3–2
Safety & Comfort Guide
Arranging Your Work Area
Monitor
You will reduce eye strain and muscle fatigue in your neck,
shoulders, and upper back by properly positioning your
monitor and adjusting its angle.
Positioning the Monitor
Place the monitor directly in front of you (
refer to Chapter
3, in the section “Papers and Books”
). To determine a
comfortable viewing distance, stretch your arm toward the
monitor and notice the location of your knuckles. Place
your monitor near that location. If needed, move the
monitor closer or farther away, until you can clearly and
comfortably see the displayed text (
refer to Chapter 2, in
the section “Eyes”
).
Adjusting the Monitor Height
Your monitor position should allow your head to be
balanced comfortably over your shoulders. It should not
cause your neck to bend forward uncomfortably or
backward to any degree. You may find it more
comfortable to position the monitor so that the top line of
text is just below your eye height. Your eyes should look
slightly downward when viewing the middle of the screen.
Many computer designs allow you to place the monitor on
top of the system unit. If this places the monitor too high,
you may want to move the the monitor to the desktop. On
the other hand, if the monitor sits on your work surface
and you feel any discomfort in your neck or upper back,
the monitor may be too low. In that case, try using a block,
book, or monitor stand to raise the monitor.
Tilting the Monitor
Tilt the monitor so that it faces your eyes. In general, the
monitor screen and your face should be parallel to each
other. To check for correct monitor tilt, have someone hold
a small mirror in the center of the viewing area. When
sitting in your normal work posture, you should be able to
see your eyes in the mirror.
TIP
Eye height
Your eye height will
change considerably
whether you use a
reclining or upright
posture, or some
posture in between.
Remember to adjust
your monitor’s height
and tilt each time
your eye height
changes as you
move through your
comfort zone.
Adjusting
brightness and
contrast
Reduce the potential
for eye discomfort by
using brightness and
contrast controls on
your monitor to
improve the quality
of text and graphics.
AVOID!
If you look at the
monitor more than
you look at paper
documents, avoid
placing your monitor
to the side.
