A Guide to the Correct Monitor Position
Whether you’re a student, an office worker or an avid gamer, it’s not uncommon to spend hours a at a time sat at a desk with a monitor in front of us. While these extended periods of sitting aren’t good for us, they’re made even worse when our neck and shoulders are strained due to poor posture and screen positioning.
So to help remedy this, Health & Safety Training is here to provide a quick guide to a proper screen setup, and how to ensure your monitor position is correct.
Avoid glare
The first thing you want to think about when setting up your monitor is glare. Not only will glare cause unnecessary eyestrain, it will also cause you to assume awkward and painful positions in order to read the screen properly.
With this in mind, the correct monitor position would be away or at a right angle from windows and large lamps. If this isn’t really an option, we would suggest working with the blinds closed. Don’t forget to get outside and get some vitamin D when you can though!
Place the monitor directly in front of you
This might seem like an obvious tip, but make sure that the monitor is directly in front of you. This means that you won’t have to twist your neck in order to properly view the screen.
Of course, if you’re working with two monitors, it’s not possible to have both directly in front of you. In such cases, rather than looking directly between them, keep your main monitor directly in front of you, and try to keep monitor swapping to an absolute minimum. This way, neck strain is mitigated.
Adjust the monitor height
Arguably the most important step is adjusting the monitor height. Ergonomics experts suggest that, when you are seated comfortably, a user’s eyes should be in line with a point on the screen about 2 or 3 inches below the top of the monitor’s casing.
To test that you’ve got the correct height, try leaning back slightly so you’re at a 100-110 degree angle, then extend your arm out horizontally toward the screen. If your middle finger nearly touches the centre of the screen, you’ve probably got the correct monitor position.
How close is the monitor?
In the last section, we suggested that you try stretching your arm out in front of you. If you are nearly touching the screen, this is a good indication that the monitor is a comfortable distance away from you. If you can’t stretch your arm out very far without touching the screen, this means that you need to sit further back.
Don’t forget to move!
Like we said at the beginning of the article, no matter how well you set up your monitor, sitting for extended periods is something you should try and avoid. So, when you can, be sure to get up and make a drink or go for a walk – anything to get your limbs moving!
If you’re concerned about office safety, Health & Safety Training can help. We offer a wide variety of courses, ranging from first aid to manual handling, so no matter what your employees need, we have the skills and expertise to help. For more information, get in touch with one of our friendly team today.
