Kinesis KB510USB USB Contoured Ergonomic Keyboards - Manual (Page 37)

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PPENDIX A
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RGONOMIC
G
UIDELINES
Adapting tools and environments to reflect human capabilities — the science of ergonomics — is crucial to
enhancing comfort and reducing injury. Ergonomics also makes an important contribution by educating
people in the safe, healthy use of technology products.
As a result, ergonomic issues involve many aspects of the work environment. No single product can be
expected to provide a solution for all of the varied ergonomic concerns in the workplace.
Your experiences with a Kinesis keyboard will be affected by a number of non-keyboard factors, including
your stress level, the chair you sit in, and the desk and other work surfaces in your office. In fact, hand and
arm injuries can result from elements of your workstation other than your keyboard.
To enhance the comfort of your work environment, Kinesis has joined with Herman Miller, Inc. to provide
guidance for creating an ergonomically appropriate workspace.
The following ergonomic guidelines are reprinted with the permission of Herman Miller, Inc. These
guidelines include references to ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standards. They do not
constitute research conducted by Kinesis.
Introduction by Herman Miller, Inc.
The position and location of the furniture and equipment in your office are related to the size and shape of
your body. For example, when you adjust the height of your chair so that your feet rest flat on the floor, you
may find that your work surface is too high. To work comfortably, you must make a series of adjustments to
the components around you.
Start by adjusting your chair. Go on to adjust your work surfaces and finally your computer equipment.
Remember, if you experience discomfort while working, consult a health care professional.
Adjusting your chair
Adjusting the Seat Height of your Chair
Seat height means the distance from the floor to the top of your chair’s seat when you are sitting in your chair.
First, sit in your chair in a comfortable, upright position. Adjust your seat height up or down so that your feet
rest comfortably flat on the floor and your thighs are approximately parallel to the floor. If your feet dangle
slightly and the backs of your thighs press hard on the front of the seat, the chair is probably too high. If your
knees are elevated and your thighs don’t touch the front of the seat, the chair is probably too low.
If you like to lean back when working, try it now. If your heels are lifted off the floor, consider lowering your
chair. If your heels rise as you push off with your feet to lean back, consider loosening your chair’s tilt
tension.
If you like to sit forward, try it now. If you must tuck your feet in or stick them out in front of you, consider
raising your chair. If you feel the chair seat gives too much, consider tightening your chair’s tilt tension.
When you have adjusted your chair, take a look at the standard ranges recommended by ANSI. Compare the
position of your chair with the ANSI ranges.
ANSI-Recommended Seating
1. Seat height should range from 16” to 20.5”. This refers to how high the chair seat should be with a
person’s weight pressing on the cushions.
2. Seat depth for chairs with rectangular cushions or chairs made of hard materials should range from 15” to
17”. Seat depth refers to the distance from the front edge to the back edge of the seat cushion. Seat depth
can be greater if the front edge of the seat is soft or curved.
3. Seat width should be at least 18.2” measured across the middle of the seat. Seat width refers to the side-to-
side distance across the seat cushion.
4. Distance between armrests should be at least 18.2” measured between the inner edges of the armrests.
5. The backrest should be at least 12” wide in the lower back area.
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