The right workstation is critical for creating a safe and healthy work environment and can have a huge impact on all employees, especially those with a disability. The UK has a long tradition of health and safety legislation, but recent figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that 28.2 million working days are lost due to work-related illness or workplace injury each year. How we set up our workstations might be partly to blame for this.

Top ten tips for a comfortable workstation

  1. Move the chair close to the workstation.
  2. Sit upright, supported by the chair’s back support.
  3. Incline the seat 5-10° downwards.
  4. Sit with feet flat on the floor, or supported by a footstool.
  5. Sit directly in front of the computer screen and keyboard to avoid neck twisting.
  6. Position screens at eye level (laptops should be raised and use a separate keyboard) and look into the far distance every few minutes to vary focal length and avoid eyestrain.
  7. Check the direction of the light source to avoid glare or reflections on the screen. Place the screen at right angles to the window when possible.
  8. Relax shoulders, periodically check they do not become tense, rise up or hunch.
  9. Let upper arms hang down naturally from shoulders – there should be a right angle at your elbow when typing.
  10. Never use keyboard or mouse wrist rests for permanently resting your wrists on while you are working.

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