DEA 651 Workstation #1

The main task of the employees who utilize Workstation 1 is data entry. This entails behaviors such as lifting, reaching, typing, mousing, and sitting. The Hayworth workstation is relatively successful in its attempt to comfortably accommodate typing and sitting, but less successful for the tasks of mousing, lifting and reaching.

Book carts loaded in other areas of the library are brought into the workstation, where their contents (including both books and single sheets of paper) are then unloaded onto the worksurface. Each item is lifted from the surface, placed on the document holder, and then transferred to the right side of the computer after the data has been entered.

The employee is able to sit with their knees and feet in a comfortable position, free of obstructions and pressure points. Both the seat surface and backrest can be easily adjusted to a comfortable position.

The task of data entry requires the employee to engage in intermittent typing for extended periods of time. The set-up of the workstation permits the employee to sit with their head upright and facing forward, avoiding strain on the neck. The computer height, tilt, and distance can be changed to accommodate various users. The adjustable, downward-tilted keyboard allows for comfortable positioning of the hands and wrists while typing. However, the lack of support for the hands and lower arm causes the RULA score to increase to 3.

The use of the touchpad received a score of 3. The non-adjustable position of the touchpad is such that the user's elbow is extended behind the body, which causes strain on the shoulder and forearm (see image).

The task of lifting papers received a RULA score of 4, and reaching for books received a score of 5. These high scores are attributed to the fact that the user must twist their trunk and reach across a long distance in order to obtain an item. The width of the worksurface is too large for the user to comfortably reach materials being used (see reach envelope). For books the problem is magnified due to the increase in force load.

Overall, Workstation 1 accommodated many of the user's needs. However, to optimize workstation comfort level, we recommend the addition of arm/hand support, reduction in workstation width, and repositioning of the touchpad.

This page created by DEA 651: Ergonomics, Anthropometrics, and Biomechanics,
Send questions or comments to rlp6@cornell.edu.