Safety and Comfort Guide
© Copyright 2013 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
Introduction This guide describes proper workstation setup, posture, and health and work habits for computer users at work, at home, at school, and on the go. In addition, this guide contains electrical and mechanical safety information applicable to all HP products. Also available at www.hp.com/ergo WARNING! Avoid excessive heat build-up with your notebook.
iv Introduction
Table of contents 1 Let comfort be your guide .............................................................................................................................. 1 Scan for awkwardness and adjust for comfort ..................................................................................... 1 Adopt healthy habits ............................................................................................................................. 2 Comfortable computing for children ....................
9 Electrical and mechanical safety ................................................................................................................. 25 Product safety policy and general practice ......................................................................................... 26 Installation requirements .................................................................................................................... 26 General precautions for HP products ..........................................
Power lines ........................................................................................................................ 32 Antenna grounding ............................................................................................................ 32 Precautions for products with modems, telecommunications, or local area network options ............ 33 Precautions for products with laser devices .......................................................................................
viii
1 Let comfort be your guide Scan for awkwardness and adjust for comfort Whenever you use a computer, you make decisions that can affect your comfort, health, safety, and productivity. This is true whether you use a desktop keyboard and monitor in an office, a notebook computer in a college dormitory, a tablet in the kitchen, or a handheld computer at the airport. In every case, you choose your body’s position relative to the technology.
particular attention to adjusting your posture in the afternoon when you may tend to get fatigued. Avoid leaning into a posture resembling a turtle, with your neck in an awkward position, your head out of alignment with your spine, and your back unsupported by the chair. Moving through standing and seated postures and breathing deeply is good for your spine, joints, muscles, lungs, and circulatory system.
Comfortable computing for children The recommendations in this guide apply to computer users of all ages. Often adults have to “unlearn” poor computer-using habits, but children—especially young children—won’t have old habits to break if parents and teachers help them to learn good computer habits from the start. Parents and teachers need to monitor and guide the children in their care.
2 Adjusting your chair Let the comfort of your feet, legs, back and shoulders be your guide To learn how to move between upright and reclined positions, you need to fully familiarize yourself with your chair adjustments. If you do not have a copy of the printed chair user guide, check the manufacturer’s website. Surprisingly, many people have never learned to utilize the full range of their chair adjustments. Taking the time to do so really pays off for your comfort and productivity. 1.
RIGHT Adjust tension to recline and, if helpful, use an angled footrest to maintain position. 3. Check to see if the chair has additional back support features that can be adjusted for comfort. If so, adjust the chair back support to match the natural curve of your spine. 4. You may find that supporting your forearms makes your shoulders more comfortable, but arm supports should not cause you to shrug your shoulders, put excessive pressure on your elbows, or “wing” your arms out to the sides.
Once you know how to use the chair adjustments, move between upright and reclined positions, scanning your body for comfort. You decide which postures and seated adjustments are most comfortable and productive. Your posture choice within your comfort zone will likely vary with your task. For example, you may find a reclined posture more comfortable for e-mail, and an upright posture more comfortable for tasks requiring frequent reference to papers or books.
3 Adjusting your work surface Let the comfort of your shoulders, arms and hands be your guide When you’re moving between postures, you may need to adjust your work surface for the comfort of your shoulders, arms, and hands. Your shoulders should be relaxed with your elbows hanging comfortably at your sides. Your forearms, wrists, and hands should be aligned in a straight, neutral position. The adjustment features of the work surface, keyboard, and pointing device affect your comfort and productivity.
WRONG Do not rest your palms on the work surface or bend your wrists markedly down. WRONG Do not bend your wrists markedly inward. Follow these work surface guidelines: ● Place the keyboard directly in front of you to avoid twisting your neck and torso. ● Adjust the height of the work surface for the comfort of your shoulders, arms, wrists, and hands. Your shoulders should be relaxed and your elbows should hang comfortably at your sides.
When typing, pointing and touching, scan your hands and fingers for tension When typing, pointing, and touching, scan your hands and fingers regularly for awkwardness, tension, or discomfort as you type and use the pointing device or touch technology. While typing, observe whether you have a heavy or light touch. Use the minimum force needed to depress the keys. Avoid holding unnecessary tension in your thumbs and fingers.
4 Adjusting your monitor Scan your head, neck and torso for comfort There is no one monitor placement that can keep all body parts happy at all times. Throughout the day, let the comfort of your eyes, neck, shoulders, and back help you determine what to move and when. Placement, zoom, and lighting are all important factors that affect your comfort and productivity. For example, if your eyes are getting dry, you may want to lower the monitor for a while and blink regularly.
