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Sitting at the computer

• Your feet should not be dangling, but flat on the floor.  If this is not possible, a footrest is recommended. Your knees should be slightly higher than your hips.
• A chair with lumbar support is the optimum arrangement, if this is not available, back cushions can be obtained - even a rolled up towel can offer some support.
• Your back should be firmly supported by the back rest.
• Adjust the seat so that you can fit 3 fingers between the front of your seat and the back of your legs
• When extending your arms to the keyboard, your wrists should be parallel with your elbow, this minimizes strain on the muscles of your arm.
• The top of your monitor should be level with your eyes, or just slightly below eye level. The monitor should be approximately 50 - 70cm (19" - 27") from your eyes.
• Rest your wrists and hands when you are not typing, don't keep them in a typing position while reviewing work etc.
• Use document holders where possible. These should be placed at the same height beside the monitor and the same distance away as the monitor.
• It is recommended by many health professionals that a mini-break should be taken every 30 minutes for one or two minutes.  During this mini-break you should try to focus your eyes on a distant object and carry out gentle stretching exercises.  This could be as simple as getting out of your chair and walking a short distance and stretching your neck and arms.

Typist's chairs

• A good looking chair isn't necessarily the best choice.  If possible, your new chair should be fully adjustable i.e., controls for height, swivel, tilt.  A gas lift chair is the best choice as it offers some shock absorption.
• While armrests can be a very attractive option, they can sometimes get in the way while typing. Buy a chair that will at least allow you to remove the armrests.
• Try and test the chair out in a "real-life" situation i.e. with a desk and keyboard in the showroom and try "air-typing" for a while.  Most better office furniture stores will be equipped to allow this. If the chair feels even slightly uncomfortable after sitting in it for a minute, imaging what it will feel like after a couple of hours!
• Sometimes a chair may look and feel comfortable in the showroom, but after extended sitting may reveal incompatibilities.  Before you purchase a chair, enquire about a returns policy. Good quality stores will give you around 7 days to "test drive" a chair.

Computer desks

• The best kind of desk is the type with an adjustable keyboard/mouse area.  If this feature is not available on your desk, special clip on trays can be purchased.
• Organize your desk so that your most used pieces of equipment and paperwork are within arms reach.

Keyboard/Mouse

• Ensure that the retractable legs on your keyboard are pulled back, allowing the keyboard to lay flat.
• Use a keyboard with a wrist rest - these can also be purchased separately - these wrist rests really do work and greatly decrease fatigue and strain.
• Your mouse should fit comfortably and naturally in your hand without any need to move any of your fingers to reach a button.
• Ensure that the contacts inside your mouse are clean to allow for smooth use
• Keyboards and mice should be regularly disinfected as they are a breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria.
• Using the seating guidelines above, your keyboard should be the correct distance from you.

Monitor

• Your monitor screen should be regularly wiped over.  Fingerprints can cause slight picture distortions that will fatigue your eyes.
• Even a small amount of glare can cause serious eye fatigue as your vision will be constantly drawn towards the glare.  
• Using the seating guidelines above, your monitor should be the correct distance from your eyes.
• Most modern monitors allow for various presets.  As the light in many office environments will change throughout a day, you should have a preset for morning/midday/afternoon/evening.

Touch Typing Now will definitely help you with learning to touch type in 10 hours, and following a few basic keyboarding safety guidelines, you, your employees or students can look forward to many years of injury free typing! 

Happy Typing!
Hans