Set up the person and equipment together

OSHA and the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) focus on fitting the workstation to the worker, rather than prescribing one chair or a single “ideal” pose. Arrange the seat and desk so your feet are supported, shoulders can relax, and your arms reach the keyboard without stretching. Keep wrists near a neutral position and put the monitor in front of you so you do not hold your neck turned or bent for long periods. If you use bifocals or another vision correction, prioritize a comfortable viewing angle over forcing the screen to a textbook height.

Make a laptop workstation workable

A laptop couples the screen and keyboard, so it is difficult to place both at comfortable heights for extended work. A stand plus a separate keyboard and mouse lets you raise the display while keeping input devices close. Keep the mouse within easy reach and avoid pressing the wrists against a sharp desk edge. If armrests make your shoulders lift, lower or move them. Adjust the setup for the task: reading, video calls, and typing may need different positions.

A quick self-check during the day

Check that your feet are supported, the backrest is usable, the display is straight ahead, your wrists are not sharply bent, and glare is not making you lean in. Change positions and take brief movement breaks instead of holding one posture for the whole day. At a temporary kitchen-table setup, reduce long uninterrupted sessions if you cannot bring a separate keyboard or screen stand. When discomfort starts, adjust the workstation and take a break rather than treating pain as a sign that you should “sit up straighter” indefinitely.

What a workstation checklist can and cannot assess

OSHA and HSE workstation materials help identify ergonomic risks; they do not diagnose an individual’s pain or promise that one posture prevents an injury. Persistent pain, tingling, weakness, or difficulty doing normal tasks deserves an assessment from an appropriate health professional and, where relevant, a workplace safety contact. Home furniture may not match a standard office setup, so use the checklist to identify pressure points and adapt the equipment to the person. There is no single set of chair or monitor measurements that fits every body and task.

In CIEHF’s Mobile Working Risk Management System, ergonomists Ed Milnes and Sarah Tapley explain the screen–keyboard height trade-off when using a laptop and recommend suitable stands, separate input devices and breaks for constrained mobile setups. Their guide distinguishes occasional work at home from a designated home workstation, which calls for a proper display-screen risk assessment. Its UK employer duties do not automatically apply in every country.

Sources and references

eTools: Computer Workstations | OSHA / Working safely with display screen equipment | HSE / Mobile Working Risk Management System | CIEHF (Ed Milnes and Sarah Tapley)