Chairs should be adjusted so that the typist's feet rest firmly on the deck. Adjust the typewriter so that the base of the machine is 12 inches above the chair seat. Copy holders, when used, aid in reducing eyestrain for typists.

Equipment should be placed where it can be easily used and where work will flow in one direction - not crisscrossing the room.

Tables or counters should be arranged to handle supplies or to assemble papers. Files should be placed where they can be easily used but where they are out of the flow of general office traffic.

It is possible to plan an arrangement that is not only convenient but also looks orderly and uncluttered. There should be bookcases and special shelves for books, magazines, and pamphlets to keep them from taking up work space on tables and desks.

While striving for orderliness and good appearance, do not go to extremes. Remember, the office exists to get work done, and too much emphasis on appearance may interfere with the day-to-day work. Within reasonable limits, the best arrangement is the one that gets the work done.

The appearance of an office is affected by simple things, such as putting things away from day to day. This is one of your responsibilities. Correspondence baskets should be cleared daily to avoid accumulation and/or misplacement of material.

When handling classified matter, you must be especially careful to see that it is always handled and stowed in accordance with the latest edition of the Department of the Navy Information and Personnel Security Program Regulation, OPNAVINST 5510.1, commonly referred to as the Security Manual.

Supplies, such as ink and carbon paper, that may stain other materials, and all supplies that deteriorate rapidly, should be stowed properly.

Equipment that might be damaged when the office is cleaned should not be left on the desk. Accumulations of loose papers may create a fire hazard. All gear should be well secured.

When securing equipment or supplies that others have been using, or when dusting, use care and good judgment so that nothing is lost or misplaced. What may look like complete confusion to one person may have order and meaning to another.

If you have to clean another person's desk, try not to disturb the arrangement of their papers. When cleaning and putting away your papers, you should avoid interfering with other people who are still working.

ARRANGING THE DESK

You are always responsible for your own desk. Exactly how it is arranged is governed by your own preference and the kind of work you are doing, but you should have an orderly plan.

If you spend most of your time typing letters or other documents and cutting stencils, the plan suggested below is suitable. Your work may require that you provide space for other types of supplies, but the general principles are still applicable. .

Keep pencils, erasers, paper clips, and other small articles in shallow desk drawers or trays.

Insert slanted stationery trays in one of the upper desk drawers. Use a separate tray for each type of stationery, placing the most frequently used at the front. If it is necessary to keep more than one type of stationery in a tray, use a piece of cardboard as a divider, fastening a tab indicator on the top edge to show the type of stationery below. The trays should not be filled too full, or the stationery will become soiled and wrinkled.

Keep carbon paper in its box (in the bottom drawer with such items as brushes, extra pencils, and dusting cloth) to keep it from curling and soiling stationery. When using carbon paper, place the box on top of the desk.

Keep unfinished work in a tray or basket provided for that purpose. Consult your supervisor to see if it should be left on top of the desk or put away at the end of the working day.

After cutting mimeograph stencils, replace unused stencils and correction fluid in the supply cabinet. You should not keep these articles in your desk.