Winnipeg Web Design

Office Ergonomics 101

Being a web developer with my own home-office has some great advantages, but at the start I did not put enough thought into how I was going to set it up. You have to remember that you will be spending a great deal of time in this office and you want to be as productive as possible. If you are uncomfortable, your productivity is sure to go down. Below are a few simple ideas to help you get the most out of your office.

1. Monitor Height
2. Room Lighting
3. Chair
4. Change positions regularly

(via http://www.working-well.org)

Monitor Height

Personally I am still using a Laptop to do all my web development work. I am not yet at the stage of getting a Desktop PC, but I would suggest that if possible get one. Desktops are made to be used for long stretches of time, and laptops don’t have this as one of their top worries. Laptops are “generally” more for short stretches to check email and keep connected while on the road.

To those of you who are forced to use a Laptop; I would highly recommend a Laptop stand to raise the monitor height. This prevents you from hunching over your laptop for 8 hours a day. I can speak from experience that this can cause extreme back pain.

A suggested monitor height is that the top of the screen be approximately eye level (maybe a little below). As well the monitor should be centered and your eyes should be 20-24″ away from the screen.

Room Lighting

Having the properly lighting in the room can make a big difference. You should avoid computing in the dark as the screen will seem quite bright and can ruin your eyes. On the other hand.. the lighting should not be too bright so that extreme glare shows up on the screen. A happy medium between the two is the best fit.

Chair

I would argue nothing is more important than a good quality chair. Imagine sitting on a stool for 8 hours a day… not something you want to try. Get a chair with some firm back support, ergonomic arm rests, and plenty of room to adjust. You want to be able to modify this chair to fit your needs.

This is one aspect I ignored for way too long. Remember don’t cheap out on this piece of furniture or you will pay in the long haul. A good chair can cost anywhere from $400 – $2000. Remember it’s no fun making money if you are in pain.

Change Positions Regularly

This is one point out of this list that maybe doesn’t seem like it belongs. We all know that being in any one position for too long can be painful. Every hour or so, consciously get up and take a little walk to get the mail, or get a snack/drink. Getting some fresh air and getting out of the chair can work wonders.

Conclusion

These are only a few guidelines I have researched, and found out from my personal experience. Please check out this Home Office Ergonomics article for more information.

What do you do to make your home-office a friendly place? Let me know in the comments below.

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Written by Brenley Dueck