The basic requirements for organizing a PC user's workplace are set out in SanPiN 2.2.2/2.4.1340-03.

Workplace is a place where an employee must be or arrive in connection with his work and which is directly or indirectly under the control of the employer.

A permanent workplace is a place where a worker spends most of his working time (more than 50% or more than 2 hours continuously).

According to GOST 12.2.032-78, the design of the workplace and the relative arrangement of all its elements (seat, controls, information display devices, and others) must comply with anthropometric, physiological and psychological requirements, as well as the nature of the work [GOST 12.2.032-78]. In particular, when organizing

The programmer's workplace must meet the following basic conditions: optimal placement of the equipment included in the workplace, and sufficient working space to allow all necessary movements and movements.

A workplace that is well adapted to work activity, correctly and expediently organized in terms of space, shape, size, provides the software engineer with a comfortable working position and high labor productivity with the least physical and mental stress. With proper organization of the workplace, labor productivity increases from 8 to 20 percent.

1. When placing workstations with PCs, the distance between desktops with video monitors (toward the rear surface of one video monitor and the screen of another video monitor) must be at least 2.0 m, and

the distance between the side surfaces of video monitors is at least 1.2 m.

2. Workstations with PCs in rooms with sources of harmful production factors must be located in isolated booths with organized air exchange.

3. Workplaces with PCs when performing creative work that requires significant mental stress or high concentration of attention are recommended to be isolated from each other by partitions 1.5 - 2.0 m high.

4. The video monitor screen should be located from the user’s eyes at a distance of 600 - 700 mm, but not closer than 500 mm, taking into account the size of alphanumeric characters and symbols.

5. The design of the work table must ensure optimal placement of the equipment used on the working surface, taking into account its quantity and design features, and the nature of the work performed.

At the same time, it is possible to use work tables of various designs that meet modern ergonomic requirements. The desktop surface must have a reflectance of 0.5 - 0.7.

6. The design of the work chair (chair) should ensure the maintenance of a rational working posture when working on a PC and allow changing the posture in order to reduce the static tension of the muscles of the cervico-brachial region and back to prevent the development of fatigue. The type of work chair (chair) should be selected taking into account the height of the user, the nature and duration of work with the PC.

The work chair (chair) must be lift-and-swivel, adjustable in height and angles of inclination of the seat and back, as well as the distance of the back from the front edge of the seat, while the adjustment of each parameter must be independent, easy to carry out and have a reliable fixation.

7. The surface of the seat, back and other elements of the chair (chair) should be semi-soft, with a non-slip, slightly electrified and breathable coating, ensuring easy cleaning from dirt.

8. The personal workstation of the PC user should be equipped with a footrest with a width of at least 300 mm, a depth of at least 400 mm, height adjustment up to 150 mm and an inclination angle of the support surface of the stand up to 20°. The surface of the stand should be corrugated and have a rim 10 mm high along the front edge.

9. The keyboard should be placed on the table surface at a distance of 100 - 300 mm from the edge facing the user or on a special, height-adjustable work surface separated from the main tabletop.

10. The line of sight should be perpendicular to the center of the screen and its optimal deviation from the perpendicular passing through the center of the screen in the vertical plane should not exceed +/-5 degrees, permissible +/- 10 degrees.

The workplace for performing work in a sitting position is organized in accordance with GOST 12.2.032-78. This position causes minimal fatigue for the programmer. A rational workplace layout provides for a clear order and consistency in the placement of objects, labor tools and documentation. The design of the workplace must ensure that labor operations are performed within the reach of the motor field.

Areas for manual operations and placement of controls are shown in Figure 207.

Figure 207 – Zones for performing manual operations and placing controls: 1 – zone for placing the most important and very frequently used controls (optimal zone of the motor field); 2 – zone for placing frequently used controls (zone of easy reach of the motor field); 3 – zone for placing rarely used controls (motor field reach zone)

Performing labor operations “often” and “very often” should be ensured within the zone of easy reach and the optimal zone of the motor field. The frequency of operations is assumed to be: very often - two or more operations per minute; often - less than two operations per 1 minute, but more than two operations per 1 hour; rarely - no more than two operations in 1 hour.

When working with two hands, the controls are placed in such a way that there is no crossing of hands.

Controls on the working surface in a horizontal plane must be placed taking into account the following requirements:

Very frequently used and most important controls should be located in zone 1 (Figure 207);

Frequently used and less important controls

it is not allowed to be located outside zone 2 (Figure 207);

Rarely used controls are not allowed

located outside zone 3 (Figure 207) [GOST 12.2.032-78].

Let's consider the optimal placement of labor items and documentation in the reach zones of the motor field:

1) video display terminal (VDT): located in zone 3 (center);

2) system unit: placed in the provided niche of the table in zone 3 (right);

3) keyboard: in zone 1/2 (center);

4) mouse-type manipulator: in zone 2 (right);

5) printer: in zone 3 (right);

6) documentation: necessary during work - in zone 3 (left), not used constantly - in the drawers of the table in zone 3 (left).

The optimal placement of work items and documentation within reach of the motor field is shown in Figure 208.

Figure 208 - Optimal placement of labor items and documentation within reach of the motor field

Proper organization of the computer workplace directly affects labor productivity. What should you pay special attention to in order to make your office workplace comfortable? We present to your attention four main zones:

Zone 1. Back and legs. Pain and discomfort in the lower back occurs due to incorrect back position, stooping, incorrect leg position - or, in a word, due to violation of the ergonomic requirements of the computer workplace.

Workplace ergonomics when working at a computer

Back pillows and footrests will help solve the problem. The combination of a supportive pillow and footrest will relieve muscle tension, which will help prevent discomfort and lower back pain.

Zone 2. Wrist. Poor hand positioning on a keyboard or mouse can cause serious injury to your hands, wrists, and forearms. The most common disease is carpal tunnel syndrome. Supporting pads for the keyboard and mouse will help solve the problem. With their help, the load on the central carpal nerve is reduced, preventing the development of CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome) in office employees.

Zone 3. Neck, shoulders, eyes. If, working in an office, you have to bend your back and neck when working with a monitor and documents, this leads to increased stress and muscle tension, which causes pain and discomfort in the muscles of the back, neck and shoulder part of the body. Laptop and monitor stands, as well as document holders, will help solve the problem. They reduce strain on your shoulders, neck, and eyes by ensuring the screen and documents are aligned correctly with your eyes.

