to the center of the screen below eye level should be approximately half the viewing distance. 17
The evolution of the human-computer interface
Research on the human body has led scientists to recommend both the length of time certain positions can be maintained without fatigue leading to injury and the amount of time needed to recover from strenuous activities. These recommendations are based on a number of factors, including gender, age, dominant side of the body (left or right), and the amount of force required to move equipment associated with the activity. This data guides manufacturers when designing products that are convenient for us.
The first devices with CRT displays or video terminals, which appeared in the late 1960s, although an impressive new technology, were very poor from an ergonomic point of view. They were simply built into block boxes with a keyboard attached. Some progress was made in the second generation, when the keyboard was separated from the display terminal. In the early 1980s, several enterprising young companies saw the need to improve human interaction with these devices and began developing and offering tilt-and-swivel stands and mounts.
These devices offered many ergonomic benefits, including raising the monitor 75–100 mm (7–10 cm) above the desk surface to provide better viewing for most people; they also provided tilt and swivel functions for the monitor.
Within five years, or by 1988, this technology had spread throughout the world. By that time, virtually all CRT monitors produced came standard from the factory with the now familiar accessory - a plastic tilt and swivel bowl.
Unfortunately, advances in computer monitor ergonomics did not materialize for the next 15 years. This was during a period when computer work had the dubious honor of being the most stressful occupation in American industry, according to the US Government's Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
Additionally, during this period, the science of ergonomics became much more widely accepted and put into practice as people began to recognize the rise in health problems associated with working on these computers. Standards organizations in different countries have also become involved in improving the plight of computer operators by harmonizing data such as in Table 3.
The advent of the adjustable desktop mount for flat-panel monitors represents the greatest improvement in the human-computer interface since the advent of video imaging technology more than forty years ago. For the first time, computer users were able to adjust their computer display for optimal viewing.
Adjustable support surfaces for laptops, screens, and input devices typically require the user to operate controls, lock/release the support in position, or position the device. The effort required to operate these devices can be a significant barrier for older people or workers with disabilities.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) strongly recommends that such forces should not exceed 5 lbf (22.5 N). 19
Figure 6 shows an ergonomically correct portable computer mount designed to tilt, swivel and rotate the screen with no more than 2.32 kg of force - an amount that can be comfortably applied by the left hand of an average fifty-year-old woman and, equally, , an amount consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
sewing. This can lead to sensory, emotional and intellectual overload.
When studying the connections between the operator and the machine, it is necessary to keep in mind that they are carried out primarily through information interaction. At the same time, the information interaction itself takes into account:
3 features of the input function, on which ensuring the input of information into the human senses depends;
3 features of the control function carried out by the central nervous system and depending on its condition;
3 features of the output function, which in most cases are realized through the sensorimotor organs and the human muscular system, and also depend on their functional state.
Computerization today is considered to be a panacea - only a computer can improve the efficiency of education and industry, banking and trade, and unite the whole world via the Internet. However, computerization also brings with it new problems. And one of the most important is environmental. Many words have been said in print and in other media about the harmful effects of computers on the health of users. The environmental problem of computerization has two components. The first is determined by the physiological characteristics of a person’s work at a computer, the second by the technical parameters of computerization tools. These components – “human” and “technical” – are closely intertwined and interdependent.
Research on such problems is the subject of ergonomics, the science of human interaction, the main goal of which is the creation of perfect and safe technology, maximally focused on people, organization of the workplace, and labor prevention.
4 Ergonomics of working at a computer
Nowadays, when the safety problems of working with a computer are extremely acute, many different standards are emerging for the environmental safety of personal computer equipment.
To make your work comfortable and safe, you need to take care of your computer hardware. As a rule, the greatest harm to the health of a computer user is caused by input/output devices (keyboard), mouse, monitor, etc.
The design of the workplace must ensure the optimal position of the worker, which is achieved by adjusting the height (Figure 7):
working surface;
seats;
legroom;
footrests.
When organizing a workplace, it is necessary to take into account that the design of the workplace, its dimensions and the relative position of its elements (controls, information display devices, chairs, auxiliary equipment)
mineralization, etc.) must correspond to the anthropometric, physiological and psychophysiological data of a person, as well as his character.
Figure 7 – Optimal position for working at a computer
Table. Large enough to fit your keyboard, mouse, monitor and work documents,
Monitor. The upper border is at eye level or not lower than 15 cm below eye level; monitor and document holder directly in front of the user, not to the side; approximately at arm's length from the user.
