Tale of a Workstation

I used to live in the headquarters for an asphalt company. But, one day the news broke out all over the floor that The Boss Man had decided to move to North Carolina to take care of his sick mother. He would be moving the headquarters up there. At first this was exciting, I assumed I would be moving with everyone up there. However, I overheard a phone conversation one day that troubled me.

“Yeah, we’re closing up this office.” I heard The Boss Man say.

There was a pause. I could make out just enough that someone was talking on the other end of the conversation, but I had no idea what that person was saying.

“Well, we have a lot of furniture to get rid of.” I heard the The Boss Man reply, “I don’t even know what to do with it all.”

This sent a shiver up my spine. I tried desperately to understand what the person on the other end was saying, but failed again.

“Sure, do whatever you want with it all.” The Boss Man said, “Toss it out in the garbage for all I care. Workstations too. Just as long as I don’t have to clear up this whole floor myself.”

This truly scared me. The Boss Man wanted this person to come by and throw us in the trash? I belonged in an office with air conditioning and interesting people to listen to all day. A dark, dismal future awaited me. I pictured myself lost forever in a landfill.

A few hours later, a man came in with a big smile. The Boss Man came over and shook his hand.

“Thanks for coming over Larry!” The Boss Man said, “Think you can help me get rid of this stuff?”

“I think I know the perfect place for these great workstations!” the man called Larry said. I waited to hear about the dreadful dump I’d be heaped in, but instead he said “There’s a business moving into a bigger location and these would be perfect for them!”

I was overjoyed to hear this news! I would no longer have to worry about my fate in a landfill. I was going to have a new home.

Sure enough, the man called Larry found me and my other workstation friends a great new home. I get to listen to a fantastic working mother named Ashley talk to customers on the phone every day. She often puts up lovely pictures of her children and their drawings. She also has a lot of cat jokes and Dilbert cartoons. I really enjoy getting to see her so much. I’m so glad The Boss Man called the man named Larry!

This is the tale of one workstation that we here at Gator Office Furniture were able to rescue. Unfortunately for many workstations, they really do wind up in landfills. Help us in our cause to continue saving innocent workstations and other office furnishings from such a harsh fate. Adopt an office furnishing from us at 6160 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32216. To learn more about how we are doing our part to save office furnishings, follow us on Twitter as @GatorOfficeFurn. Visit our website or give us a call at (904) 724-6400.

Because, workstations belong in offices with people, not alone in landfills.

Telephone Ergonomics

In our world of continuous contact, we often find ourselves using multiple forms of communication simultaneously. It is not uncommon for a person to carry on a phone conversation while typing a report and sending instant messages. Humans only have two hands and typing requires both. So, how do we manage our telephone conversations while working? Usually, the answer is we that squeeze the receiver between our head and shoulder. Not surprisingly, doing this leads to chronic neck, shoulder, and upper back pain disorders. People often purchase shoulder rests for their receivers, but these still require the user to bend their heads which is not ergonomically correct.

The good news is that there are alternatives to the head and shoulder squeeze. When you are not concerned with privacy or professionalism, using your phone’s speaker option allows you to do as you please while carrying on a conversation. For phone conversations you are not comfortable sharing with those around you, a hands-free headset is your best option. Placed securely on your head, this allows you to move around freely in your workspace. They are also easily available and inexpensive.

If you are in a situation where neither of these options is available, remember these rules. Do not squeeze the receiver with your head and shoulder. Use your hand to hold it up to your ear. Try to limit the length of phone conversations so that your arm does not grow tired. If it is a necessarily long conversation, switch ears occasionally so that one arm does not get over used. Position your telephone close to your main working area so that you never have to twist or reach too far. Have a pad of paper and a pen or pencil handy near the telephone for the same reason. Keep the wires untangled and out of the way to avoid leaning too closely into the phone or, even worse, workplace accidents. Many desks and workstations have inconspicuous grommet holes which provide cord management.



Follow us on Twitter as GatorOfficeFurn, explore our website or just give us a call with any questions or comments at (904) 724-6400.

Keyboard & Mouse Ergonomics

Since our last blog was about monitor ergonomics, we felt keyboard and mouse ergonomics would be a good follow up. Improper positioning can lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other Repetitive Stress Injuries. It can also create strain in the neck and shoulders area, which leads to tension headaches and upper back pain. People that suffer Arthritis also need to pay particular attention to the way they use their keyboards. The following are very simple ways to make sure you are using your keyboard and mouse correctly.

