Creating a well-organised desk with a document holder

Many people still dream of a paperless office, but unfortunately this is not yet practicable in many places. Printed documents are often still part of the daily working environment, regardless of whether it’s in an ordinary office or working from home. That’s precisely when the problem arises at the computer desk. Where should I put the documents? On the left, on the right, in front of or next to the keyboard? And what if I want to make a note on the document - what do I do with the keyboard and mouse? The desk space is not infinite! The constant twisting of my head or getting into awkward postures quickly lead to an onset of problems for me and I get neck pain.

Promoting health and ergonomics

A document holder (also called a desk stand) can be the solution to all this. They can be used to arrange paper documents such as letters, books, manuscripts and similar items around the desk in a sensible way – not to mention the space savings. The following tips will not only help you work more easily, but can even prevent tension in the neck and shoulder area. Good document holders not only improve health and ergonomics at your desk, they can also boost work efficiency.

Avoid neck pain through proper positioning

For this to succeed and for you to adopt a comfortable and healthy working posture, you should position the document holder so that it is in the same line of sight as the monitor. This minimises excessive rotational movements of the head and cervical spine and is an important initial step. Incidentally, this can also lead to improved concentration and increased productivity. If the keyboard is not needed, you can simply pull the document holder above the keyboard and carry on working close to your body. Nothing major needs to be taken out of the way. Most importantly, the document holder must be sturdy but also stable, and you should be able to position it flexibly on the worktop.

Adjustability is important!

The next important step is the right adjustment. It must be easy and intuitive. Once adjusted, the position of the document holder must not shift by itself. Not even if you place a heavy book on it or want to add a handwritten note to a document. It can be annoying having to readjust it or even worse if it folds up unintentionally. The inclination angle is also important. It has to be at least 16°, ideally in various gradations or even infinitely variable. This way, you always have a good view of the document, no matter what sitting position you are in, or if you work standing up from time to time. It reduces strain on your eyes, helps you maintain a more upright posture and improves your concentration. This also helps prevent a ‘nodding’ posture.

Properly kept documents

One of the most important characteristics should not be forgotten: where to put documents. Make sure that the storage area is large enough. Of course, this always somewhat depends on their intended use. To prevent documents from slipping off the storage area unintentionally, the document holder must have an anti-slip edge or something similar. The document holder can serve multiple purposes if it has additional functions, such as a pen or mobile phone holder, which helps to organise the worktop. Of course, that’s only if you need such features.

Checklist for back-friendly document holders

• Place the document holder in your line of sight. This minimises rotational movements of the head and cervical spine while avoiding forced postures. This is an important first step towards handling documents in an ergonomic way.
• Choose a sturdy design with a size adapted to your work situation. This way, you can place several documents or even a heavy book on it if necessary. Then, it is not a problem to make handwritten notes. Needless to say, firmness and stability are of the essence.
• For the adjustment, make sure that it can be done easily, intuitively and without additional aids. It should be possible to adjust the worktop to an inclination of at least 16°. This will enable you to always have a good view of the document in any working posture and keep eye strain to a minimum. Ultimately, you are rewarded with improved concentration and thus a more efficient work result.
• To ensure that nothing can slip, the document holder must have an anti-slip edge or something similar so that the documents always remain within the field of vision. Additional features such as a pen or mobile phone holder can make it even more convenient.

Minimum requirements

• Sturdy design
• Prevents documents from slipping
• Stable
• Easily adjustable
• Simple to operate
• Contains no harmful substances
• Minimum adjustable inclination of 16°

Also useful

• Can be moved around the worktop
• Can also be moved above your input devices (e.g. keyboard)

R-Go

• R-Go Read2Write, versions matt acrylic & oak wood
• R-Go Flex Read

Manufacturer

R-Go Tools B.V.
Techniekweg 15
4143HW Leerdam
NETHERLANDS
Phone +31345/758000
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.r-go-tools.de