furnishing the workspace | setting up the home workplace correctly
How can your teleworkers set up their workplace correctly?
In the office, your employees will often have a good desk chair, desk, computer equipment and perhaps an external screen or laptop raiser. What equipment do they need at home for a proper workplace setup?
Choose reliable materials
A computer workstation – whether in the office or home – should have the same good materials: a good desk chair, a desk set at a correct height and, preferably, an external screen or a laptop raiser with an external keyboard and mouse.
The basic package of a good home workplace looks like this:
- a good office chair
- A desk/table at the right height
- An extra screen (at least 24”) or laptop raiser with an
- external mouse
- An external keyboard
If the employee has many online meetings, it is also advisable to have a good headset.
Employers and employees have partial responsibility. For example, employers could choose to allow their employees to benefit from the framework agreement that employers often have with their chair supplier. This chair must meet the minimum requirements specified in the NBN-EN 1335 standard (NPR 1813 is better still).
How can your teleworkers set up their workplace correctly?
Step 1
Setting up the desk chair correctly
- Sit deep in the chair.
- Choose an open angle in terms of height: thigh declining slightly.
- For seat depth, there should be 4 fingers between the seat and knee cavity.
- Ensure good back support by forming a curvature against the lower back or lumbar region.
- Place the armrests (if available) at elbow height with your shoulders relaxed.
- Sit dynamically and adjust the desk chair to your body weight.
Step 2
Adjust the desk to the same height as the elbows if possible. Preferably choose a desk chair with armrests. No armrests? Push the chair right up to the desk.
Step 3
Place the external screen or laptop at arm's length and just below eye level.
Step 4
Place the keyboard sufficiently close (5 to 15 cm) to the edge of the desk with the mouse just next to it.
Step 5
Do your teleworkers often work with documents? Have them place the documents between the keyboard and the screen, preferably slightly tilted toward them.
Step 6
Actively consider posture while sitting. Change position regularly, stand up at work or sit on another type of chair (e.g. a ball). The best posture ... is the next one!
Check for yourself whether your workplace is set up correctly
Discover IDEWE's expertise
Setting up the workplace correctly is clearly very important for preventing physical complaints. This often involves quick wins, i.e. a quick solution that achieves results. Contact an IDEWE ergonomics specialist for more information. Our experts can also guide your teleworkers remotely to set up the workplace correctly.
A selection from our range:
OptiDesk
Our OpitDesk self-assessment tool is also aimed at teleworkers. This is the perfect way to get your employees to evaluate their home workplace, with specific advice and a group report if desired. OptiDesk focuses on the four domains (workstation, work experience, work environment and exercise) that may have an impact on physical complaints. In other words, this is an all-in-one approach that is fast and efficient. www.myoptidesk.be
'Ergonomics for the teleworker' online workshop
During this online workshop, we discuss step by step how your employees can set up their own emergency office as effectively as possible. We will tailor this workshop to the possibilities and limitations of the home workplace, as this creates an optimal workplace setup for all participants. We offer this workshop in a standard variant and tailored to the customer. Contact us for more information
Online individual teleconsultation
Based on specific questions and complaints, we optimise the workstation individually via a structured step-by-step plan. Skype, Teams, etc. provide employees with highly specific advice on how to improve their well-being.
Home workplace visit
Our ergonomist can also always make a site visit to assess the situation even thoroughly.
The video below helps your teleworkers to set up their workplace correctly.
IDEWE © 2021 - Disclaimer - Privacy - NL - FR