Microsoft ZV7-00009 Getting Started Manual page 8

To support your back, try the following:
● Use a chair that supports your lower back (see
detail ).
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● Adjust your work surface and chair height to
assume a comfortable and natural body posture
(see detail ).
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To promote comfortable leg postures, try the
following:
● Clear away items from beneath your desk to allow
comfortable leg positioning and movement.
● Use a footrest if your feet do not rest comfortably on the floor.
To minimize reaching and to promote comfortable shoulder and arm postures,
try the following:
● Place your keyboard and mouse or trackball at
the same height; these should be at about elbow
level. Your upper arms should fall relaxed at your
sides (see detail ).
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● When typing, center your keyboard in front of you
with your mouse or trackball located close to it
(see detail ).
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● Place frequently used items comfortably within
arm's reach (see detail ).
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To promote proper wrist and finger postures, try
the following:
● Keep your wrists straight while typing and while
using a mouse or trackball. Avoid bending your
wrists up, down, or to the sides. If your keyboard
has legs, extend them if this helps you maintain a
comfortable and straight wrist position.
● Type with your hands and wrists floating above the
keyboard, so that you can use your whole arm to
reach for distant keys instead of stretching your fingers.
To minimize neck bending and twisting, try the following:
● Position the top of the screen near eye level (see
detail ). Bifocal wearers may need to lower the
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screen or talk to a qualified health professional
about glasses customized for computer work.
● Center your monitor in front of you. If you refer
to your documents more frequently than your
monitor, consider placing your documents directly
in front of you and the monitor slightly to the side.
● Consider using a document holder to position your
documents near eye level.
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To minimize eye strain, try the following:
● Position your monitor about an arm's length away from you when seated
comfortably in front of it.
● Avoid glare by placing your monitor away from light sources that produce glare, or
use window blinds to control light levels.
● Remember to clean your screen. If you wear glasses, clean them also.
● Adjust your monitor's brightness and contrast.
● Adjust onscreen font sizes to make viewing more comfortable for you, if your
computer program has this feature.
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Physical forces continuously interact with our bodies. We may think that only high-
impact forces, such as car crashes, are likely to injure our bodies. However, low-impact
forces may also result in injuries, discomfort, and fatigue if they are repeated or
experienced over long periods of time.
Some types of low-impact forces include:
Dynamic force: A force that you exert through movement, such as pressing the keys
while typing or clicking the mouse buttons.
Static force: A force that you maintain for a period of time, such as holding your
mouse or cradling the phone.
Contact force: A force that occurs when you rest on an edge or hard surface, such as
resting your wrists on the edge of your desk.
To reduce the effects of low-impact forces on your body, try the following:
● Type with a light touch, keeping your hands and fingers relaxed, because it takes
little effort to activate keyboard keys.
● Use a light touch when clicking a mouse button or when using a joystick or other
gaming controller.
● Hold the mouse with a relaxed hand and do not grip the mouse tightly.
● Avoid resting your palms or wrists on any type of
surface while typing (see detail ). The palm rest,
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if provided, should only be used during breaks
from typing.
● Relax your arms and hands when you are not
typing or using your mouse. Do not rest your
arms and hands on edges, such as the edge of
your desk.
● Adjust your chair so the seat does not press into
the back of your knees (see detail ).
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