Zone 4. Organization of the workplace space. If the ergonomics of the computer workstation in the office is not organized correctly, then we are constantly spinning around, moving things from place to place, wasting working time, and also risk losing an important document. Accessories and cleaning products will help solve the problem. A well-organized office workspace and each workplace guarantees order and, as a result, increased productivity.

Ergonomic requirements

When designing equipment and organizing a PC user’s workplace, it is necessary to ensure that the design of all elements of the workplace and their relative arrangement meet ergonomic requirements, taking into account the nature of the activity performed by the user, the complexity of technical means, forms of labor organization and the user’s main working position.
(clause 8.1.8. SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96)

The video monitor screen should be located from the user’s eyes at an optimal distance of 600-700 mm, but not closer than 500 mm, taking into account the size of alphanumeric characters and symbols
(Clause 8.1.13 SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96)

Eye level with a vertically positioned screen should be at the center or 2/3 of the height of the screen. The line of sight should be perpendicular to the center of the screen and its optimal deviation from the perpendicular passing through the center of the screen in the vertical plane should not exceed +/- 5 degrees, acceptable +/- 10 degrees
(clause 8.3.7 SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96)

The workplace must be equipped with a footrest with a width of at least 300 mm, a depth of at least 400 mm, height adjustment up to 150 mm and an inclination angle of the supporting surface of the stand up to 20 degrees. The surface of the stand should be corrugated...
(clause 8.2.5 SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96)

The surface of the seat, back and other elements of the chair (chair) should be semi-soft, with a non-slip, non-electrifying and breathable coating, ensuring easy cleaning from dirt.
(Clause 8.1.12 SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96)

Go to the ergonomics product catalog

Based on GOST R ISO 26800-2013, when organizing workplaces at any enterprise, it is necessary to take into account a number of basic principles of ergonomics.

1. People-oriented

An ergonomic design approach must be human-centered. This means that all designed components of a system, product or service are matched to the characteristics of the intended users, operators or workers, rather than selecting and adapting people to match their characteristics to the system, product or service.

This approach is implemented by considering: the intended target population; the task, purpose or intended result of the system; environment in which the project will operate.

From an ergonomics perspective, selection and training strategies are not a substitute for proper ergonomic design, although some selection and training may still be required.
The people for whom the design is intended (for example, workers or users) must be involved in the design process at all stages, including evaluation. This will help optimize solutions (for example, by taking into account user experience and requirements). Continuous participation of people from the target population in the design of the project is considered an effective ergonomic strategy.

2. Target population

This principle is based on the fact that the population is very diverse. People differ in their physical size as well as their biomechanical, sensory and cognitive capabilities. Therefore, ergonomic design is carried out, as a rule, for a specific target population, and not for one person or an entire population of people. When defining the target population, discrimination should be avoided, for example on the basis of gender, age, or disability (see ILO Convention No. 111). Design-relevant characteristics of the target population (e.g., body size, visual ability, literacy, skills, knowledge) and their range of variation in the target population must be identified.

Conditions of the problem

The design must consider the nature of the task and the human involvement in completing it. Task-based design is done to make tasks suitable for humans. Such design includes the distribution of functions and tasks between humans and technical means. Insufficient elaboration of tasks will lead to adverse effects on both the individual and the system as a whole. These impacts cannot be compensated by the technical components of the system. When designing tasks, one should consider the possible consequences both for the person who will perform them and for the system as a whole. Designing for a task also allows differences between the intended and actual way of performing a task to be detected and accommodated. Task activities are affected by variations and changes in, for example, conditions, procedures, equipment, products, or materials.
Properly designed tasks: can be performed by the target population safely and effectively in both the short and long term; do not cause short-term or long-term negative consequences for members of this population; can be used to develop the abilities and skills of operators/users.
To establish requirements on people's abilities, skills and knowledge, tasks and associated activities must be defined and described in detail. This description should include task inputs and outputs. In human-centered design, a goal is distinguished from a task. A goal is viewed as the intended outcome, while a task represents the activity necessary to achieve the goal or goals.

Hierarchically, a goal can be subdivided into a number of subgoals, and a task into several corresponding subtasks.

4. Environmental conditions

The physical, organizational, social and legal environments in which the system, product, service or facility is intended to be used shall be identified and described, and their range shall be specified. These environments contain important elements of the design environment and can have a significant impact on project performance.

4 Ergonomics of working at a computer

Physical attributes include such factors as temperature conditions, lighting, noise, spatial layout, and furniture placement. Organizational and social aspects of the environment include factors such as work practices, organizational structure and relationships between people.
In some applications of ergonomics, the environment is a factor that cannot be changed. In other cases, aspects of the environment may be designed. When environmental factors are part of a system, product, service or structure, their design or redesign should be included in the overall design process and its outcome. For those aspects of the environment that cannot be changed, their characteristics must be taken into account in the design of the system, product, service or structure.

The impact of the environment can be greater if people are working at their limits. If design decisions are based on human performance data measured only in a neutral environment, negative consequences may result.

5. Criterion-based assessment

The evaluation of the ergonomic design outcome of any system, product or service should be based on ergonomic criteria, regardless of whether an ergonomic design process has been applied. Ergonomic criteria may be related to:
human performance; human health, safety and welfare; human satisfaction.
Thus, ergonomic principles ensure effective and safe human interaction with the means of labor and the production environment by taking into account the specific capabilities of both humans and technical means. In the current reality, ergonomists have to solve the problems of professional selection and adaptation of a person to the operating conditions of technical means. But the optimal way to ensure human-technology-environment interaction is to fully take into account the human factor at all stages of product development, use and disposal.

Previous article: The concept of a workplace and requirements for its organization Next article: Chapter 2. Ergonomic requirements for the organization of workplaces for administrative workers

Basics of computer workplace ergonomics

Ergonomics of workplaces: legal requirements

Denis Shchur, leading researcher at the Research Institute of Labor and Social Insurance

As a complex science, ergonomics arose in the 20s of the last century. With the development of technological progress, the problem arose of how to reconcile the use of increasingly complex technology with the physical and psychological capabilities of people. The first research in this area was carried out in the most technically developed countries - primarily in England, the USA and Japan.