Mouse and keyboard. Use keyboard and mouse stands to keep your wrists relaxed.
Armchair. Adjustable chair. Back under the lower back. Possibility of rotation to reach far away objects. Sufficient space under the chair and table to comfortably bend and straighten your knees.
Position at the computer. Place your feet flat on the floor or on a footrest. Slightly arch your lower back, leaning on your back. Hold your head so that your ears are exactly in line with your shoulders and hips. Your arms should be placed comfortably at your sides. Sit so that your shoulder line is directly above your hip line. Rest your forearms on the padded armrests at such a height that your wrists are slightly lower than your elbows. The elbows are bent and approximately 3 cm from the body. Your wrists should be in a neutral position.
The organization of the workplace must ensure a stable position and freedom of movement for the worker, safety in performing labor operations.
tions, exclude or allow, in rare cases, short-term work in uncomfortable positions (characterized, for example, by the need to lean forward or to the sides, squat, work with outstretched or highly raised arms, etc.), causing increased fatigue.
So, computer technology is developing especially rapidly today, so ergonomics and ergonomists are faced with more and more new tasks regarding the organization of safe and comfortable conditions for people working at computers, in the direction of increasing labor productivity, strengthening emotional and personal health.
_______________________
For additional material on the topic, see here.
Self-study questions
1. Give useful tips on how to properly rest during work
2. What is the ergonomics of the room, interior and office equipment?
3. Indicate how to properly arrange a workplace in the office and select office equipment.
4. What is “office fashion” and why is it needed?
5. Consider the influence of color on a person’s mental well-being.
Bibliography
1. Dushkov, B. A. Psychology of labor, professional, information and organizational activities [Text]: words. / B. A. Dushkov, B. A. Smirnov, A. V. Korolev. – M.: Academic project: “Mir” Foundation, 2005. – 848 p.
2. 3inchenko, V. P. Introduction to ergonomics [Text] / V. P. 3inchenko. – M.: Academic project, 1974. – 348 p.
3. Lomov, B. F. Ergonomic foundations of labor organization [Text] / B. F. Lomov. – M.:
Moscow, 1974. – 352 p.
4. Runge, V. F. Ergonomics and interior equipment [Text] / V. F. Runge. – M.: Ar-
hitektura-S, 2005. – 332 p.
5. Singleton, V. T. Man and technology [Text] / V. T. Singleton. – M.: Education, 1966. – 432 p.
A common cause of various visual impairments and muscle pain is illiterate organization of work at the computer.
The wrong thing is easy to check: if at the end of the day you get up from your PC and feel tired in your back, your neck is stiff and your legs hurt, then this means that you need to change your position and retrain yourself to sit in a chair correctly. You shouldn’t expect that by buying an expensive computer chair, you will radically change the situation.
The fact is that a person’s vision decreases with age. This is a generally accepted fact and no one can influence such processes, because it is impossible to stop the aging of the body. However, you can prolong the performance of vital organs. If the user sees poorly and begins to reach for the monitor, then this is completely wrong. You cannot sit with your nose to the monitor, move your neck forward, throw your head back, look through the bottom of your glasses at the screen, cross your legs, or move far away from the screen. An uncomfortable posture leads to muscle pain and illness in the future.
Important: according to the set of SanPiN rules, scientists have developed ideal instructions for users of personal computers, following which a person must be in a certain position and work in the correct position, this is the only way to avoid common health problems.
Organization of the workplace according to SanPiN
For an effective and fruitful working day, you must follow simple rules. We have selected the most relevant expert advice especially for you:
- The monitor should be positioned exactly opposite the user at a distance of 60-70 cm, it is important that you are not closer than 50 cm. Your back must be kept straight so that you can look at the top and bottom of the screen without any problems. If it’s hard to see at a distance of 60-70 cm, then adjust the font, scale and other parameters for convenience.
- The work table should have a surface of 70 to 80 cm, and there should be enough legroom under the table.
- There are a lot of chairs on sale and you could write a book on this topic. Therefore, when choosing, pay attention to two main parameters: the presence of height adjustment and an ergonomic back that supports the spine in the correct position.
- Legs and arms should be free. Use armrests to prevent your hands from getting too hot or tired. Always keep your back and head straight. Every twenty minutes, look away from the monitor, giving your eyes a break.
- The keyboard should be 10-30 cm from the edge of the table.
