Ergonomic Guidelines for Working from

Home

Introduction
Many people do not have a home office or office equipment in their house. As such,
this document is intended to give general guidance as to how to set up a temporary
workspace at home.

Laptop Users
The main issue with working from a laptop is that the screen and the keyboard are
connected. This means that if you find the correct typing height, the screen will be too
low, and equally if you find the correct screen height, the keyboard will be too high.

Equipment required:
• Keyboard (wired, or wireless)
• Mouse (wired or wireless)

If you do not have these at home, you can, with the permission of your manager
remove these from your office at work in order to work from home.

Setting up your workspace

Start off by ensuring you are sitting at your table/desk/breakfast bar or whatever
surface at the correct height. To check you’re sitting at the correct height, your elbow
should be at the same height as the work surface or slightly above. You may have to
use different chairs to achieve this, or use a pillow/cushion to raise you up slightly.

Once you are sitting at the correct height for your work surface, you should get the top
of your laptop screen at eye level or just below. You may have to put the whole laptop
on a stack of books or a box in order to achieve this.

Plug your keyboard and mouse into the laptop and position them as you would on your
desk normally with your keyboard in line with the laptop.

Title: Ergonomic Guidelines for Working from Home

Author Joe Cook – joseph.cook@tatasteeleurope.com
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Desktop Users
It is not possible to take your work desktop computer home; however, some people
may be using their own desktop computers in the house to complete their work.

If you do not already have Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint,
they can be installed free of charge by logging into your work account and going to:
https://portal.office.com/account/ and clicking on “install office”

When using a desktop computer at home, you should follow the same Ergonomic
guidelines as in the office. The picture below gives a good summary of the position you
are trying to achieve.
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Breaks and Varying your position.

It is important to take breaks away from the display screen and from your chair.
Guidelines suggest that you should spend 10 minutes away from your screen in every
hour. It is better to take these in small chunks as opposed to one 10-minute break.
Going to the toilet and making a cup of tea count toward these breaks.

These guidelines are not suggesting that you have an additional 10 minutes per hour of
breaks, but rather that you should be aware if you have sat in front of a screen for an
extended period and need to rest your eyes and vary your position.

Stretches and Exercises

Stretches for fingers, wrists & forearms
Finger exercise
• Make a fist; ensuring thumb is straight, not tucked under fingers (1a)
• Slide fingertips up palm, tips of fingers moving towards base of fingers, until stretch is felt (1b)
• Hold for slow count of 10
• Repeat 3 – 5 times

Wrist stretch exercise

• With hand open and facing down, move wrist from side to side, until stretch is felt at each extreme
• Hold each for slow count of 10
• Repeat 3 – 5 times
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Wrist rotate exercise

• With elbow held close in to side of body, slowly rotate palm upwards and then downwards until
stretch is felt at each extreme
• Hold each for slow count of 10
• Repeat 3 – 5 times

Wrist bend exercise

• Holding upper part of hand with other hand, slowly bend wrist down and then upwards until stretch is
felt at each extreme
• Hold each for slow count of 10
• Repeat 3 – 5 times

Forearm exercise
• Sitting with elbows out and palms together, slowly rotate palms down until stretch is felt
• Hold for slow count of 10
• Repeat 3 – 5 times
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Stretches for neck & shoulders

Neck stretch exercise
• Sit or stand upright. Without lifting chin, glide head straight back until a stretch is felt
• Hold for slow count of 10
• Repeat 3 – 5 times

Neck exercise
• Drop head slowly to one side, taking ear towards shoulder until stretch is felt
• Hold for slow count of 10
• Repeat 3 – 5 times

Shoulder stretch exercise

• Raise shoulders towards ears until slight tension felt across tops of shoulders
• Hold for slow count of 10
• Repeat 3 – 5 times
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Shoulder roll exercise

• Sitting with back supported, slowly roll shoulders up and backwards in circular motion
• Repeat 10 times

Stretches for back

Back exercise one
• Interlace fingers and lift arms above head, keeping elbows straight
• Pressing arms back, slowly stretch to one side
• Hold for slow count of 10
• Repeat 3 – 5 times to each side

Back exercise two

• Hold right arm with left hand just above elbow
• Gently push elbow towards left shoulder until stretch is felt
• Hold for slow count of 10
• Repeat 3 – 5 times to each side
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Back exercise three

• Interlace fingers and lift arms above head
• Slowly lean backwards until stretch is felt
• Hold for slow count of 10
• Repeat 3 – 5 times

Stretches for legs & ankles

Leg stretch exercise
• Slowly lift one leg, straightening knee
• Hold for slow count of 10
• Repeat 3 – 5 times with each leg

Ankle stretch exercise

• Lift ankle clear of floor
• Alternately flex and extend ankle in a pumping action
• Repeat 10 times with each ankle