EK HEALTH

-by Kim Granata-Clark, MS in Human Factors and Ergonomics, Ergonomic Specialist

Do you use one monitor or two? There are advantages and disadvantages to having two monitors. You can use one monitor for reference and the other one to be your main monitor or use both of them equally to spread out documents between two screens. If you use them equally, place the right edge of the left monitor and the left edge of the right monitor right in front of you. If you use the second monitor as a reference monitor only, place your main monitor in front of you and the second one should be on your left or right side, angled to you, depending on your dominant eye. To test for your dominant eye, place your index finger and thumbs together to make a triangle, look at an object and when you close your left eye, if the object moves out of the triangle, then you are right eye dominant, if it stays in the triangle, then you are left eye dominant. If you have two 24” monitors next to each other, there may be a concern that there will be a lot of twisting of the head/neck to see both monitors. Ideally, you should have two same size monitors or one large and one small.

If you are using your laptop and a flat screen, make sure your laptop matches the height of the flat screen monitor. Place it on a laptop riser or monitor risers.