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geekhack Community => Ergonomics => Topic started by: mylord on Mon, 05 August 2019, 05:18:02
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I saw some scary office desks that do not have a keyboard tray and I scared because I have years of neck pain because of using trayless desk setup which makes my arms 3 inches higher than where it supposed to be.
Let say I have to work on the office environment that has no keyboard tray setup on the desk and chair height is not raisable enough level. What should I do?
I looked up clamp height-adjustable keyboard trays but their size is between 70-80 cm which makes them unportable with a backpack. Any product advice lower than 45cm is appreciated.
My current solution for this problem is putting the keyboard on my lap for proper ergonomics.
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Is this for a new job? Going there regularly? Get a different chair. Tray setups also best used with a track ball as most limit mouse movement (limited space compared to table top). Your just asking for problems if you have your keyboard under and your mouse on top of the desk
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Have you asked the company to install one?
If all else fails you could offer to buy it yourself. Which sadly means you might end up paying for it, but at least the cost only has to be paid once... And you could take it with you when you leave.
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I went through similar issues when an employer would not make basic workstation accommodations. Have you consulted with your HR department regarding OSHA? OSHA and HR should be your friend in this case. Before that, though, step one is making sure your task chair is set up correctly. This means feet flat on floor, knees roughly 90 degrees, sitting straight, etc. Then, if by some miracle, your desk height plus keyboard height is such that you are still able to maintain good arm position, you are in good shape. You should never have the chair raised up so high that your feet are not supported. Conversely, you don't want the chair too low, either. Otherwise, your only non-out-of-pocket option, other than discussing adjustable keyboard trays in the context of workplace ergonomics with HR, is to put the keyboard on your lap, being careful to keep good arm posture. As an alternative to having an OSHA-related discussion with HR, if your company is large enough to have an environmental health & safety office or similar, you could always request an "official" workstation ergonomics evaluation, which is another way to convince a resistant manager to provide you with a keyboard tray. A keyboard tray should not be a big deal for most companies as they are fairly inexpensive in relation to other solutions. If anything more exotic than a tray is required, you may be stuck with out-of-pocket. I have occasionally had to provide my own ergonomic keyboards and task chairs out-of-pocket as the "solutions" offered by various employers have been marginal at best. Worst case, you can always buy an adjustable tray on Amazon for under $100 and mount it yourself.
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I actually find very few trays acceptable anyways. No center mount. Must be mounted at sides. The center mount bounce around way to much as you type just adding to the likelihood of an injury IMO. IMO, it should be a complete custom desk with integrated keyboard tray. Preferably powered sit stand. If the Employer will not even spring for a $150 tray I doubt they are paying for a $6,000 desk then. Unless the job is that lucrative buy your own or find a different job I feel. My desk is a powered Herman Miller Envelop. No longer made but you can still can get one on line. Loaded It is less than $3,500 plus tax and shipping. Once you buy it is yours and you do not have to rely on employers. This combined with their loaded Embody chair, about $1,900 plus tax and shipping and assembly may very well just change your life. You tell me if it is worth that. I guess it depends how much you use it and what your salary is. The Envelop actually does not have any tray of sorts but trust me it works 100% better. For me and thousands of other people at least. I have no clue why they discontinued it. It was their best seller. You can call their "outlet" maybe they have a "demo cheaper. You can also get the Embody discounted but stay far away from Madison seating! I do not mean to be an uncaring jerk that I have means but this is your health we are talking about. You can very well become crippled.
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How can an office desk height not be adjustable in some way? This is 2019!
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How can an office desk height not be adjustable in some way? This is 2019!
While adjustable ergonomic desks are available, they do, as noted, command a higher price when compared with comparable quality "normal" furniture. Generally speaking, employers are going to spend the least amount possible when equipping offices/cubicles/etc. unless compelled either by regulations and/or clearly defined reasonable accommodations for any given employee. This adherence to the bottom line typically means going with standard non-ergonomic fare from the lowest possible bidder. In most cases, the employees are left to fend for themselves, barring the most determined/persistent who actively seek out "reasonable" accommodations for their particular situation. The tricky part is getting the employer and the employee to see eye to eye regarding what is considered reasonable.
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While adjustable ergonomic desks are available, ...
I wasn't referring height-adjustable desks with buttons and motor or hand crank etc.
I was thinking of a desk that has legs, that you turn maybe once ever when you set them up and then leave be.
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While adjustable ergonomic desks are available, ...
I wasn't referring height-adjustable desks with buttons and motor or hand crank etc.
I was thinking of a desk that has legs, that you turn maybe once ever when you set them up and then leave be.
I was being very general and non-specific regarding the adjustment mechanism of said desk(s) as any adjustable desk tends to be absent from purchasing considerations in most office settings. Height and angle adjustable office desks (regardless of mechanism) have been available for at least two hundred years (e.g. architect's table). The problem is that regardless of how the desk is adjusted (one time by the installer, manually with crank, push button, etc.), if this capability is specifically included out of the box, it would normally be at an additional cost when compared with "traditional" office furniture choices of similar quality which, ultimately, affects the bottom line as far as an employer is concerned. If cost is no concern, there is of course, no good reason not to use one. However, we have the pesky thing called budgets with which to work, either personal or corporate.
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Bring your own. Install it. Mess up their desk real bad. Quit before you are fired and make sure you leave yourself enough time to snatcch it before security escorts you out of the building. If I am making less than $25MM a year these days the job is not of very much importance to me. Yes, I am a real jerk. A real wealthy jerk. I am currently the CEO/Chairman of an IT company employing some 25,000 people. Of course I am not going to name it. However I am at will to mess up my desk as I please and it shall then be promptly replaced for me should I wish. Good times.