Follow these guidelines for adjusting the monitor: ● Place the monitor in a location where glare and bright reflections are eliminated. Try to avoid bright light sources in your field of vision. ● Place the monitor directly in front of you to avoid twisting your neck and torso. ● To avoid craning your neck forward to view text that is too small, experiment with adjusting the percentage of zoom to 125 percent or higher.
RIGHT Adjust your viewing distance until you can read the text clearly. ● To find your comfortable viewing distance, stretch your arm toward the monitor with a clenched fist and place the monitor near the location of your knuckles. With your head resting comfortably over your shoulders, move the monitor back and forth to fine-tune your viewing distance. You should be able to clearly see the text on the monitor.
RIGHT Some multifocal wearers find that placing their monitor low helps them to keep their head balanced comfortably over their shoulders. WRONG Your monitor is too high if it causes you to bend your neck backward to any degree. TIP: If you are not able to adjust the monitor high enough, consider using an adjustable arm or monitor riser. If you cannot adjust the monitor low enough, consider using an adjustable monitor arm. IMPORTANT: Don’t forget to blink, especially if you experience eye discomfort.
Adjusting dual monitors There are several different placement options to consider when using dual monitors. You may want to position one monitor directly in front of you and the other to the side. If you find you are rotating your head and neck to view an application on a display placed to the side for an extended period, move the application window to the display directly in front of you. Only applications needed for short periods should be viewed on the monitor placed to the side.
5 Using touch technology Using a touch-enabled monitor and all-in-one product Touch technology is great when you want to interact directly with objects on the screen. When using touch, you need to be especially attentive to the comfort of your neck, shoulders, and arms. Remember, there is no one monitor placement that can keep all body parts happy at all times, especially when using touch.
RIGHT Bring your touchscreen closer than arm’s length and adjust the tilt to keep your wrists neutrally aligned. When using touch extensively, you may want to adjust the height of your display throughout the day to maintain the comfort of your neck, shoulders and arms. WRONG Touching with an extended arm can quickly tire the shoulder and arm.
WRONG Do not hunch forward over your touchscreen, leaving your back unsupported by your chair. Using a touch-enabled tablet It is especially important to scan for awkward head and neck posture when using touch-enabled tablets. If you use this technology often and find you have discomfort in your neck, shoulders, and back, you may be looking down at the screen for extended periods.
RIGHT For neck comfort, you may want to try a height-adjustable accessory for your tablet.
6 Using a Notebook Listen to your body especially when using a notebook Because notebook computers are mobile, they allow you to easily move from one place to another. At home, you may move from the home office to the kitchen table and even stand for a while at the kitchen counter. If you travel on business, you can easily move from the hotel room desk to the client conference room, or to a remote field office.
Each time you move to a new work environment, scan your body position relative to the notebook. When working in an environment where proper seating or support is unavailable or when working for extended periods, change your body position often and take regular brief breaks. When on the move, use a notebook carrying case with built-in wheels for neck and shoulder comfort.
7 Carefully monitoring children using computers A special note for parents and teachers It is important to encourage moderation in children’s computer use. Children use computers a lot; they use them at school and at home for study and for play. Monitor and guide the children in your care—start early, start now, and insist that they take breaks. Children’s bodies are still growing and developing, and their habits while using the computer can affect their future health and fitness.
TIP: When school systems fail to provide adjustable furniture designed for computer use, teachers may consider having their students work in teams to find inventive solutions to improve their comfort and productivity.
8 Monitoring your health habits and exercise The comfort and safety of working at the computer can be affected by your general state of health. Studies have shown that a variety of health conditions may increase the risk of discomfort, muscle and joint disorders, or injuries. If you have any of the health conditions or factors listed below, it is particularly important to stop what you are doing on a regular basis and frequently scan your body for awkwardness or discomfort.
Monitoring personal tolerance levels and limits Computer users have different tolerance levels for work intensity and sustained activity length. Monitor your personal tolerance levels and avoid regularly exceeding them. If any of the listed health conditions apply to you, it is particularly important to know and to monitor your personal limits.
9 Electrical and mechanical safety HP products are designed to operate safely when installed and used according to the product instructions and general safety practices. The guidelines included in this section explain the potential risks associated with computer operation and provide important safety practices designed to minimize these risks.
Product safety policy and general practice HP products operate safely when used according to their marked electrical ratings and product usage instructions. They should always be used in accordance with the requirements of local and regional building and wiring codes intended for the safe use of IT equipment. The IEC 60950 standards provide general safety design requirements that reduce the risk of personal injury to both the computer user and the service partner.