For a long time, Russian science saw the main task of ergonomics as rationalizing the performance of work and increasing labor efficiency. In most regulatory documents adopted in the USSR - standards, sanitary rules, labor protection rules, etc., the concepts of “technical safety” and “ergonomics” were used as synonyms. Sometimes it even got to the point of curiosity: ergonomic characteristics, for example, could be recognized as the appearance, color, consistency, taste, and smell of a product.

But over time, it became obvious that ignoring the human factor when designing machines and organizing working conditions is not only unprofitable, but also dangerous. For example, according to experts, an important role in the Chernobyl disaster was played by the fact that “an essential parameter indicating the state of the core, that is, the number of control and protective system rods in the core, was displayed on the control panel of Chernobyl-4 in the form suitable for perception and understanding."

What is now understood by the term “ergonomics”? According to the definition adopted by the IEA - International Ergonomics Association, "ergonomics is the field of application of scientific knowledge about people to the design of objects, systems and environments used by them." One of the areas of science - microergonomics - deals with the study of interaction between humans and technical devices, including workplace design.

Workspace: general requirements
What general ergonomic requirements apply to the organization of the workspace, in particular the workplace? Let's define the terminology. In accordance with Article 209 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, “a workplace is a place where an employee must be or where he needs to arrive in connection with his work and which is directly or indirectly under the control of the employer.”

First of all, the workplace must meet occupational safety requirements. In addition, it must be comfortable, that is, it must meet the anthropometric, physiological and psychological requirements, as well as the type of work.

In this regard, when designing a workplace, it is necessary to take into account:
1) working posture;
2) space to accommodate the employee;
3) the ability to take in all elements of the workplace and the space outside it;
4) the ability to keep records, post documentation and materials necessary for work.

The workplace should be organized so that the employee can easily move during work, make all the movements necessary to service the equipment, and perceive sound and visual information well.

The worker must be protected from exposure to dangerous and harmful factors, while special clothing and personal protective equipment, if used, must not interfere with work. Among other things, the employee must be able to leave the workplace urgently in the event of, for example, an emergency. Conditions for emergency leaving the workplace must also be provided.

When designing equipment and organizing the workplace, the anthropometric indicators of women (if only women work) and men (if only men work) should be taken into account; if the equipment is serviced by both women and men, the overall average indicators for both are taken into account.

Workspace: rules and regulations

Workplaces differ depending on the position in which the activity is carried out - sitting or standing. This also takes into account production ergonomics.

WORKPLACE

From an ergonomic point of view, the optimal workplace ensures that labor operations are performed within the motor field - the space in which the worker performs the actions necessary to operate the equipment.

The optimal position of the employee is achieved by regulating:

When performing work while sitting		When performing work while standing
1. Heights of the working surface, seat and legroom;		1. Heights of the working surface;
2. Heights of the seat and footrest (if the height of the working surface is not adjustable). If the employee is short, increase the height of the working seat and footrest by the required amount. This value should be equal to the difference between the existing height of the working surface and the height that optimally matches the height of a particular employee		2. Footrests if the height of the working surface is not adjustable. If the worker is short, increase the height of the footrest. The organization of the workplace and the design of the equipment must ensure that the body of the worker is in a straight and free position or tilted forward by no more than 15°

The footrest must have a corrugated surface, a side along the front edge 10 mm high, a width of at least 300 mm, and a length of at least 400 mm. If work is performed while sitting, the height of the footrest should not be less than 500 mm. For a comfortable, possibly close approach to the table or equipment, it is necessary to provide space for feet measuring at least 150 mm in depth, 150 mm in height and 530 mm in width.

The shape of the working surface depends on the nature of the work being performed. It can be rectangular, have a cutout for a worker’s body or a recess for desktop equipment, etc. If necessary, armrests are installed on the working surface.

Controls must be placed taking into account the following requirements: ergonomic requirements for the placement of controls

By doing		works while sitting		When performing work while standing
in the horizontal plane		in the vertical plane
Very frequently used and most important controls should be located in the area 1. Frequently used and less important controls should not be located outside the area 2. Rarely used controls should not be located outside zone 3		When placing controls in a vertical plane, you should be guided by the above data on the height of the working surface. Above 1100 mm, controls are allowed to be placed if for technical reasons it is impossible to position them to the specified level. Such controls should be used rarely		When placing controls, you should be guided by the above data on the height of the working surface: 1) very frequently used and most important controls should be located in zone 1; 2) frequently used and less important controls are not allowed to be located outside zone 2, and during heavy work - above 1000 mm from the platform on which the worker stands; 3) rarely used controls are not allowed to be located outside of zone 3. Controls used up to 5 times per shift are allowed to be located outside the reach of the motor field

When working with two hands, the controls are placed in such a way that there is no crossing of hands. Operations that do not require precision and speed can be “entrusted” to the foot controls. Emergency controls should be located within reach of the motor field.

To exclude the possibility of their spontaneous activation, it is necessary to provide special interlocks and switches. An important element of the workplace is the means of displaying information, that is, scoreboards, clocks, displays, monitors, etc.

Computer ergonomics - how to properly organize your workplace

There are also specific requirements for their location.

If information display devices that require accurate and quick reading are used very often, they are positioned vertically at an angle of ±15° from the line of sight and horizontally at an angle of ±15° from the sagittal plane (“sagittal plane” (from the Latin sagitta - arrow) is a term used in animal and human anatomy to designate a plane running through the body in the anteroposterior direction).

If they require less fast and accurate reading and are used frequently, it is acceptable to position them at an angle of ±30°. Rarely used information display devices are placed at an angle of ±60°. It is these general principles that are formulated in the labor protection rules, as well as sanitary rules and regulations. If the field of activity requires it, they can be specified and supplemented.

For example, ergonomic rules for using a computer have now become very important. They are described in detail in GOST “Ergonomic requirements for office work using video display terminals.”

Lighting, aesthetics and more

Proper organization of the motor field zone is not all that ergonomics deals with. It is designed to solve a number of different problems. There are two main approaches to solving them. The first is primarily designed to increase labor efficiency, and therefore is aimed at adapting a person to working conditions. The second is to create comfortable conditions for work, and therefore to adapt the work to the person. As a rule, these approaches coexist, but one of them receives more attention than the other.

