Safety & Comfort Guide User Guide

move to stay comfortable and productive, or without awareness, you can slip into an uncomfortable
and less productive posture.
Throughout the day, you decide.
STAY AWARE Scan for awkwardness and discomfort. Don’t slip into awkward, uncomfortable and
less productive postures like “
The Turtle .”
Adopt healthy habits
Build positive relationships at work and at home and find healthy ways to reduce stress. Breathe
deeply and regularly. Every 20 minutes, take a brief break— stand up, move around, stretch, and shift
your gaze to a distant point. Partner with an “ergo buddy,” observing one another’s posture and
reminding each other to make adjustments and move.
The comfort and safety of working at the computer can be affected by your general state of health.
Studies have shown that a variety of health conditions may increase the risk of discomfort, muscle
and joint disorders, or injuries. (See
Monitoring your health habits and exercise on page 19.)
Avoiding adverse health conditions and exercising regularly to improve and maintain your physical
fitness can improve your overall health and tolerance for sedentary work. Respect any medical
conditions or health factors you may have, and monitor your personal limits.
Comfortable computing for children
The recommendations in this guide apply to computer users of all ages. Often adults have to
“unlearn” poor computer-using habits, but children—especially young children—won’t have old habits
to break if parents and teachers help them to learn good computer habits from the start. Parents and
teachers need to monitor and guide the children in their care. Start children early on a lifelong habit of
listening to their bodies, sensitizing themselves to awkwardness, and adjusting for comfort. (See
Carefully monitoring children using computers on page 18.)
2 Chapter 1 Let comfort be your guide