20 Spring+Summer Journal -web

Journal of the Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare

Small Changes Can Have a Big Impact
on Your Work-from-Home Setup

By Kathy Espinoza, MBA, MS, CPE, CIE

With the COVID-19 pandemic, millions If your elbows are falling below the follows your vision, so if you are lean-
of workers suddenly find themselves space bar on your keyboard when ing forward, looking down, or turning
doing their jobs from home. Although you are working, your tabletop is too sideways to see your monitor, eventu-
working from home (WFH) may have high. This will force your shoulders to ally your neck is going to suffer. Your
initially sounded great (especially elimi- scrunch up and eventually cause pain. monitor should be placed so that your
nating that 14-step commute!), by now People often find themselves sitting working document is eye level. You
you are probably seeing that it can also on one leg to make this height adjust- can accomplish this by propping up
pose some challenges, including physi- ment, but it is better to simply raise your monitor on a stack of books or
cal, mental, and environmental issues your chair or sit on a cushion. It’s also using a laptop stand with an external
that you may not have anticipated. important to keep your elbows close keyboard. If you wear bifocals, you
Now that the novelty has worn off, it’s to your side at the midline of your may find yourself bringing your chin
time to take a more critical look at your body; the farther they go in front of up to look down at a document. In this
home office setup and reevaluate your you, again, the more tightening you’ll case, you should adjust your monitor
workspace through the lens of ergonom- have in your shoulders. height lower.
ics to maximize comfort and prevent in- • Keep Pets Off Your Lap – While we If you use dual monitors, place your
jury. Perhaps you have determined the love our fur babies, having them in primary monitor directly in front of you
best dedicated workspace in your home your lap while working forces you to at eye level, and leave the secondary
and have set up the equipment you push back from your workstation and monitor on the side for occasional
need, but it still feels lacking. Maybe you move your elbows away from your tasks or for checking email. If you truly
already had a home office that worked body. It’s best to keep pets on the use both monitors simultaneously,
fine for the occasional task, but it is no floor while working. bring them together as close as pos-
longer functional now that you are sit- • Try a Sit/Stand Alternative – The sible in front of you so that they join
ting there all day, every day. Even if you standard 36-inch counter height can right in the center of your vision, and
think you have this WFH thing all figured make for a great standing work sur- angle them in toward you on the sides.
out, there are probably a few steps you face. Standing workstations are not • Be Aware of Keyboard and Mouse
could take to make your experience that for everyone. But if you want to give Comfort – One of the easiest mis-
much better. it a try, research shows that taking takes to make is pushing your key-
Whether WFH is a temporary solution, 10 minutes out of every hour to work board forward and working with your
an occasional situation, or just your nor- at a standing desk can be beneficial. elbows out in front of you. Again, the
mal workplace, these tips can help make Eventually, you can work up to longer more your elbows shift away from the
your WFH environment the best it can periods of standing work. Again, just midline of your body, the more tension
possibly be and help you get through remember to keep your work surface you are going to feel. Pull the keyboard
your home workday more comfortably at elbow level while standing – prop close to you so that your elbows stay
and productively. up your computer if necessary – and by your side while you are working.
• Keep Your Work Surface at Elbow wear comfortable shoes for support. Also, notice the “feet” on the back
If your back starts to get sore, or you of your keyboard and make sure they
Height – The standard desk/table find yourself leaning on one hip, it’s are in the “down” position. When the
height is 29.5 inches, and the stan- time to sit down or take a break. keyboard feet are “up” and raising the
dard countertop is 36 inches. But as • Place Your Monitor at Eye Level – top of your keyboard on an angle, this
people, we don’t come in standard Where you place your monitor can forces your wrists to bend up when
heights! Ideally, you should set your make the difference between having typing as well. While this angle may
device on a surface so that it is sit- a sore neck and/or back and working seem hardly noticeable, over time this
ting around elbow height, ensuring from home in comfort. Your posture uncomfortable position will take its toll.
your forearms are parallel to the floor.

