IPA01000MM : JIWON YANG

Ergonomics looks at what kind of work you do, what tools you use and your whole job environment. The aim is to find the best fit between you and your job conditions. Examples of ergonomic changes to your work might include * Adjusting the position of your computer keyboard to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome * Being sure that the height of your desk chair allows your feet to rest flat on floor * Learning the right way to lift heavy objects to prevent back injuries * Using handle coatings or special gloves to suppress vibrations from power tools
No matter what the job is, the goal is to make sure that you are safe, comfortable, and less prone to work-related injuries.
If you sit behind a desk for hours at a time, aches and pains may be a common part of your workday. Still, you're not doomed to a career of neck and back pain or sore wrists and fingers. In addition to taking short breaks from sitting, proper office ergonomics — including correct chair height, adequate equipment spacing and good desk posture — can help you stay comfortable at work.

Neutral posture at your workstation helps prevent injury
In order to understand the best way to set up a computer workstation, you first need to understand neutral posture. This is a comfortable working posture in which your joints are naturally aligned and your risk of developing a musculoskeletal disorder is reduced.
Change postures frequently
Regardless of how good your posture may be, sitting still for long periods of time isn't healthy. You should make small adjustments to your posture about every 15 minutes, by changing the height of your chair slightly, or leaning back a little further into the backrest. Larger changes in posture are also important; stand up and stretch or walk around for one or two minutes every hour.

Practice neutral posture while seated
The following are the important components of neutral posture while seated:
1. Keep your head level or tilted slightly downward. Place your work in front of you so that you are looking straight ahead.
2. Sit with your shoulders relaxed, not elevated, hunched or rotated forward.
3. Keep your elbows close to your sides and bent at about a 90o angle, not extended out in front of your body.
4. Use the chair's backrest to support your lower back, or lumbar curve.
5. Sit with your entire upper body upright or leaning slightly back.
6. Keep your wrists straight while you work, not bent up, down or to the side.
7. Sit with your knees at the same level or slightly below the level of your hips. There should be no pressure points along the backs of your thighs or at the backs of your knees.
8. Place your feet slightly out in front of your knees and make sure they are comfortably supported, either by the floor or by a footrest.

Pay attention to overall posture
Although the components of neutral posture are listed individually above, it is really the posture of your body as a whole that is important. Having just one part of your body out of neutral can affect the rest of your posture. Try sitting with your feet hooked under your chair. You will notice that this tends to pull you forward in your seat, away from your chair's backrest. Now place your feet out in front of you and you will