The right keyboard - pure ergonomics
All content is checked by medical journalists.An office workplace without a keyboard is unthinkable today. For the human hands, however, typing is anything but a natural posture. You can find out what you should therefore consider here.
The keyboard is the most important input device at VDU workstations. It should be optimally adapted to the employee, otherwise there is a risk of overloading the hands and arms. The board shape of the keyboard device can favor constrained postures and lead to tension in the shoulder and neck area as well as twisted wrists.
Therefore, every computer keyboard should meet the minimum ergonomic requirements for size, shape and arrangement. As with the computer mouse, the same applies to the keyboard: It should be adapted to the hands as well as possible and allow a natural posture.
Perfectly positioned, correctly inclined
For this purpose, the keyboard should be able to be set up and moved separately from the monitor. Position the keys on the table so that there is enough space for the heels of your hands to rest on. A minimum depth of the palm rest area of five centimeters between the keyboard and the edge of the table is recommended, ten centimeters is better. Make sure the keyboard is stable and does not slide.
With an ergonomic keyboard, the middle row of keys is no higher than 30 millimeters. The keyboard must be tiltable in order to avoid unfavorable working postures - there are usually small "feet" on the bottom of the keyboard that can be used to vary the angle of inclination. Occupational health professionals recommend an angle of inclination of five to eleven degrees. The maximum incline should be 15 degrees. It should not be steeper, otherwise the blood vessels in the wrists can be narrowed too much by kinking.
Some manufacturers also offer two-part keyboards. The keypad is divided into one block each for the left and right hand. So the hands are further apart. This affects the overall posture and causes the shoulder and neck area to open and not to cramp. However, it takes a certain amount of time to get used to being able to work on such an angled keyboard as quickly as on a conventional one.
Lined up finger-friendly
The fingers should be able to rest comfortably on the keyboard for pleasant operation. Ideally, the keys should be slightly curved inwards (concave) to give the fingers a grip. The diameter of the keys should be between 12 and 15 millimeters. The minimum distance between the centers of two keys is 17 to 19 millimeters in the best case.
You should be able to write without constantly looking at the computer keys. Therefore, a clearly perceptible pressure point is important as feedback that a key has been pressed. The distance that you have to press the key down should be a maximum of two to four millimeters; the recommended push force is 50 to 80 grams.
Everything in view
The lettering on the keyboard should be easy to read and easy to read. Positive lettering - i.e. black letters and numbers on a white or light gray background - is much easier to read than white lettering on a black keyboard. In addition, the lettering must be large enough. The legibility is also supported by a low-reflection surface. The degree of reflection should be a maximum of 20 to 50 percent, so the keyboard and case should not be glossy, but at most semi-matt to semi-matt.
So that everything is clear, the letter area must be clearly separated from the numbers. If you work with numbers a lot, a separate number pad is recommended. Frequently used keys, such as the enter key (return), space bar or backward delete should be designed a little larger. The assignment of the keys is very similar on most keyboards because there are fixed standards for this.
Additional equipment
The keyboards of notebooks are anything but ergonomically built. They may not be used for workplaces that are intended to comply with the VDU regulations. If you still have to work on a laptop frequently, consider connecting an external keyboard that meets minimum ergonomic requirements.
To relieve the arm and shoulder muscles, you can also set up a palm rest in front of the keyboard or attach adjustable armrests at the workplace.
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