Last week, CERN’s Medical Service published eight tips to help you stay in good mental and physical health during the lockdown. In this article, it offers some advice on optimising the ergonomics of your telework space, as teleworking may be a brand new adventure for you...
It’s very tempting to grab your laptop and mobile phone and work on the sofa or even in bed. Bad idea. Beware of the inevitable onset of lower back pain, a stiff neck and tendonitis. People who telework are not immune to musculoskeletal and visual problems; in fact, they are predisposed to develop them.
So, what can you do?
- If possible, set up a special teleworking area that is bright, quiet and, ideally, in a room that is set apart from other living areas, in order to keep your professional and private lives as separate as possible, especially if you live with children.
- Follow the general principles of ergonomics. Whether you’re working on a laptop or a desktop computer, at home or in the office, the rules are the same. Use all the means available to you to make the necessary adjustments.
- For improved comfort, use a headset or headphones for videoconferences.
- Your electrical set-up is also important: it’s not always easy to keep your cables tidy at home, but, to prevent accidents, try to avoid tangling them and keep them out of the way.
- Of course, keep moving as much as possible! Don't forget to set aside some time for physical exercise.
- And, if you haven’t done so yet, complete our online training course on workstation ergonomics!
If you need any advice, please don’t hesitate to contact us at medical.service@cern.ch or working.conditions@cern.ch (if necessary, you can attach a photograph of your workstation to your message – we would be delighted to advise you).
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