TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Ergonomics and modular furniture From:LaVonna Funkhouser <lffunkhouser -at- HALNET -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 29 Mar 1994 13:20:49 -0600
Taking the ergonomics thread on another tanget--
We have modular Herman Miller "furniture" in our
offices. My ergonomics improved considerably recently
when I received a "corner unit"--a fairly triangular
piece (actually a 7-sided shape) that holds my monitor,
keyboard (I choose not to use a pullout drawer) and mouse.
The advantage over what I did before is having more
desk space adjacent to my mouse, allowing me to rest my
whole arm. In my old setup, I tended to reach out
to my mouse and pivot from the wrist, causing occasional
pains in my lower arm.
On the subject of eyestrain: I used to sit looking out
at trees and a pond--nice view, but the bright sunlight
behind my monitor made me strain to improve the contrast
on the screen. My new corner is basically against the
opposite wall from my window-wall. Trust me, poor contrast
is worse than glare.
I once asked a member (who was speaking on ergonomics at an
STC meeting) what to do in a situation where you have a
wall that is all window. She said to get a window shade.
I probably would if I could.