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Spring/Summer 2020

If you use a laptop, working on that regular dining room chair as long as part of your chair can create a tightness
smaller built-in keyboard is fine for you set it up correctly. in the knee and cause strain. Again, a
shorter periods of time. But if you The appropriate chair height is what- footrest or box under your desk for
are using a laptop during an eight- ever will allow for your work surface to your feet can make a big difference.
hour work day, it is best to plug in to be elbow height, as described above. Once you’ve reevaluated your home
a larger external keyboard and mouse But if you’ve raised the height of your office environment from an ergonom-
to maximize your comfort and reduce chair to the extent that your feet are ics point of view, the best advice is not
unnecessary stress. now dangling in front of you, try using to stay in one position for too long. Go
a footrest or box to support them. into your calendar and set a recurring
When it comes to your mouse, find Your chair should also support your reminder every 30 minutes to one hour
one that fits the size of your hand spine. To do this, bring the back of an that tells you to stand up and move!
comfortably. Too much time using a adjustable-height chair right up so that Moving and stretching often throughout
small travel mouse, for example, can the rounded portion is even with your the day is integral to a successful WFH
cause strain. Keep your mouse and beltline. If you don’t have an adjustable experience. Stay positive, and remem-
keyboard on the same surface level chair, grab a pillow from the couch or ber to wash those hands often, even
and be sure to place the mouse in bed and place it at your beltline to give when you are working from home!
a position where you don’t have to you that support. This simple step can Kathy Espinoza is a Certified Profession-
reach forward to use it. make a world of difference over time. al Ergonomist at Keenan, an industry-
When you are sitting on a chair, re- leading California insurance brokerage
• Mind the Gap for Maximum Chair member that to be truly comfortable, and consulting firm for healthcare orga-
Comfort – Finding a comfortable chair the body needs a gap of two or three nizations and public agencies. She is a
to work from and setting it up the right inches between the back of the knees frequent conference speaker and author
way helps support your spine, thighs, and the front of the chair. Without that of numerous articles on ergonomics, in-
and feet. Sitting cross-legged on the gap, eventually the body will naturally jury prevention, and management issues
floor with a laptop propped up on your shift forward to create that space and, that have an impact on Keenan clients.
legs, reclining on the couch, or work- in doing so, lose back support. For more tips on working remotely
ing from your bed can seem like the Finally, be aware that tucking in your during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit
ultimate WFH lifestyle, but these sce- legs and resting them on the bottom Keenan’s online microlearning center at
narios are an ergonomic nightmare https://www.keenan.com/Knowledge-
that will become very uncomfortable Center/Working-Remotely
very quickly. An adjustable-height
chair is ideal, but you can also use a

WHILE YOU LOOK AFTER OTHERS,

We do.WHO LOOKS AFTER YOU?

You do great work! AOHP recently sent every
member two wearable buttons to thank you
for caring for the caregivers. Extra buttons are
available for purchase at just $3 each by contacting
AOHP Headquarters at [email protected]. Thank you

for making a difference in so many lives!

57

Journal of the Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare

WHILE YOU LOOK AFTER OTHERS, We do.
WHO LOOKS AFTER YOU?

AOHP Headquarters Chapter Presidents New England: – contact Alfred Carbuto
Annie Wiest, Executive Director Alabama: – contact Cynthia Hall [email protected]
125 Warrendale Bayne Road, Suite 375, [email protected] New York – Nassau/Suffolk:
Warrendale, PA 15086 California Lorraine Chambers Lewis
(800) 362-4347; Fax: (724) 935-1560 Northern: Liesel Short [email protected]
E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.aohp.org [email protected] North Carolina: Mary Hall
[email protected]
AOHP Executive Board of Directors Southern: Lori McKinster Cox Pacific Northwest: Andrea Dayot
Executive President: Lydia Crutchfield [email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] Pennsylvania:
Vice President: Stacy Smirl Florida: Susan Davis Central: Kimberly Kilheeney
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Secretary: Audrey Sadler Eastern: – contact Alfred Carbuto
[email protected] Georgia: – contact Cynthia Hall [email protected]
Executive Treasurer: Dana Jennings Tucker [email protected] Southwest: Sally McElhaney
[email protected] Heart of America – Kansas City: [email protected]
Martina Harvey Rocky Mountain:
Regional Directors [email protected] Rose Rennell
Region 1: Patrick Lastowski [email protected]
[email protected] Houston Area: Dr. Melissa Gresham South Carolina: Jennifer Martin
Region 2: Cory Worden [email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] Illinois: Dawn Lantz Virginia: Elizabeth Bennett
Region 3: Sara (Sally) Parris [email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] Maryland: Tabe Mase Wisconsin: Tricia Novitski
Region 4: Alfred Carbuto [email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] Michigan: Christine Schemansky
Region 5: Cynthia Hall [email protected]
[email protected]
Midwest States: Lisa Kincaid
[email protected]

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AOHP is dedicated to promoting the health, safety and well-being of Address requests for information to AOHP Headquarters at
workers in healthcare. This is accomplished through: (800) 362-4347 or [email protected].
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• Health and safety advancement through best practice and Advertisement guidelines are available from AOHP Headquarters
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Advertisement guidelines are available from AOHP Headquarters
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Upcoming AOHP Conferences
2020 – September 2-5, Austin, Texas

58

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AOHP NATIONAL CONFERENCE
RESCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 2-5

After a thorough and thoughtful review of the current national climate as
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the AOHP Executive Board has
decided to move the date for its Annual National Conference to December
2-5, 2020. "The health, safety, and well-being of our members is always
our top priority," explains Lydia Crutchfield, MS, BSN, RN, CLC. "With the
current spikes in infection rates, along with the resulting demands placed on
all healthcare personnel and the occupational health professionals who so
diligently care for them, we believe rescheduling the conference will provide
greater benefits for attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and poster presenters."
Please adjust your calendars and prioritize attendance at the AOHP National
Conference in Austin, TX, on December 2-5. It is our hope the health
concerns will have improved and the final month of this unprecedented and
challenging year will be the right time for AOHP's members, partners, and
friends to safely gather to learn from, encourage, support, and celebrate
one another. We will continue to monitor the climate with forethought and
prudence. Thank you for your ongoing support.