NIOSH offers advice on new keyboard designs
NIOSH offers advice on new keyboard designs
Computer keyboards that are available in alternative designs can be helpful in eliminating much of the stress associated with prolonged typing, but the keyboards must be selected and introduced into the workplace with care, suggests a new report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Cincinnati.
The report is offered in response to the growing interest in unusual keyboard designs that the manufacturers claim can help reduce discomfort, fatigue, strain, and possible musculoskeletal injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Some of the new keyboard designs include minor changes such as a built-in wrist rest or adjustable slopes, but others are radically different designs. There are many new keyboards that are two separate pieces with the right and left hand keyboards separated, while others utilize concave and convex designs.
Alternative designs can help keep wrists straight, avoiding postures that are thought to cause musculoskeletal problems, NIOSH says, while also noting there have been few studies examining the actual performance by workers using the keyboards instead of traditional designs.
NIOSH cautions that the keyboard is just one element affecting the worker’s comfort and risk for injury, so the overall environment must be assessed. When considering the addition of non-traditional keyboard designs, NIOSH suggests keeping these points in mind:
• Determine if the keyboard is compatible with existing hardware and software and whether it can accommodate other input devices such as mouses and trackballs.
• Assess how the keyboard will fit with the workstation. Some alternative keyboards, particularly those with a tented design, must be placed on surfaces that are lower than those required for standard keyboards to achieve proper working posture.
• Evaluate whether the keyboard will affect the user’s performance. Does the design make it difficult for the user to see the keys? Does the job require a numeric keypad or specialized keys that may not appear on an alternative keyboard?
• Allow users to try a keyboard on a trial basis before buying it.
• Because one type of keyboard will not be appropriate for all users or tasks, allow users to try different kinds before deciding which to buy, and allow them to retain a conventional keyboard if they wish.
• It may take a few days for a user to become accustomed to an alternative keyboard, and frustration may occur if productivity is affected during this learning phase.
• It can be helpful to involve a specialist who knows about and is experienced in office ergonomics, and also to involve a health professional if a computer user has discomfort or musculoskeletal problems.
• Integrate a new alternative keyboard carefully into the work process, ensuring that users are trained in correct use.
For more information, NIOSH provides a free report. Contact NIOSH at (800) 35-NIOSH and ask for "Alternative Keyboards," publication no. 97-148.
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