Office Ergonomics

The goal of office ergonomics is to design your office work station so that it fits you and allows for a comfortable working environment for maximum productivity and efficiency. Harper's Office Ergonomics program is through Environmental Health & Safety.

Visit this link to review our Office Ergonomics Webpage.

Did you know that the chair you are sitting on might be adjustable? The two main office chairs that we have on campus are the KI Engage chair and the Steelcase Criterion chair.

FourC An additional chair has been added, called the FourC Task Chair from KI.

Check out this document to learn more about adjusting the new chair!

Depending on which type of chair you are sitting in, there are many different ways on how to adjust them to better fit you. Chair features include:

Tilt Tension - Increase or decrease the ability to lean the chair back
Seat Slide - The seat pan can move in and out, to support the thighs
Back Height - The back of the chair can move up and down, adjusting the lumbar support
Seat Height - The height of the chair is adjustable
Armrest Adjustability - The armrests will move up and down. The KI chair's armrests pivot and the Steelcase chair armrests will adjust in width.

ergonomic chairs

Remember to maintain a neutral position, meaning:

Your feet should be flat on the floor, if not then use a footrest.
Your knees, hips, shoulders and elbows should all be at a relaxed 90-degree angle
The mouse should be next to the key board
The top of the monitor should be at or a little below eye level, so you are looking down at the screen.

Do you work at the computer and use a phone at the same time? If so, you might benefit from using a phone headset. Do you do a lot of computer entry from paperwork? If so, maybe you should use a document holder. If you do not already have one of these items and feel that you would benefit from having it, talk with your supervisor.

For more helpful tips about your workstation, view our Ergonomic Procedure.

Or, if you are still having trouble with your chair, schedule an Ergonomic Evaluation today by contacting ehs@harpercollege.edu or dialing extension x6929. Environmental Health staff will stop by and help adjust your workstation.