Wrist rests

Computer safety covers many areas based around the continuous use of computers. The way we sit, move and work can affect many areas of our body and cause aches and pains in the fingers, hands, wrists, arms or shoulders. There are many things you can do to prevent injury, below we are looking at hands and wrists.

Performing typing tasks without a wrist rest can increase the contact stress and irritation on tendons and tendon sheathes this is because of the angle and position of the hands. This is especially true with high repetition or prolonged keying tasks.

Using a wrist rest will help this issue, however it should be called a palm rest as it is more the palm of your hand that is actually resting on the cushion. Your hands should move freely and be elevated above the wristrest while typing. When resting, the pad should contact the heel or palm of your hand, not your actual wrist.

Reduce bending of the wrists by adjusting other workstation components such as your chair; desk or keyboard can help your wrist maintain an in-line, neutral posture. Match the wrist support to the height, width, and slope of the front of the keyboard keeping in mind that the goal is to keep wrist postures as straight as possible. Providing wristrests that are fairly soft and rounded to minimize pressure on the wrist. The support should be at least 3.8 cm deep.

Elevate the back or front of keyboards to achieve a neutral wrist posture. For example, if the user sits lower in relation to the keyboard, slightly elevating the back of the keyboard may help maintain a neutral wrist. Similarly, raising the front of the keyboard may help maintain neutral wrist postures for users who type with the keyboard in a lower position. Do not use keyboard feet if they increase bending of the wrist.

Traditional keyboards may cause you to bend your wrists sideways to reach all the keys. Keyboard tilt, caused by extending the legs on the back of the keyboard or by a steep design angle, may cause the wrist to bend upward. Smaller keyboards, such as those found on laptops, may also contribute to stressful postures. Consider alternative keyboards to help neutral wrist postures. Alternative keyboards may be provided on a case-by-case basis. Users may need time to become accustomed to these devices.

See also:

• health and safety signs
• computer monitor safety
• fire extinguishers
• fire safety
• industrial first aid kit

Disclaimer: Business Health & Safety UK have provided this advice on the basis that the content and advice contained within these documents is to the best of our knowledge accurate at the time of publication. The Business Safety Company does not accept any liability for the accuracy of the information provided in the above' and website pages.