Improving labor efficiency will certainly be affected by the correct distribution of functions between the employee and the technical means. This will also be facilitated by the selection of workers and their training, which will allow them to accurately, quickly, consistently and efficiently perform the necessary tasks. At the same time, the employee must receive sufficient and reliable information about all ongoing processes.

To make work comfortable, it is necessary to provide for a position of the worker’s body during the activity that allows saving physical strength and evenly distributing physical activity. Acoustic, visual and other signals must be easily identifiable, controls must be easy to move, tools must be convenient, the arrangement of workplace elements must correspond to the logic of the employee’s actions. To avoid mistakes, documentation regulating the activities of an employee must be visual and understandable. Finally, it is necessary to create working conditions in which workers can interact with each other.

Neglect is dangerous

Errors in workplace design often lead to dangerous consequences. Postures harmful to health, excessive body tension, stiffness, lack or excess of lighting, inconvenient placement of controls or information display devices are far from harmless consequences of neglecting the principles of ergonomics. Each of these factors, or even more so their combination, can lead to illness, mental stress, errors in people’s behavior, accidents, damage to equipment, and accidents.

It is no coincidence that one of the main GOSTs includes ergonomics issues in the task of occupational safety: “The organization must determine those operations and activities that are associated with identified hazards and occupational safety factors that are consistent with its policy and goals in the field of occupational safety.

The organization shall plan these activities, including the maintenance, operation and repair of equipment, to ensure that relevant safety and health regulations are met by... developing and using ergonomic design methods for workplaces, processes and equipment, ensuring the elimination or reduction of production risk directly at the point of its manifestation.”

Thus, failure to comply with ergonomic requirements may be regarded as a violation of labor protection requirements and be punished by bringing the perpetrators to administrative (Article 5.27 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation) or criminal liability (Article 143 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Personnel Management Magazine No. 5 2007

Organizing workplaces for staff is one of the key issues when equipping an office. They must be comfortable and meet the requirements.

The main elements of a modern workplace for any office employee are office tables, chairs, and computers. It should be remembered that, in accordance with sanitary standards, the distance between office desks must be at least two meters, while the area per workplace must be at least 4.5 m² (at least 6 m² if a person works at a CRT -monitor).

The workplace should be organized so that the employee has the opportunity to change his working posture and not create muscle overload. The correct organization of workplaces depends 90% on how well office tables and office chairs are selected.

What requirements must they meet? Office desks must be designed in such a way that everything necessary for work can be conveniently placed on their surface. Tables can be either non-adjustable or with adjustable working surface height. The adjustable height should vary from 680 to 800 mm, and the mechanism for its adjustment should be easily accessible, easy to control, and have a reliable fixation. If the working surface is non-adjustable, then its height should be 725 mm. As for the dimensions of the working surface of office tables, the depth should be at least 600 (800) mm, width - at least 1200 (1600) mm. In addition, the edges and corners of the working surface of the office desk should not be sharp. The legroom at an office desk must be at least 600 mm in height and at least 500 mm in width, and the depth must be at least 450 mm at knee level and at least 650 mm at outstretched leg level. The keyboard stand should be adjustable in height and allow the keyboard to be placed at a distance of 100-300 mm from the edge. Monitor screens should be 600-700 mm from the eyes, but no closer than 500.

Chairs for office employees should, first of all, support a rational working posture, allow it to be changed to reduce static muscle tension in the neck, shoulders and back, and also eliminate the possibility of impaired blood circulation in the legs. They should be selected taking into account the user's height, nature and duration of work.

Chairs for employees must be equipped with a lift-and-swivel mechanism, and the angles of the seat and backrest must be adjustable in height and in the distance of the backrest from the front edge of the seat. To reduce static tension in the arm muscles, employee chairs are equipped with stationary or removable armrests, which can be adjusted in height above the seat and in the internal distance between them. It is especially convenient when the adjustment of each position is carried out independently, easily, and securely fixed.

The seat surface of the chairs must have a width and depth of at least 400 mm. and, ideally, it is necessary to be able to change the angle of the seat surface from 15° forward to 5° backward. The seat height should be adjustable between 400 and 550 mm. And the height of the backrest should be 300 (plus or minus 20) mm, and the width should be at least 380 mm. The backrest angle should be adjustable from 0° to 30° from the vertical position, and the distance of the backrest from the front edge of the seat should be from 260 to 400 mm. The length of the armrests should be at least 250 mm, the width should be 50-70 mm, and their height above the seat should be adjustable within 230 mm, while the internal distance should be between 350 and 500 mm.

The placement of furniture that makes up employee workplaces is also important. Office desks it is necessary to place so that computer monitors are oriented sideways in relation to the light sources, and natural light falls from the left. If these are workplaces of employees whose work is creative in nature, requires significant concentration or high mental stress, then they should be isolated from each other by partitions.

The success of any company depends on its human capital. The effective operation of a company directly depends on how comfortable employees feel in the workplace, in particular in the office. The study of changes in the functional state of the human body under the influence of work activity, the development of rules and measures that contribute to the long-term maintenance of performance at a high level, includes the scientific discipline of ergonomics.

Office space

Office comfort depends on the ergonomics of the workplace and rational planning of the office space as a whole. Due to the growth of companies and an increase in the number of employees, “Open Space” office space began to be used, in which work zones are divided so that each employee works as efficiently as possible, both on his own and in a team.

Experts specializing in creating office style and business comfort believe that the best results are achieved by using stationary or mobile partitions of different heights and levels of transparency. Such structures divide the office into individual isolated compartments.

In addition, it is often necessary to ensure sound and visual isolation of workplaces. The placement of equipment (printers, copiers, shredders) that all employees regularly use is also important. It is rational to install equipment at the intersection of all work routes.

To organize relaxation, it is worth creating an area for coffee breaks with high tables so that you can spend a small amount of time standing, which will allow you to warm up first.

Color spectrum

Particular attention should be paid to the color schemes of offices. Color is one of the most important sources of information. It is reminiscent of symbolic and emotional qualities and greatly influences the mental and physiological state of a person.

Warm colors have a stimulating, toning effect and increase performance. Cold colors expand space, promote concentration and self-absorption.

Brown color helps improve executive functions, blue increases brain activity and reduces appetite, yellow and orange lift your spirits and stimulate the emergence of non-standard solutions, green and blue calm you down and allow you to concentrate.

