HP e-Vectra - Manual (Page 10)

Comfort and Safety Checklist
10
Co
m
fo
rt
a
nd
S
af
et
y
Ch
ec
kl
is
t
• Hands, Wrists, Forearms - Try to keep your hands wrists and forearms
in a relaxed neutral position when using your mouse keyboard or other
input devices. For example, while using your keyboard and mouse, rest
your forearms (flat) on your desktop.
• Legs - Your thighs should be horizontal or angled slightly downward.
Your lower legs should be near a right angle to your thighs. Make sure
there is sufficient room under the work surface for your legs.
• Fee t - If after adjusting your chair you cannot rest your feet comfortably
on the floor, use a footrest, preferably one that can be adjusted in height
and angle.
Overall
• Look away from the screen from time-to-time to help reduce eyestrain.
Focus on distant objects briefly, and blink periodically to lubricate your
eyes. You also should have your eyes checked on a regular basis and
ensure your eyeglass prescription is suitable for working on a computer
monitor.
• Remember to occasionally shift position and move your body. Keeping
your body in one position for long periods is unnatural and stressful.
When prolonged work is required, take frequent short breaks. As a rule
of thumb, a five or ten minute break every hour is a good idea. Short
frequent breaks are more beneficial than longer less frequent breaks.
Data show that people who work for long periods of time without a
break may be more prone to ergonomic injury.
• Changing tasks frequently will help prevent muscle stiffness. Examples:
alternating between keyboarding, reading, writing, filing, and moving
around in your work environment, helps you maintain a relaxed
posture. Occasionally stretch the muscles in your hands, arms,
shoulders, neck and back. You should stretch at least as often as you
take brief task breaks—at least once every hour.
• Discomfort may be alleviated by using alternative ergonomic designs
and accessories such as ergonomically personalized chairs, palm rests,
keyboard trays, alternative input devices, prescription eyeglasses, anti-
glare screens, and more. Seek additional information from the sources
available to you, including your employer, doctor, local office supply
store, and the Information Sources listed in the online version of
Wo rking in Comfort, preloaded on the hard disk of your HP computing
equipment or available on the HP web site: www.hp.com/ergo