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IPM’s Physiotherapist Michael Roberts has
designed a 21st century ergonomic office chair from his 20 years
of experience in occupational health, safety & ergonomics.
The Physio Chair™ encourages and supports a semi-reclined
working posture which improves back, neck & shoulder posture
while reducing muscle tension. People who use the Physio Chair
tell us their soreness disappears and they are comfortable at last. Our exclusive reseller for the Physio Chair™ is Perform
Ergonomics. For more information or a FREE ONE WEEK TRIAL of the
Physio Chair™ please call Ali Roberts at Perform Ergonomics
(0410 431 397) or go to the Perform
Ergonomics Website. To download the Physio Chair™ brochure – click here. |
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Created by Michael Roberts, Consulting Physiotherapist, IPM ©2006
To
help prevent neck and back injuries when using your computer, here are
ten useful tips from the physiotherapists of the Australian
Physiotherapy Association.
- Firstly, invest in a good, adjustable and comfortable office chair. Pull your chair close to the work surface and adjust your seat height so your elbows, hips and knees are roughly at 90 degrees and your forearms are parallel to, or sloping down toward the desktop. Your feet should rest flat on the floor. Use a sturdy footrest to achieve this if necessary. Adjust the backrest of your chair to support the curve in your lower back and to help keep you upright when typing.
- Now sit up straight and position your computer screen at a comfortable viewing distance, generally at arm's length. Adjust the screen distance slightly forward or back to suit your own eye focus if necessary. Have the top of the screen up at eye level and directly in front of you. Do not use your screen positioned to one side. (If you use bifocal/multifocal glasses you probably need the screen lower to avoid your head nodding.)
- Set your document holder close to the screen at the same distance from your eyes (adjust as necessary). If you do not have a computer holder prop your work on a folder between the keyboard and screen. Do not keep your copy on the desk beside the keyboard.
- Avoid looking directly at a light source (eg an unshielded window) and check that light does not reflect off the screen from a surface behind you making the screen image harder to see. This will make you crane your neck. Keeping your screen vertical will also help minimise reflections.
- Do not use a laptop for extended periods. If this is unavoidable then elevate the screen or plug in a monitor and plug in a mouse and a normal size keyboard.
- Keep the mouse next to the keyboard at all times; keep both items close to the front edge of the desktop. Don't stretch forward to reach the mouse or keyboard; they bite!
- Limit continuous computer use and take a break every 30 minutes to do some neck, wrist, shoulder stretches and long distance focussing. Get up and walk around every hour. Change your tasks to alter the load on your body.
- Learn to touch type so you don't have to bend your neck forward searching for keys. Vary your inputting task to include keyboard and mouse work. Learn the keyboard short-cuts and function keys to reduce the amount of mouse use.
- Maintain your general fitness. Keep yourself strong, flexible and manage the stresses of work and/or study with a balance of exercise, relaxation or other stress management approaches.
- Take notice of early warnings! If you feel an ache or discomfort in any part of your body, check your posture, sit up tall, use the backrest to rest against, take a break and if the pain continues, see a physiotherapist.
Adapted by Michael Roberts, Physiotherapist, IPM, from the original by the Australian Physiotherapy Association, ©2007 IPM
Ergonomic
Chairs: Choosing Them and Using Them
Ergonomic chairs are a key "tool-of-the-trade" for office work. The selection, adjustment and periodic replacement of ergonomic chairs are often a neglected component in the prevention of Occupational Overuse Syndrome (also known as Repetition Strain Injury or "RSI", or Cumulative Trauma Disorder or "CTD").
Many offices and factories we visit have poor ergonomic chairs. They are often old, in bad condition and are not set to accommodate anyone's good posture - let along whoever it was who used it last.
Chair Design
The range of available ergonomic chairs is always changing; there are always chairs on the market with poor adjustment mechanisms, with seat depths too long for shorter workers and with inadequate back support. There are a myriad of design features we won't go into here. But there are several design features to check.
In general we recommend a medium-sized backrest for most users, high backrests may be useful for individuals who want good upper back and shoulder support; and small backrests still have favour with some experienced typists.
The size and shape of the seat itself is crucial; for average sized men and women a seat depth of around 450mm will suit. The front edge should be a 'waterfall' shape; curved over in front slightly to reduce pressure on the blood vessels on the underside of the thigh. For taller users a longer seat pan is recommended - ask your supplier to provide one (and change suppliers if they can't/won't!)
The gas-lift pylon can be short, medium or tall if you request one different to the one that's fitted as standard (usually medium height). There a 5 basic sizes of gas pylons; the size relating to their range of motion; most chairs are fitted with a size 3.
