3–6
Safety & Comfort Guide
Arranging Your Work Area
Arm Supports and Palm Rest
You may find that supports for your forearms or hands
allow you to be more relaxed and comfortable.
Supporting Your Forearms
Some chairs provide padded areas for resting your arms.
You may find it comfortable to support your forearms on
these padded areas while typing, pointing, or pausing. If
your work surface is deep enough, you also may find it
comfortable to use your work surface as a support area
(with your keyboard and monitor moved back to create a
comfortable space for your forearms).
Chair or work surface forearm support is properly
adjusted for typing when your shoulders are relaxed; each
forearm is evenly supported and is still free to move while
typing; and your wrists are in a comfortable, neutral
position. The support is not adjusted properly if your
shoulders are elevated or drooped; you feel pressure on
one or both elbows; your elbows are extended out to your
sides; your wrists, forearms, or elbows are anchored and
fixed while typing; or your wrists are markedly bent.
Another option is to use forearm supports only when
pausing, allowing your forearms and hands to float freely
while typing and pointing. In this case, the support is
properly adjusted when it is slightly below your forearm
typing position but close and available for pauses (such as
when you are reading from the screen). Experiment with
the height of your arm supports to find which approach is
most comfortable for you. Let the comfort of your neck,
shoulders, elbows, arms and wrists be your guide.
AVOID!
Armrests should not
cause you to:
◆
Elevate or droop
your shoulders.
◆
Lean excessively
onto one or both
elbows.
◆
Extend your
elbows out to the
sides.
◆
Anchor your
wrists, forearms,
or elbows while
typing.
◆
Markedly bend
your wrists.
◆
Sit too far away
from your
keyboard or
pointing device.
RIGHT
Forearm supports
are properly
adjusted when your
shoulders are
relaxed, your
forearms are
supported (yet free
to move while
typing), and your
wrists are in a
comfortable,
neutral position.