How to Protect Your Eyes When Using a Computer

Since the majority of us spend hours in front of a computer monitor, it is good practice to protect your eyes from potential damage. Keep in mind that the following recommendations apply only to properly setting up your workstation to best protect your eyes and does not address other ergonomic needs related to working in front of a computer.

1. Taking Proper Care of Your Eyes

   • 1
     Take five-minute breaks every hour by looking off into the distance and looking away from the computer monitor.
   • 2
     Just close your eyes for a few minutes when your work requires prolonged data input into the computer.

   Keeping Proper Distance and Other Safety Measures

   • 1
     Keep the distance of the monitor from your eyes between 16 to 30 inches. Most people find a distance of 20 to 26 inches comfortable.
   • 2
     Make sure that the top of the monitor is at a level slightly below the horizontal eye level.
   • 3
     Tilt the top of the monitor away from you at a 10- to 20-degree angle. Most monitors are provided with tiltable display screens, which enable you to tilt the monitor to create an optimum viewing angle.
   • 4
     Keep your screen free of dust and fingerprints.
   • 5
     Use an adjustable chair that enables you to sit at a proper angle and distance from your computer monitor screen.
   • 6
     Use document holders to secure any reading material or reference material, if your work involves prolonged data entry. Place the document holders close to the monitor and at the same distance from your eyes as your monitor. This enables your eyes to remain focused as they look from the monitor to the reading material.
   • 7
     Use a work surface whose height is 26 inches from the ground.
   • 8
     Keep the distance from the front of your chair to the hollow of your knee between 2 to 4 inches.
   • 9
     Use a character size that is visible. The character size is an important factor since it determines the distance at which the user prefers to view the monitor.