1. Have you positioned your equipment to allow you to work comfortably?

Chair ..........................................................Yes or No
Chair height set so your arms are approximately horizontal when typing.
Seat tilt adjusted to support your thighs without pressure.
Back adjusted to support the small of your back.
Chair arms should not stop you getting close to your desk.
Feet able to rest on the floor - may need foot rest

Remove or lower chair arms if they are in the way. A different chair may be required in some cases.

Monitor ...............................................................Yes or No
Should be set 'face on' to you
Set the top of screen at your eye height when seated
Screen should be at least 40 cm from the desk edge

Lift or lower the screen and use swivel & tilt mechanism to achieve correct viewing angles. Place your screen on a stand or PC Base to achieve correct height if necessary

Keyboard ...........................................................Yes or No
Positioned to be directly in front of you when using it.
Is there space in front to rest your hands?

Try pushing the display screen further back, to create more room for the keyboard, hands and wrists.

Mouse .................................................................Yes or No
Use a mouse mat
Place your mat immediately adjacent to keyboard.
Is there free space to operate without stretching your arm or your cables snagging?
Do you have good mouse technique?

2. Do you have sufficient work space to be comfortable?

Chair.............................................Yes or No
Is there room to fit and move your legs under the table?

Move obstructions from under your desk.

Desktop..............................................................................Yes or No
Is there sufficient desk space to place papers for reference without having to twist your body?
Is there sufficient space in front of keyboard to rest hands.
Other frequently used equipment (telephone, etc.) should be within easy reach.

File away or clear off your desk any unnecessary paperwork, books etc.

4. Is your working environment comfortable?

Temperature, Ventilation & Humidity ....Yes or No
Is the room temperature comfortable for working in?
Do you get enough fresh air?
Does the room humidity appear comfortable (ie. Not to dry, not to damp)

A portable fan may be required for warm environments.
One or two potted houseplants may help to control low humidity, in addition to making the room seem pleasant.

Noise ........................................................Yes or No
Are noise levels low enough not to interfere with your concentration?

Noise levels experienced at a work station should not be sufficiently high as to cause unreasonable distraction.

Light .........................................................Yes or No
Is the room lighting bright enough to move around safely?
Is the lighting for your desk adequate to allow you to read documents and your keyboard?

A desk lamp may be required if the lighting in the office is insufficient for the tasks you are performing.

Layout of office area ...............................Yes or No
Is equipment safely positioned to avoid people knocking into it?

If you find that you frequently bump into certain items they should be repositioned so this does not occur.

5. Do you know how to use your software?....Yes or No

No, I don't.

You should discuss your training needs to your line manager/Supervisor who will be able to organise the necessary training for you.

6. Have you organised your work to avoid periods of uninterrupted use? ..............Yes or No

Avoid doing screen based work for longer than 1 hour without a break

3. Can you read your screen easily? ................................Yes or No

Your Screen should have:
Legible, stable characters (no flickering)
No distracting reflections off the screen or glare from surrounding environment Ability to adjust screen brightness and contrast
A clean surface
Adequate desk lighting

If you have distracting reflections from the screen position the screen so that it is at 90 degrees to the source of the reflection.
Adjust the brightness and contrast controls to give you the best picture. To avoid glare problems do not place your screen directly facing a bright window
Avoid touching the screen surface and periodically clean it.
If you feel that your eyesight is the reason for not being able to view your screen easily, we advise that you have your eyesight tested.

1 Adequate Lighting, 2 Adequate Contrast- no glare or distracting reflections 3 Distracting Noise decreased to a minimum,

4 Leg room and clearances to allow postural changes, 5 Window Covering, 6 Appropriate Software, 7 Screen: Stable image, adjustable, readable, glare/reflection free,

8 Keyboard usable, adjustable, detachable, legible,

9 Work Surface: allow flexible arrangements, spacious, glare free,

10 Work Chair: Adjustable with foot rest.