Long exposure to red causes excitement, turning into aggressiveness, but its small accents will awaken the activity of employees. Pink color is overly relaxing. Purple and black have a depressing effect on the psyche. White is neutral and gives a feeling of purity.

Lighting

Another important factor that affects human performance and health is lighting. Light regulates all functions of the human body and affects the psychological state and mood, metabolism, hormonal levels and mental activity. Unfortunately, this factor is not always given due attention in the office.

Natural daylight remains the healthiest light. To use it, the depth of office premises should not exceed 6 m.

The best option for artificial lighting is a combined system that combines direct and diffuse light. Moreover, you should prefer halogen lamps to ordinary “daylight” lamps. Their light is more natural and tires the eyes and nervous system much less.

It is important to consider that light, like color, is a very powerful tool that affects both the mental and physical state of people. Light has a number of other important features - for example, heat transfer. Sometimes it is impossible to be in the office due to the heat emanating from the lamps. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right type of lamp for each individual application.

Healthcare

Also, the performance of employees is affected by such things as temperature and humidity in the office. After a series of studies, it turned out that at a temperature of 25 0C the number of errors was only 10%. As soon as the temperature dropped to 20 0C, the printing speed was almost halved, and the number of errors increased to 25%. The climate control system must not only maintain the temperature and humidity at a given level, but also provide an influx of fresh air, cleaning it from street dust and soot.

Workplace

The basic principles of ergonomic workplace organization are comfort and minimizing stress. Unfortunately, modern life is dominated by a sedentary lifestyle. In one day, the average office worker sits for 13 hours, and as a result, 80,000 hours during his entire professional career. A large number of office workers sit improperly, that is, without any contact with the backrest, with their legs tucked under, or without the ability to place their feet comfortably on the floor.

You can spend no more than 15 minutes a day on a stool or a regular chair without harm to your health. Due to the lack of a comfortable seat, discomfort and unpleasant sensations appear over time due to a long immobile position, which subsequently develop into more serious diseases.

Among the most common complaints are:

1. headaches and problems with concentration
2. hip pain

A seat that reduces the risk to zero should be equipped with armrests and a headrest that relieve stress on the muscles of the shoulder girdle. The anatomically shaped elastic back reduces the load on the spine. As a result, the structure evenly supports the body over the entire area of ​​its contact with the chair.

An ergonomic office chair should have controls that allow you to easily adjust the height and tilt of the seat, and also have a backrest that can be adjusted in height and tilt. It is important that the employee can make these adjustments while sitting. The design of the chair must be suitable for any task.

And it is the chair that needs to be considered as an integral part of the workplace. Other components of the workplace, such as a table, a computer, and panels in the control booth, help balance the work. Together with an office chair, they allow you to create conditions under which the employee’s body position will be in a balanced state in relation to the office environment.

To sit correctly, from an ergonomic point of view, you should follow a few simple rules:

1. Your feet should be placed comfortably on the floor. The surface of the foot should form a 90° angle with the calf. This is possible by adjusting the height of the workplace.
2. In order for blood to flow freely, the knees must form an obtuse angle with the body.
3. The armrests should form an obtuse angle between the forearm and the arm.
4. The back should be slightly tilted back to ensure the normal functioning of the internal organs.
5. To prevent leg numbness and pressure on the thigh surface, you should use the full depth of the seat.
6. Sitting in one position for a long time is also undesirable, because... this leads to unnecessary stress on the body. Therefore, it is necessary to change your position, stretching your legs while sitting at the table as often as possible, arching your back, rocking on a chair.

Ergonomic chair

An ergonomic chair is adapted to the anthropometric characteristics of each person, that is, it is adjustable, taking into account body size, physiological abilities, and everyday safety requirements.

Ergonomic chair- stable, equipped with a base with five rollers.

Ergonomic chair has a backrest that guarantees stable support for the lumbar section of the back and shoulder blades. The presented shape of the backrest is adapted to a certain height. The back of the ergonomic chair can be adjusted vertically and horizontally as much as possible.

Seat surface ergonomic chair flat, with rounded anterior edges. The width and depth of the seat is approximately 40 cm deep. Another significant feature ergonomic chair- seat height adjustment thanks to a special mechanism.

Ergonomic chairs and chairs have armrests, with adjustable height and intermediate spacing, which are necessary to support the elbows to type on the keyboard. Armrests support your forearms and wrists while working. The shock absorber guarantees smooth adjustment of the seat height. A comfortable seat is also created by a gas cartridge inside the seat itself (air cushion).

Operating mechanism ergonomic chairs and chairs, on the one hand, provides a comfortable fit, on the other, allows the user to freely change body position. Dynamic changes in body position are possible thanks to the use of a synchronous system ergonomic chairs.

Ergonomic chairs and chairs have a synchronous system that allows you to adjust the angle of inclination between the backrest and the seat, with the ability to adjust the flexible backrest tilt, depending on the weight of the person sitting, and adjust the height of the seat.

Among tables, the most ergonomic is the curvilinear angular shape. Due to the concavity, most of their area is used, since it falls within the coverage area of ​​human hands, equal to 35-40 cm. The area of ​​​​the table top of a good table cannot be less than 1 m 20 cm. The height from the floor to the table top, as a rule, should be equal to the recommended European standards standards are 74 cm. The depth of the office desk should be sufficient to ensure that the distance to the computer monitor screen is at least 50 cm.

For the full-fledged work of an office employee, various types of add-ons, trays, stands, as well as other functional accessories are also necessary. But it is important not to clutter the table with them. It is better to use hanging shelves or bedside tables on wheels, which will help organize your workplace according to the “everything is at hand” principle, when the shelves, cabinets, and cabinets necessary for daily work are at arm’s length. This arrangement of furniture allows you to eliminate unnecessary energy costs and direct all your energy to fulfill your duties. Special studies have proven that due to compliance with ergonomic standards, about 30% of working time is saved and, accordingly, labor productivity increases by the same amount.

Ergonomics of working at a computer

Injuries from sitting for long periods of time are a serious health safety concern. This issue is likely to continue to be a significant issue in the future as trends in sedentary work continue to grow.