Arm-rests are a preference feature and should be offered if shoulder relaxation can be achieved, or if requested by the employee. Ensure that the shape of the arm-rests will not impede the users' access to the desk. Adjustable height armrests are preferable if armrests are to be selected at all.
Lifespan & chair replacement
The average lifespan of an ergonomic chair depends on its mechanism, its structural integrity and the resilience of its foam. Without repair or reupholstering, a decent ergonomic chair, regularly used should last 5 - 7 years. Some chairs last a lot longer than this time-span. In "24/7"- type, constant use environments such as call centres, ergonomic chairs often only last 1 - 2 years due to their heavy use. Purchasing a more robust chair is critical for these workplaces. A high resilience rating of all components is required such as AFARDI level 5 or 6. (AFARDI is an independent Australian furniture testing facility).
Most offices have a wide range of ergonomic chairs. We find that chairs are often old and worn out - or at least past their "use-by" dates. When chairs are worn out, they are difficult and awkward to adjust, have insufficient adjustments or have foam that does not provide comfortable support for seated employment. Worn out and inadequate chairs lead to increased strain on the users' back, neck, shoulders, arms or legs. The more frequently an individual works on an unsound chair the more risk of developing some form of cumulative strain injury.
IPM encourages clients to institute a routine budget for the turnover of chairs on a 5 - 7 yearly basis. Some chairs even come with a 5 year warranty. In workplaces where the chair is a frequently used tool-of-the-trade we recommend that the chair be selected by the user. Different shaped chairs can be made to look uniform by being covered with the same fabric.
The Selection Process
We suggest that chair selection by the users should involve testing 2, 3 or more different, ergonomically sound chairs of equivalent price range (on a week long trial basis from the supplier(s)).
Look for chairs with 5 year warranty; confirm which parts are covered by the warranty. Ask the supplier what the AFARDI rating is of the chair. The highest current rating is a 6.
To get an effective test, employees should be instructed in how to adjust their chair and encouraged to adjust position frequently for their comfort (and so they remember how to adjust the thing!) This can be initiated in a staff meeting or just communicated via a sheet that circulates with the trial chairs. The employees try out the chairs and list their preferred model or models.
Setting up the chair
The first key setting of the chair is the seat height. This is usually the front lever on the right hand side of the chair. The correct height is generally achieved when the user's elbows are at (or just above) the keyboard height. (If the elbows are below keyboard height the user tends to unconsciously hunch up their shoulders to lift their arms a little).
If this height lifts the user's feet off the floor they may be most comfortable using a footrest. Well supported feet mean better low back support and better neck/shoulder posture. If the feet are not well supported the user's bottom tends to slide away from the backrest and this hunches their posture and can lead to soreness developing (especially back, neck & shoulder pain).
The next key setting is the height of the backrest. Most people let their backrest drop down too low - which gives inadequate support to their low back or their shoulders. Raise the backrest height so that the curve of the backrests fits snugly into the user's small of the back.
Now set the angle of the backrest. We recommend a slightly reclined posture at 100-110 degrees, rather than the old 90 degree upright posture. This allows the user to REST on the backrest. And the users neck and shoulder muscles are less tense as well (we've tested this using Electro Myography EMG measuring devices). On some older chairs the lever for the backrest angle also controls the angle of the seat pan (don't buy such chairs!). This makes it difficult for inexperienced users and is a disincentive to adjusting the chair.
©2007 IPM
How to set up your Workstation
The Key Elements of healthy seated work posture.
- Feet well supported on the floor (or on a footstool); change position often; try one foot forward, one back. There should be no pressure under your thigh from the seat edge.
- Working surface/keyboard and mouse just below elbow height; keep the keyboard & mouse close to the front edge of the desk.
- Low back supported; backrest should be raised and firmly support the small of your back.
- Sit tall and raise the screen to face height; keep your head and chest up; if you let yourself slouch forward you're asking for a pain in the neck.
- Sometimes recline;
Other Points for Computer Users
- Adjust your chair position often;
- The top of the screen should be at eye level or slightly below (15 degrees at most) unless you wear bifocal or multifocal glasses then the screen should be low so you don't nod your head to look at the screen;
- Put the screen surface at around arm's reach to stop neck and eye strain;
- Ensure that copy and reference documents are angled up on a holder either at screen level or immediately under the screen.
- keep the items you most frequently reach for within close reach (e.g. phone, folder, calculator, date stamp).
| Quick Checks
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Download the How
to Set up Your Computer 
Download the Chair
& Workstation Self Check
Download the Ergonomics
Chair and Products Preferred by IPM
Created by Michael Roberts, Consulting Physiotherapist, IPM ©2006