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Ergonomics

Projected Time

About 90 minutes

  • 8 minutes for the video walkthrough of the slides
  • 10 minutes for "7 Ways to Be A Healthier Programmer" article
  • 30 minutes for CalOSHA's "Easy Ergonomics for Desktop Users"
  • 20 minutes for Group Practice
  • 10 minutes for Independent Practice

Prerequisites

None

Learning styles represented

  • See (videos, slides, and demonstrations)
  • Hear (videos, Independent Practice & Group Practice)
  • Do (Independent Practice, Group Practice)
  • Write (Check for Understanding)

Motivation

Software engineers often spend 4 to 10 hours a day at their computers. It's vital to have healthy posture and a habit of taking breaks to keep your body healthy during periods of prolonged sitting.

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Outline how to keep their bodies strong and healthy through the use of proper posture and body positioning relative to their computers
  • Explain the importance of taking regular breaks

Specific Things To Teach

  • Proper screen height
  • Proper keyboard height
  • Proper chair height
  • Proper neck, arm, thigh and foot positioning
  • Taking breaks at regular intervals
  • Not putting off bathroom use

Supplemental Materials

Lesson

Ergonomics (video walkthrough of slides)

Ergonomics (slides)

Common Mistakes / Misconceptions

  • "I won't be at my computer very long, so I don't need to worry about ergonomics." Isn't your body worth the effort, though? What if you wind up sitting there for hours even though you didn't plan to?
  • "I primarily use a laptop so this doesn't apply to me." You can still incorporate ergonomic practices into your workflow even if you're using a laptop. Generally, this includes elevating your screen to eye level (most people have to bend their necks down to see their laptop screens) and being mindful of how low or high the keyboard is. Putting a thick book or short box under your laptop is often very helpful for adjusting the screen and keyboard heights.

Demonstration

No instructor demonstrations planned.

Independent Practice

  1. Work with a partner to determine your optimal chair height and your optimal screen height based on the guidelines given in the slides.

Group Activity

  1. As a group and to the best of your ability, explore the exercises in the 10 Exercises for Software Engineers article. When finished, create a note on your computer and write down the exercises you liked the most.

Challenge

  • Set 3 alarms or reminders for yourself for the remainder of the workday. When the alarm goes off, ask yourself if you've been remembering good posture and break habits, or if you need to pay more attention.

Check for Understanding

Write down how you felt doing the ergonomics exercises and working with a partner to figure out your optimal workstation setup. Did anything surprise you? Do you think you'll be able to incorporate ergonomic practices into your time spent at the computer? What are the Top 5 things you want to remember from this lesson?