The main health-damaging factors when working at a computer are:

1. Prolonged physical inactivity. Bent elbows, knees, neck and hands, combined with an unsupported lower back and neck, lead to disruption of the circulatory cycle, muscle tension and, as a result, slowly but surely lead to the development of chronic diseases. The most common of which are spinal osteochondrosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, rheumatic diseases, etc.
2. Discomfort in the eye area, burning, blurred vision, headache, pain when moving the eyes.
3. Long-term repeated monotonous movements. Here, not only the fatigue of those muscle groups that perform these movements is harmful, but also the psychological fixation on them (the formation of stable foci of excitation of the central nervous system with compensatory inhibition of its other areas).
4. Light, electromagnetic and other radiation (mainly from the monitor).
5. Staying in a closed or stuffy room for a long time.

To keep your body healthy and alert, follow these guidelines.

Before you begin, you need to adjust the height of the monitor so that the top of the screen is at eye level or slightly lower. Your gaze should be directed slightly downward when looking at the center of the screen. The distance from the eyes to the monitor should be between 500 and 710 mm.

The keyboard should be located at such a height that when working, the elbows are bent at an angle of at least 80-90 degrees, and the hands lie straight, parallel to the forearms. This position at the computer will reduce the load on the arms, shoulders and spine, eliminate rapid fatigue and increase work efficiency.

Choosing an ergonomic keyboard

Color. The bulk of computer keyboards are available in either classic white or black.

The fact is that the human visual system perceives black characters on a white background much more easily, but the search for white letters on black keys over time irritates the lens of the eye. Therefore, for frequent and intensive typing of large volumes of text, a white keyboard would be preferable.

"Height" of the keys. Nowadays, there are two types of keyboards depending on the height of the keys - standard and “slim” (so-called laptop keyboards). Slim keyboards are now more popular because the keys are pressed softer and have less travel. This is convenient for typing large amounts of text, since your hands get much less tired when working on such a keyboard.

Key layout. For the sake of reducing the size or pursuing some other goal known only to them, many manufacturers deliberately change the usual arrangement of keys on the board. When choosing a keyboard, you should take this into account and study the key layout before purchasing. Non-standardly placed function keys can cause a lot of inconvenience when working, forcing you to relearn combinations that are familiar to your hands. This will reduce productivity and may cause temporary hand fatigue.

Keypress volume. This aspect is also important. A good keyboard should be as “quiet” as possible, since the ringing sound of the keys can cause a lot of inconvenience to both you and the people nearby. The loud, monotonous chatter of a keyboard can cause irritation and nervousness over time.

Computer mouse

When working with a computer mouse, you must follow the following mandatory rules:

• The wrist should be straight. Never rest your wrist on a table. Do not bend the wrist joints: it should lie in a natural position.
• Do not squeeze the mouse forcefully. This causes unnecessary muscle tension, impairs circulation and makes movement difficult. If the mouse doesn't listen, clean it.
• Do not operate the mouse with your arm fully extended. When choosing a desktop, choose one so that you don’t have to reach too far for the mouse. There must be enough free space to move the mouse.
• Various additional devices, such as mouse pads, pillows and wrist rests, only help if used correctly.

How to choose the right mouse?

The first thing you should pay attention to when choosing a computer mouse is how comfortable it is for you to use. There are no strict rules for choosing a mouse. But there are a few guidelines to keep in mind about this. The first point that should not be overlooked is whether the size of the mouse matches the size of your hand. It is important that it is not too small or too large, otherwise the hand will be too tense.

Today, in addition to classic manipulators, there are many mice of non-standard shape and functionality on the market. Here are some of them:

vertical mouse, very pleasant to use, relieves wrist strain, very good for people who have problems working with a mouse

very well formed mouse for people with wrist problems, a little cold and too smooth, but does a very good job of relieving stress on the wrist

Optical, well-formed ambidextrous mouse for medium and small hands, pleasant to the touch, can be used by both right-handed and left-handed people.

ergonomic mouse, looks almost like a joystick. It fits well in the hand, despite the fact that it seems too hard. The advantage of this mouse is that it strains a completely different group of muscles than when working with a regular mouse.

It should be remembered that working at a computer causes fatigue, and therefore it is necessary to periodically take short breaks and change body position.

The performance of each employee depends not only on the properly organized work process and on internal relationships in the team, but also on how the office as a whole and the employee’s workplace in particular are organized.

By observing ergonomic requirements and paying due attention to the comfort of workplaces, it is easy to turn an office into a pleasant place for every employee - a kind of second home, where a person will come not only for a salary, but also in anticipation of a new interesting job. A positive attitude means new ideas, enthusiasm, strength and energy.

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Proper organization of the computer workplace directly affects labor productivity. What should you pay special attention to in order to make your office workplace comfortable? We present to your attention four main zones:

Zone 1. Back and legs. Pain and discomfort in the lower back occurs due to incorrect back position, stooping, incorrect leg position - or, in a word, due to violation of the ergonomic requirements of the computer workplace. Back pillows and footrests will help solve the problem. The combination of a supportive pillow and footrest will relieve muscle tension, which will help prevent discomfort and lower back pain.

Zone 2. Wrist. Poor hand positioning on a keyboard or mouse can cause serious injury to your hands, wrists, and forearms. The most common disease is carpal tunnel syndrome. Supporting pads for the keyboard and mouse will help solve the problem. With their help, the load on the central carpal nerve is reduced, preventing the development of CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome) in office employees.

Zone 3. Neck, shoulders, eyes. If, working in an office, you have to bend your back and neck when working with a monitor and documents, this leads to increased stress and muscle tension, which causes pain and discomfort in the muscles of the back, neck and shoulder part of the body. Laptop and monitor stands, as well as document holders, will help solve the problem. They reduce strain on your shoulders, neck, and eyes by ensuring the screen and documents are aligned correctly with your eyes.

Zone 4. Organization of the workplace space. If the ergonomics of the computer workstation in the office is not organized correctly, then we are constantly spinning around, moving things from place to place, wasting working time, and also risk losing an important document. Accessories and cleaning products will help solve the problem. A well-organized office workspace and each workplace guarantees order and, as a result, increased productivity.