General precautions for HP products Retain the safety and operating instructions provided with the product for future reference. Follow all operating and usage instructions. Observe all warnings on the product and in the operating instructions. To reduce the risk of fire, bodily injury, and damage to the equipment, observe the following precautions.
the safety purpose of the grounding-type plug by trying to insert it into a non-grounded outlet. If you cannot insert the plug into the outlet, contact an electrician to replace the obsolete outlet. Power sources The product should be operated only from the type of power source indicated on the product's electrical ratings label. If you have questions about the type of power source to use, contact the service partner or local power company.
Overloading Do not overload an electrical outlet, power strip, or convenience receptacle. The overall system load must not exceed 80% of the branch circuit rating. If power strips are used, the load should not exceed 80% of the power strip input rating. Cleaning Unplug the product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.
Precautions for portable computer products In addition to the general precautions described earlier, be sure to observe the following precautions when operating a portable computer product. Failure to observe these precautions could result in fire, bodily injury, and damage to the equipment. WARNING! To reduce the possibility of heat-related injuries or of overheating the computer, do not place the computer directly on your lap or obstruct the computer air vents.
Products with casters Products provided with casters should be moved with care. Quick stops, excessive force, and uneven surfaces may cause the product to overturn. Floor-standing products Be sure the bottom stabilizers on the equipment are installed and fully extended. Ensure that the equipment is properly stabilized and supported before installing options and cards.
Precautions for products with external television antenna connectors In addition to the general precautions described earlier, be sure to observe the following precautions when using external television antennas with your product. Failure to observe these precautions could result in fire, bodily injury, and damage to the equipment. Compatibility HP television tuner cards with antenna connections should be used only with HP personal computers that are intended for home use.
1. Electric Service Equipment 2. Power Service Grounding Electrode System (NEC Art 250, Part H) 3. Ground Clamps 4. Grounding Conductors (NEC Section 810-21) 5. Antenna Discharge Unit (NEC Section 810-20) 6. Ground Clamp 7. Antenna Lead-in Wire Precautions for products with modems, telecommunications, or local area network options In addition to the general precautions described earlier, be sure to observe the following precautions when operating telecommunications and network equipment.
Laser safety warnings In addition to the general precautions described earlier, be sure to observe the following warnings when operating a product equipped with a laser device. Failure to observe these warnings could result in fire, bodily injury, and damage to the equipment. WARNING! Do not operate controls, make adjustments, or perform procedures to a laser device other than those specified in the operators manual or in the laser device installation guide.
Symbols on equipment The following table contains safety icons that may appear on HP equipment. Refer to this table for an explanation of the icons, and heed the warnings that accompany them. This symbol, when used alone or in conjunction with any of the following icons, indicates the need to consult the operating instructions provided with the product. WARNING: A potential risk exists if the operating instructions are not followed. This symbol indicates the presence of electric shock hazards.
These symbols indicate the presence of mechanical parts that can result in pinching, crushing or other bodily injury. WARNING: To avoid risk of bodily injury, keep away from moving parts. This symbol indicates the presence of moving parts that can result in bodily injury. WARNING! Hazardous moving parts. To avoid risk of bodily injury, keep away from moving fan blades. This symbol indicates the presence of a potential tip over hazard that can result in bodily injury.
10 More information If you want more information about arrangement of work space and equipment or safety standards, refer to the following organizations: American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 11 West 42nd St. New York, NY 10036 http://www.ansi.org Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) P.O. Box 1369 Santa Monica, CA 90406-1369 http://www.hfes.org International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Central Secretariat 3, rue de Varembé P.O. Box 131 CH1211 GENEVA 20, Switzerland http://www.iec.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Publications Office U.S. Department of Labor 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Room N3101 Washington, DC 20210 http://www.osha.gov TCO Development Linnégatan 14 SE-114 94 Stockholm, Sweden http://www.tcodevelopment.
Index A accessories 30 antenna grounding local area network (LAN) 32 B battery pack 30 M mechanical safety 26 modem 33 monitor adjusting guidelines 11 placement 10, 12, 14 support cover 30 C casters 31 chair height 4 chemical safety 26 children 3, 21 N neck 2, 11, 19 D docking base 30 dual monitors 14 O options 30 overheating warning E electric shock 26 electrical safety 25 energy safety 26 P parent monitoring 21 pointing 9 positions 6 reclined 1 seated 1 standing 1 power cord 28 power lines 32 po