HEIGHT: Your keyboard, mouse, and working surface should have the proper height and angle to prevent users from bending their wrists and lifting their arms too often. The user’s elbows should hang freely and keep close to the sides of the body. Forearms should stay parallel to the floor. There are three ways to make this easier. Install an adjustable keyboard tray, adjust the working surface to fit the user, or raise the user’s chair and provide a footrest if needed.

PLACEMENT: A user should not be forced to keep reaching for their keyboard and mouse. Those items to should be close, so that the user can keep a straight line between their hands their forearm. Mouse platforms that rotate above the users keyboard are a simple solution for this problem.

HAND POSITIONING: Wrists should not bend sideways, up, or down. They should remain straight. When not using the keyboard or mouse your hands should be at rest in your lap. Wrist rests should not be used while typing, since this will cause your wrists to bend. Keys should be pressed gently and not held down for extended periods of time. Track balls and touch pads are great ergonomic alternatives to a traditional mouse. There are also split keyboards that allow you to hold your hands in a more natural position when typing.




Follow us on Twitter as GatorOfficeFurn, explore our website or just give us a call with any questions or comments at (904) 724-6400.

End Upper Back Pain & Tension Headaches With Proper Monitor Ergonomics!

WHAT PROPER MONITOR POSITIONING PREVENTS: At the end of a long day at our computers, so many of us experience nagging aches and pains. We hunch over our keyboards trying to read the text on our computer screens and the muscles in our face tense up as we squint at tiny letters on dark backgrounds. It is no wonder that upper back pain is becoming such a problem and that over 9 million people in America suffer tension headaches every single day.

DISTANCE: It is recommended that you stay at least 20 inches away from your computer screen. Experts would like it if you stayed back as far as 40 inches. For an easy way to estimate appropriate distance, just make sure you are an arm’s reach away. If you have trouble reading from the distance, adjust your computer so that fonts are bigger. Getting too close, will cause your eyes to converge and makes them have to work harder. This causes too much tension in around your eyes and in your upper back. Not only will maintaining a proper distance prevent this pain causing tension, it has been shown to increase production.
























SCREEN COLORS: Contrast and brightness are more important than you may know. Contrast makes the eye’s job of discerning shapes much easier. Eyes also don’t like a monitor being any brighter than its background. Since a black background reflects more than a white background does, it is recommended that you read black text on a white background.

LIGHTING: The brightness of the monitor is not the only source of light you should be concerned with. Make sure to position your monitor so that glare from windows or lighting fixtures does not interfere with your vision. Blinds and shades can assist with diverting outside light. Investing in fixtures that provide indirect light will greatly improve your ergonomic environment as well. Keep light at a low, ambient level.
















ANGLE: It may be tempting to tilt your monitor down to avoid the glare of ceiling fixtures, but experts are adamant that the top of a monitor should be farther back than the bottom. Our peripheral vision works this way, so our entire visual system evolved to perform better this way. This is why we position a book the way we do. Also, if you position a monitor downward, this will lead to neck discomfort, since you will be craning your neck for a better view. If tilting the monitor upward leads to problems with glare, consider the indirect light fixtures previously mentioned or a high-quality glass anti-glare screen.

HEIGHT: The rule of thumb about monitor height is that your eyes should be level with the top of your screen. Eyes are most comfortable with a gaze angled 15 degrees below the horizon and perform even better with an angle range of 20 to 50 degrees below the horizon. If you wear bifocals or trifocals, position your monitor accommodate your lower lenses. If you have a very large monitor, the top of its screen should be 3 inches above eye level.

EXTRA TIPS: First, remember the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, you should take a 20 second break from looking at your monitor and look at something else that is at least 20 feet away. Secondly, keep your screen clean! Lastly, the ergonomic rule that applies to everything, the best posture is the next posture. Change up your position once in a while!

MONITOR ARMS: If you have a flat screen monitor, you’re in luck. Monitor arms allow users to easily adjust the flat screen’s position. They can also reposition a monitor away from the center of your vision, when you need to focus on a coworker or client. We currently have three on display right now!




For tips everyday, you can find us on Twitter as GatorOfficeFurn. To view our furniture selection and services, please visit us on our website. You can call us any time at (904) 724-6400.