Ergonomic requirements

When designing equipment and organizing a PC user’s workplace, it is necessary to ensure that the design of all elements of the workplace and their relative arrangement meet ergonomic requirements, taking into account the nature of the activity performed by the user, the complexity of technical means, forms of labor organization and the user’s main working position.
(clause 8.1.8. SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96)

The video monitor screen should be located from the user’s eyes at an optimal distance of 600-700 mm, but not closer than 500 mm, taking into account the size of alphanumeric characters and symbols
(Clause 8.1.13 SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96)

Eye level with a vertically positioned screen should be at the center or 2/3 of the height of the screen. The line of sight should be perpendicular to the center of the screen and its optimal deviation from the perpendicular passing through the center of the screen in the vertical plane should not exceed +/- 5 degrees, acceptable +/- 10 degrees
(clause 8.3.7 SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96)

The workplace must be equipped with a footrest with a width of at least 300 mm, a depth of at least 400 mm, height adjustment up to 150 mm and an inclination angle of the supporting surface of the stand up to 20 degrees. The surface of the stand should be corrugated...
(clause 8.2.5 SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96)

The surface of the seat, back and other elements of the chair (chair) should be semi-soft, with a non-slip, non-electrifying and breathable coating, ensuring easy cleaning from dirt.
(Clause 8.1.12 SanPiN 2.2.2.542-96)

Organizing your workspace and office space properly can have a significant impact on your productivity. It will allow you to save time, prevent fatigue, and complete tasks faster than you planned.

Take a few minutes to look around your office with fresh eyes and think:

• How often do you have to get up from your desk to reach objects that you cannot reach while sitting?
• Is there enough free space on your desk to work comfortably and without interference, is it cluttered?
• Are your computer's keyboard and monitor positioned comfortably enough so that you can work without straining or experiencing excessive fatigue?
• Do you have a free space next to your computer that you could use to work with the computer and papers at the same time?
• Are your closets and bookshelves overloaded with unnecessary things?
• Is your storage equipment suitable for the property it needs to store?
• Do you often have to waste time looking for things you need?
• Is your office furniture arranged in the best way for desk work, computer work, and receiving colleagues and clients?

There are no standard recipes for properly organizing your workplace: what may be convenient for you may not be convenient for someone else, and vice versa. However, in order to best organize your office space, you should pay attention to a number of general principles.

Ergonomics is a process of scientific organization of labor aimed at creating means of optimizing labor, improving methods for a person to perform any work, taking into account his safety, comfort and productivity.

It may sound a bit pompous when it comes to organizing your office space, but the choice and placement of furniture, equipment, reference materials and various supplies in your office can have a significant impact on the way you work.

Furniture

1. Tables. There should be enough free space on your desk so that you can work comfortably without being interrupted by trifles. If you have to split your time between your computer and paperwork, consider the panoramic method, which allows you to move between your traditional desk and your computer without getting up. If you have the option, try to find a desk with adjustable height.

Think about how to install the desk so that it is integral to the entire office. If you want to place the table so that it serves as a barrier between you and the intended visitor, this is your right, this will achieve the effect of psychological distance, but if you are pursuing a completely opposite goal, then you should install it differently.

By placing a table against a wall, you will create a convenient place to place bookshelves, hanging posters, etc. If your workspace is in an open-plan office, this desk placement will help eliminate random clutter and reduce distractions.

2. Chairs. Most modern office chairs are equipped with wheels and hinges, which allows you to move freely throughout the entire area of ​​the office space. In addition, these chairs are equipped with backrests, which helps prevent excessive strain on the neck and back. Don't try to emphasize your status with furniture. Chairs should be functional. To choose a chair for yourself, pay attention to the following characteristics:

• presence of a height-adjustable seat;
• the presence of a backrest that is adjustable both in height and in the transverse direction;
• availability of sufficient seat depth;
• proper stability;
• the presence of wheels that match the floor covering in your office.

3. Chair adjustment. When adjusting a chair, you need to take into account both the size of your body and the height of the working surface of the table, if it is not adjustable. Basic recommendation: the height of the seat should be adjusted so that you can sit comfortably on it; in this case, the soles of your feet should rest on the floor, and the gap between the front of the chair and your calves should be 5 centimeters. After this, you should adjust the backrest both vertically and transversely so that your lower back does not strain.

If the chair has armrests, they should be adjusted so that they lightly touch the bottom of your elbows when they are at right angles to the back of the chair. The armrests should not raise your elbows at all. If they bother you, it is better to dismantle them.

When adjusting your chair, consider the height of your desk and computer keyboard. You should position yourself so that your legs are comfortably located under the working surface of the table and nothing interferes with their free movement.

If you cannot achieve this position, then the working surface of the table is too low for you. If the work surface of the table when you sit is located significantly higher than the level of your elbows, you should adjust the height of the chair. In this case, you will have to place support under your feet so that you can take a comfortable sitting position.

Equipment

I once knew a secretary whose organization I was simply amazed at. She always knew where and what was. Her workplace was perfection. When I met her, she had already been working with her new boss for six months. Her previous boss didn't like using a voice recorder. So she kept it in a drawer at the top of a tall cabinet, and the new boss, on the contrary, brought her a new memory card for the recorder every day.

So, every day in the morning she had to climb up to get the recorder, and at the end of the working day she had to do the same operation to put it back. This is what the power of habit means.

This example clearly illustrates how durable habits are learned once and for all. The stereotype of work has long ago changed, but the habit of a long-established order continues to live. Pay attention to where you keep things you use regularly. They should always be at your fingertips.

If you have shelves above your desk, they should be positioned in such a way that you can reach things on the bottom shelf without getting up from your chair. Items that you use regularly (for example, a telephone, a printer, various kinds of reference books) should be within reach so that you do not have to reach for them.

Using a computer

Nowadays, almost all types of human activity are in one way or another connected with the long-term use of computer technology. Following simple recommendations when working with a computer will help you increase productivity, provide a higher level of comfort and protect against fatigue and harmful health effects:

• It is recommended that the top edge of the monitor screen be level with the user's eyes. However, some computer experts point out that this height is the maximum allowed level, and insist that for some categories of users this level should be a little lower, emphasizing that this position is much more comfortable for the eyes and neck.
• Take a comfortable position, paying special attention to the position of your neck, spine, elbows, hands, hips and feet.
• Try not to stay in the same position for long periods of time.
• Keep your forearms, hands and arms in line and do not rest on sharp edges. Don't hit the keys too hard.
• The keyboard should be at the same angle as your forearms.
• Take frequent breaks. Experts recommend taking a break of five to ten minutes every hour.
• Every ten to fifteen minutes of working on the computer, give your eyes a rest by closing them for a moment. Then, after opening them, try to look at distant objects and blink more often.
• Install the monitor so that light is not reflected from it. For overhead lighting, use blinds and light diffusers.
• Reading paper documents requires stronger lighting than reading from a monitor screen. If you work on a computer and with paper documents at the same time, use a desk lamp that can be used to adjust the lighting so that the additional light you need to read paper documents does not fall on the monitor screen.
• A special stand for paper documents will make it easier for you to work on your computer and with paper documents at the same time.
• Adjust the contrast and brightness of your monitor to a level that is comfortable for you.
• Clean your monitor screen and other computer surfaces regularly.

