Positioning your Computer Monitor to a perfect height and distance that is comfortable for you (using an arm or lift mechanism) is crucial for maintaining ergonomic posture and positioning throughout your day. Most of your time at your desk is spent looking are your screen, hence utmost care should be given in choosing and appropriately placing it in your workstation.
Suitable positioning would help you reduce exposure to exertions, inept postures, and overhead glare. Possible health issues like extreme exhaustion, eyestrain and related disorders like itching and sties. Variations of the eye lens, and neck and back pain can be avoided by proper selection and arrangements of an ergonomic monitor and computer setup.
The positioning of the monitor should be in concurrence with the other components like the keyboard, desk, and chair, and other aspects of your workstation.
While using the Ergonomic Monitors, ensure the following:
- Ensure that it is in front of you and at least 20 inches away.
- Ensure that the top line of the screen is at or below your eye level.
- Ensure that the it is placed perpendicular to the window.
Fig 2 – The viewing distance
The viewing distance, viewing time, viewing angle, and viewing clarity have to be adjusted to get the best results.
Viewing Distance
Risks
- You tend to lean forward or move backward thus positioning yourself awkwardly to have a better view of the monitor. Ensure that the monitors are neither too close nor too far so as to strain your eyes.
- When you lean forward to view the monitor better, you are straining your eyes as well as your torso. Your backbone doesn’t get any support that causes severe pain on your shoulders and the back.
- If there is a tendency to move backward for better focus this will in turn cause convergence problem to your eyes. Also you may tend to tilt your head backward or push yourself away from the monitor in which case you may have to outstretch your arms to do the typing. This may cause pain in your arms, fingers, wrist, and elbow.
Solutions
- Position yourself at a secure distance from the computer screen wherein you can read all text without straining your eyes. Ensure that your head and torso are straight and your chair is firmly supporting the back. Ophthalmologists usually recommend a safe viewing distance between 20 and 40 inches (50 and 100 cm) from the eye to the front surface of the computer screen. If you still feel difficulty reading the text, increase its font size.
- There should be ample desk space between the user and the Ergonomic Monitor (table depth). If the desk space is not enough, here are some tips:
- Pull the desk away from the wall or the divider thus giving more space for the back of the monitor
- Normally flat-panel displays are used which requires less desk space and are not as deep as the conventional monitor.
- In order to make a deeper working surface, you can try installing an adjustable keyboard tray.
- Always remember to adjust the viewing distance between 20 and 40 inches.
- Flat-panel displays do not consume as much space as the conventional monitors
