Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment A-5 Adjust the keyboard height so that your elbows are nearyour body and your forearms are parallel to the floor,with your forearms resting on either armrests or forearmsupports, in the manner described previously. If you donot have armrests or forearm supports, your upper armsshould hang comfortably at your sides. Adjust the keyboard slope so that your wrists arestraight while you are typing. Type with your hands and wrists floating above thekeyboard. Use a wrist pad only to rest your wristsbetween typing. Avoid resting your wrists on sharpedges. Type with your wrists straight. Instead of twisting yourwrists sideways to press hard-to-reach keys, move yourwhole arm. Keep from bending your wrists, hands, orfingers sideways. Press the keys gently; do not bang them. Keep yourshoulders, arms, hands, and fingers relaxed.ADJUST YOUR SCREEN OR MONITORCorrect placement and adjustment of the screen or externalmonitor can reduce eye, shoulder, and neck fatigue. Checkthe following when you position the screen or externalmonitor. Adjust the height of your screen or external monitor sothat the top of the screen is at or slightly below eye level.Your eyes should look slightly downward when viewingthe middle of the screen or external monitor. Position your screen or external monitor no closer than30 centimeters (cm) and no further away than 70 cmfrom your eyes. The optimal distance is between 35 and45 cm.