Cleaning up the workplace

Cleaning up closets. Start cleaning with cupboards, namely those that are located at the maximum distance from your table. Most likely, they contain the bulk of non-essential materials that were not reached during previous cleanings. As they are released, move forward towards your table. This will give you a place to store items that are currently cluttering up areas that are more useful for work.

Be ruthless in getting rid of trash. Just throw away unnecessary documents and outright garbage. Sort the remaining documents and materials into archival boxes, labeling the boxes accordingly. When you start organizing your bookcases, we suggest that you first completely clean them, and then arrange all the literature by topic. You need to place materials and documents in such a way that it is easy and convenient for you to find them if necessary.

Cleaning up your desktop. I was at a point in my life where I was trying to convince myself that I could work well with a cluttered desk. I told myself that, despite the piles of documents that at times reached alarming proportions, I could easily find any paper I needed, and abruptly switching from one task to another only sharpened my attention throughout the workday. Of course it was stupid.

Having too many documents on your desk can be as distracting and disruptive as phone calls. It is much easier to grab onto one task and then another without achieving success than to concentrate your efforts on actually completing them. The presence of a large number of different documents also serves as a convenient excuse to justify various kinds of delays and delays.

When the process of solving a particular problem is difficult, psychologically it is much easier to switch your attention to solving the problem that seems easier to you, and you are tempted to grab the first piece of paper that comes across from some stack of documents on your desktop.

Searching for documents can lead to a huge loss of time and give rise to new reasons for taking time away from work. Take it and estimate how many times you have to take time off from work and rummage through these piles, trying to find the document he needs at the request of this or that person. Special observations have shown that this takes at least 15 minutes a day, and this, admittedly, is a rather conservative estimate.

Of course, this is not much. But if you estimate how much it will be in a year, then you will get one and a half weeks, which, you will agree, is quite a large loss of working time. Think about how much useful work you could do during this time. And if you are disorganized to the point that you spend 30 minutes a day searching, then, if organized correctly, you will be rewarded with three weeks of extra work time per year.

A cluttered desk can also reduce your ability to prioritize activities. Besides, there is something irrational about all this.

As you look through stacks, the same documents come into view over and over again. Quite often, you waste time and energy looking at documents that you should have gotten rid of the first time you saw them. You miss deadlines because the documents that would remind you of them get lost under piles of other documents.

Finally, there is room for stressful situations to arise here. As long as your papers are a jumbled amorphous mass, you cannot get rid of the feeling of anxiety. You're not entirely sure what might be hiding in those stacks of paper, and it's a constant reminder that you can't do your job properly. Quite often, having a large amount of tasks contributes much more to stressful situations than actually completing them.

The key to decluttering your desk should be simplicity. The best way to start this procedure is if you take on a little of everything - a basket of incoming documents, a basket of outgoing documents, one diary, one notepad.

Also consider whether you need personal items on your desk. You might want to leave a random photo or memento on your desk, but there's no point in letting personal items get in the way of your work. Your desk should only contain those supplies and tools that you use every day.

Other items that you don't need regularly should be close at hand, but not on your desk. The workspace should be large enough, since, along with a feeling of physical comfort, a tidy desktop also brings with it a positive psychological attitude.

You may have to overcome a certain psychological barrier before you start tidying up your desk. After all, we latently associate a cluttered desktop with its extremely busy owner, and who doesn’t like to be considered busy. However, it should be remembered that a person can be extremely busy, but completely incompetent and unproductive. Let the results you achieve speak about your business, not the appearance of your desktop. When you have finally sorted out your desktop, you can start sorting out the documents.

How to deal with piles of documents

• Label four empty folders or boxes for storing documents as follows: “accept for processing”, “start sending”, “read”, “send for storage” (or come up with your own options that are more convenient for you). Stock up on enough plastic bags for the most important category that needs to be recycled.
• Get ready for the fact that you will have to throw most of your documents into the trash. Whatever their significance at the time they came to you, most likely they are already obsolete. Don't repeat previous mistakes, act decisively. Here you should be guided by the following principle: if there is any doubt about the value of a document, feel free to throw it in the trash.
• Don't waste time reading every document. At this stage, your only task is to determine whether it is needed at all, and if so, then it should be sent to the trash or folder accordingly.
• Do not take any other action while sorting documents, otherwise you may get stuck in this mass. Be sure to make notes on documents to make your future work easier, but do not spend too much time on this, since your main task at this stage is to sort all the documents into categories.
• Magazines and other periodicals should be scanned quickly, tearing out pages that are of interest to you. Feel free to throw any leftovers into the trash bin. You should not read the torn notes at this stage.
• Once you've sorted through all the bales, take a look at your baskets. Plan time to work on documents.

If everything is done correctly, the completed work will bring you deep satisfaction.

How to maintain order?

The answer to this question has everything to do with developing positive work habits:

• If you have doubts about the value of a document, feel free to throw it in the trash.
• Don't use your desk as a place to store documents - use special folders for this purpose.
• Always check that you have the necessary equipment. All tools and accessories that you use regularly should be at hand.
• Do not move piles of documents from your desk to other areas of the office.
• Try to process and file documents daily. If you remove documents from a file cabinet, make it a point to return them to their place as soon as possible.

Conclusion

Key aspects to tidying up your workspace:

• arranging furniture and equipment to maximize safety, comfort and productivity;
• Freeing up time and space by reorganizing your desk and storage;
• Minimizing stressful situations by eliminating papers scattered throughout the office.

Gareth Lewis, Management consultant, senior fellow at the Institute of Management in the UK. The material is published in an abbreviated translation from English