Datacenter Ergonomics Evaluator and Auditor Training
MODULE 02

Part 1: Evaluating Office Environments

Offices are generally low-risk work areas. The potential for serious injury is low, but it is still present. Evaluate the workstation, then the room around it.

A worker seated with correct posture at an ergonomic office workstation
2.1

Office ergonomic risks

Nine categories to check at every workstation. Each one lists the associated injury risk and what to physically look for.

Diagram of correct seated posture at an office workstation, with 90-degree angles marked at the elbow, hip, and knee, and the monitor set at eye level

The reference posture: monitor top at eye level, elbows and hips near 90°, wrists straight over the keyboard, feet flat on the floor or a footrest. Use this as the baseline while checking each category below.

Diagram of a desk surface with monitor, keyboard, mouse, phone, and document holder circled by ideal reach-distance arcs

Work Zones

01

Back strain, elbow strain, contact stress of arms and wrists from improper placement of desk accessories.

What to look for
  • Distance and placement of the monitor
  • Distance and placement of the keyboard
  • Distance and placement of the mouse
  • Distance and placement of the telephone
  • Distance and placement of the document holder
Diagram of a person seated in a slouched, hunched posture with the poor spinal curve highlighted

Posture

02

Strain to most body parts from a body that is not properly positioned at the workstation.

What to look for
  • Employee sitting in a slouched or hunched position while performing tasks
  • Back not properly supported by the chair
Diagram of an ergonomic office chair with backrest angle and seat height adjustment ranges marked

Chair Design

03

Back strain, neck strain, elbow strain from lack of back and arm support or improper sitting position.

What to look for
  • Non-office chairs in use
  • Employee sitting in a chair that does not fit their body form
  • Employee sitting awkwardly (leaning, slouching, hunching) while performing tasks
Diagram of a person seated at a desk that is too high, reaching upward to the keyboard with desk height measured against elbow height

Desk Height

04

Back strain, thigh compression / reduced circulation, wrist strain from a desk that is too high or too low.

What to look for
  • Employee reaching up to type or perform tasks
  • Feet dangling or not flat on the floor
  • Employee leaning over to type or perform tasks
  • Legs in a partial squatting position while seated
Diagram of a person looking up at a monitor set too high, with eye-line and neck tilt angle marked

Monitor Height

05

Neck and eye strain from a monitor adjusted too high or too low.

What to look for
  • Employee looking up or down at the monitor
  • Monitor height relative to the work surface
Diagram of hands typing on a keyboard with wrists bent upward and the wrist angle marked

Keyboard Design

06

Wrist and hand strain from improper wrist and hand position at the keyboard.

What to look for
  • Hands and wrists bent outward while typing
  • Wrists tilted upward or downward while typing
  • Presence of an ergonomic / form-fitting keyboard
Diagram of a hand gripping a mouse in a twisted, pronated wrist position with the rotation angle marked

Mouse Design

07

Wrist and hand strain from improper hand position while using the mouse.

What to look for
  • Wrists and hands in a pronated position while using the mouse
  • Employee using a travel-sized mouse
  • Presence of an ergonomic / form-fitting mouse
Diagram of a person tilting their head sideways to hold a telephone receiver against their ear while typing

Telephone Design

08

Neck strain from awkward placement of the receiver between the head and shoulder.

What to look for
  • Employee tilting the head sideways and hunching the shoulder to hold the phone while working
  • Presence of a headset at the workstation
Diagram of a person looking down at a document lying flat on a desk, next to an upright document holder shown as the correct alternative

Document Viewing

09

Neck strain and back strain from documents laid flat on the work surface.

What to look for
  • Employee looking down at documents while typing
  • Presence of a document holder
2.2

Environmental ergonomic risks in office environments

Excessive noise, lighting, or temperature in the work area: common in office settings, especially near construction.

Diagram of an office workstation with noise, lighting, and temperature risk symbols connected by leader lines
  • Employees over- or under-dressed (wearing gloves or heavy coats in office areas)
  • Monitors without glare screens
  • Proper positioning of light fixtures in office areas
  • Employees in noisy areas with no hearing protection (most likely near construction)

Knowledge Check

Q1. An employee is looking down at their monitor and complaining of neck strain. Which risk category is this?
Q2. What should an evaluator check for under "Work Zones"?
Q3. An employee holds the phone between their ear and shoulder while typing. What is the recommended mitigation?
Q4. Which of these is an environmental ergonomic risk found in office environments?
IntroductionIndustrial Ergonomics