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When you purchase a flat screen monitor there will pretty much always be
a plastic stand supplied by the screen manufacturer that can be used to
prop the monitor up on your desk. So why, in the last ten to fifteen
years, has a whole industry emerged to offer an alternative to these
manufacturers’ stands? Is there really much added advantage in
purchasing a computer monitor arm? We take a look here at some of the benefits to help you decide.
The first, and probably most significant reason, is that for equipment to be used in an ergonomically
correct way you should be able to easily adjust the height of your
computer screen. Where the screen cannot be adjusted to the correct and
most comfortable height the result can be additional strain on the neck,
shoulders and lower back. The best rule of thumb for the correct
positioning of your computer monitor is that the top of the viewable
area of your display should be approximately at eye level (although most
importantly, it needs to be comfortable for you). |
Arm’s length is a
good rough guide to a correct viewing distance (though this will vary
for individual users). You should also be able to easily bring your
computer monitor closer or further away from your face to find the
optimum reading position to suit your eyesight. Screen position isn’t
something that can be adjusted once and then fixed; it will vary
according to changing light sources at different times of the day or
year. The different types of movement and flexibility described can only
be achievable with the use of a
computer monitor arm.
| As well as being able to easily adjust your seating position at your
workstation to suit you, just being able to frequently move at your desk
has significant health benefits. The risk of repetitive strain injury
(RSI) can be seriously reduced if the body frequently changes position.
The easier equipment is to adjust, the more likely you are to do so and
the better this will be for you. A well-designed computer monitor arm
makes this kind of frequent movement much more easy and likely to be
achieved.
Increasingly workstations are shared between more than one user, for
example shift workers in call-centres will more often than not share a
desk with many colleagues. The trend for hot-desking creates the same
effect with computer users sitting at whichever desk suits them at a
particular time. In such circumstances it is crucial that each worker
can arrive at his or her workstation and adjust the height and depth of
the viewing position to be comfortable and ergonomically correct for
each. |
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Another important benefit of using a computer monitor arm is space
saving: stands provided by screen manufacturers have a fairly large
footprint on the desk, whereas an ergonomically designed computer
monitor arm will typically clamp to the back of a desk or be attached
directly to a slat-wall or privacy screen so that the desk space can be
left completely clear. A workspace or office will generally look less
cluttered, more organised and even elegant with the addition of computer
monitor arms.