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Desk, chair and posture

How to adjust

Seat height
  • Your chair needs to be at a height so that your forearms are parallel to or slightly above the desk with your shoulders relaxed and elbows at approximately 90 degrees.
  • Adjust seat height so that feet are flat on the floor, knees bent at right angles and thighs parallel to the floor.
  • If your feet don’t rest comfortably on the floor, use a footrest.
 Chair
 
  • Make sure the chair has a 5 star base support.
  • Ensure that the chair is height adjustable.
  • Check out how the adjustments on the chair work so you can set it up as per your requirement.
  • A chair with no arm rests is highly recommended as it enables you to sit in close to the desk.
 Sitting posture
 
  • An upright or slightly reclined posture is recommended – maintain hollow in the lower back.
  • Make sure your chin is tucked in towards the chest and aligned with the spine rather than poking forwards or upwards.
 Back rest
  •  Adjust backrest (vertically) so it supports the (lumbar) curve of the lower back and adjust the back tilt to allow you to sit upright (90-100 degrees

Seat tilt
  • Adjust the seat tilt to be horizontal or slightly forward to be comfortable
  • Not all chairs have a seat tilt adjustment – this is OK as long as you can maintain a right angle between your thigh and trunk.

Arm rests
  •  A chair with arm rests is not recommended for keyboarding. If they interfere with the operation of the keyboard or result in you having to reach to use the keyboard consider a chair without arm rests.

 Leg clearance

 

  • The space under your desk should be sufficient to allow free leg movement without obstruction.
  • Your desk height should provide adequate clearance for your legs to allow close access to the work task.
  • The guidelines for desk size are: minimum depth 550mm x minimum width 800mm.

 Desktop layout

 

  • Place all controls and task materials within a comfortable reach of both hands to avoid unnecessary twisting of any part of the body.
  • Sit with the computer, keyboard and mouse directly in front of you.