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Desks
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Desk
Quick Tips |
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- Desk surface should allow
you to place the monitor directly
in front of you, at least
20 inches away.
- Avoid storing items, such
as a CPU, under desks.
- Desks should be able to
accommodate a variety of working
postures.
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A well-designed and appropriately-adjusted
desk will provide adequate clearance for your legs, allow
proper placement of computer components and accessories,
and minimize awkward postures and exertions. The
installation, setup, and configuration of comfortable
and productive workstations involves the following considerations:
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Figure 1.
Poor mouse and keyboard placement
because of desktop clutter |
Potential
Hazards
- Limited space on the work surface may cause
users to place components and devices in undesirable
positions. This placement may lead to awkward
postures as you reach for a pointer/mouse
or look at a monitor that is placed to the side.
Figure 2.
Corner units provide additional
depth and
workspace |
Possible
Solutions
- Work surface depth should
allow you to:
- View the monitor at a distance of at
least 20 inches (50 cm), and
- Position the
monitor
to achieve the appropriate viewing
angle, which is generally directly in
front of you.
- Using a corner rather than a straight run of
desk may provide additional space and depth to
accommodate large monitors or multiple items.
- The location of frequently-used devices (keyboard,
phone, and mouse) should remain within the repetitive
access (primary work zone) (Figure 3).
Figure 3.
Recommended zones for workplace components |
Potential
Hazard
- Some desks and computer equipment have hard,
angled leading edges that come in contact with
a user's arm or wrist (Figure 4). This can create
contact
stress, affecting nerves and blood vessels,
possibly causing tingling and sore fingers.
Figure 4.
Contact stress from the table edge |
Possible
Solutions
To
minimize contact stress,
- Pad table edges with inexpensive materials
such as pipe insulation,
- Use a wrist
rest, and
- Buy furniture with rounded desktop edges.
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Figure 5. Clutter under work top limits
space for legs and chair positioning |
Potential
Hazard
- Inadequate clearance or space under the work surface
may result from poor design or excessive
clutter. Regardless of the cause it can result in discomfort and performance inefficiencies,
such as the following:
- Shoulder, back, and neck pain due to users
sitting too far away from computer components,
causing them to reach to perform computer
tasks; and
- Generalized fatigue, circulation restrictions,
and contact
stress due to constriction of movement
and inability to frequently change postures.
Possible
Solutions
- Provide, to the extent possible, adequate
clearance space for users to frequently change
working postures (see
recommended dimensions). This space should
remain free of items such as files, CPUs, books,
and storage (Figure 6).
Figure 6.
Diagram of clearance area under a work surface |
- Be sure clearance spaces under all working
surfaces accommodates at least two of the three
seated reference
working postures, one of which must be the
upright seated posture.
- Limit the number of items that are stored
under the work surface. There should be no items
stored that will limit the space needed for
workers' legs and feet.
Potential Hazard
- Desk surfaces that are too high or too low
may lead to awkward postures, such as extended
arms to reach the keyboard, and raised shoulders.
Possible
Solutions
Figure 7.
Footrest |
- Raise work surfaces by inserting stable risers
such as boards or concrete blocks under the
desk legs if necessary.
- Remove center drawers of conventional desks
to create additional thigh clearance if necessary.
- Lower work surfaces by cutting off desk legs
if necessary. If the work surface cannot be
lowered, raise the chair
to accommodate the user. If needed, provide
a footrest to support the user's feet (Figure
7).
- Provide height-adjustable desks. Clearance
for the legs, under the desktop, should
generally be between 20-28 inches (50-72 cm)
high.
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