- Report any concerns to your supervisor early.
- Maintain neutral postures for different body parts as much as possible
- While performing desk work or computer work, be conscious of your sitting posture, your chair position, and how your arms are aligned with your work surface.
- Keep your wrists in neutral and avoid excessive deviations when typing or mousing.
- Position the keyboard slightly below elbow height.
- Adjust your chair as your tasks change through the day. Use forward tilt for desk
- work; recline while on the telephone conversing, maintain lumbar support.
- Use a headset for telephone work if more than 2 hours/day and simultaneous with computer.
- Keep your work area well organized. Avoid cluttering the area around your legs and feet.
- Keep commonly used items within near reach (14" to 24") and arranged in a half circle around you.
- Set up your document holder between the keyboard and monitor for easy viewing.
- Monitor how hard you are gripping your hand tools or keying and lighten up.
- Float your hands and wrists over the keyboard. Lift from the elbow to reach the mouse.
- Move from the shoulders when typing and using the mouse to activate large muscle groups.
- Change your position often (every 30 minutes to hourly).
- Alternate your work tasks throughout your workday.
- Make adjustments to your workstation to suit your position.
- Recognize early signs of muscle fatigue, and stretch or change your task.
- Rest your eye muscles.
- Maintain good flexibility and strength. Stretch while at work and walk around the department. Stretch every 30 minutes for up to 5 minutes during a repetitive task.
- Ice an area if it is aching during or after work for at least 20 minutes/day.
- Sit in the same position for more than 60 minutes.
- Wait until you feel pain or discomfort to stop an activity.
- Sit with slouched posture over your desk.
- Do a repetitive task all at once.
- Pinch or grip excessively or pound your keyboard.
- Cradle the phone between your neck and shoulder.
- Keep your body, arms or legs in an awkward position for any length of time.
- Poise with your wrists in extension or lean your hands or forearms on a hard edge, surface or wrist rest.
- Hold onto your mouse or leave your hands at the keyboard if you are not actively using the tools.
- Use your mouse as pointer or line guide to read your monitor screen.
- Over reach with your fingers, arms or back.
- Complain if you haven't done all that you can to work in comfort.