Health and Safety

The risks involved in working with ICT

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ICT health problems • Back ache• Repetitive strain injury (RSI)• Eye strain• Stress

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Back ache: the problems• Caused by incorrect posture• Computer users tend to

slouch• Laptop users frequently

work with computer on their knee

• Can be made worse by a poorly designed chair

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Prevention of back ache• Use an adjustable chair• Make sure you make

adjustments to the chair to suit you

• Sit up straight – do not slouch• Ensure screen is at the

correct angle and directly in front of you

• Use a footrest

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StressWorking with computers isstressful. This can be caused by:• the pace of work• having to learn new

technology• frustrating software• losing work – problems with

viruses

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Eye strain• Causes blurred vision and

headaches• Can be caused by focusing

on the screen for long periods

• Also caused by glare/reflections on the screen or a dirty screen

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Preventing eye strain• Keep the screen clear

(use screen wipes)• Avoid glare by using

adjustable blinds• Take regular breaks• Look away from the screen

to focus on a distant object at regular intervals

• Have regular eye-tests

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Repetitive strain injury• Caused by repetitive

actions such as typing or mouse clicking

• Causes aches in hands, wrists, arms and neck

• Pain can eventually be painful and disabling

• Can be avoided

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Avoiding RSI• Adjust the chair to suit you• Ensure you have enough

workspace• Use a document holder• Use a wrist rest• Keep wrists straight when

keying in• Position the mouse so your

wrist can be kept straight• Learn how to type properly

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The LawThe law concerning the

health risks involved in using ICT equipment is dealt with in

the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment)

Regulations 1992

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The law requires employers:

• to inspect workstations, assess and reduce risks

• to ensure that workstations meet certain standards (e.g., adjustable chairs, tiltable screens, no glare on screens, suitable lighting, etc.)

• to plan work so there are breaks or changes in activity

• to arrange free eye-tests for employees and provide free glasses if they are needed

• to provide health and safety training

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Chairs should:• have an adjustable back

rest to support the back• allow the seat height to be

adjusted• have a 5-castor base• have adjustable arm rests

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Footrest• A footrest should be made

available• A footrest should allow the

user to have their back crease of their knee slightly higher than the pan of the chair

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Keyboards• Keyboards should be separate from

the screen (NB this is often not the case with laptops)

• Keyboards should be tiltable• Keyboards should have a matt

surface to reduce glare• Keyboards should include enough

space to rest your wrists

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Ergonomic keyboards• It is an ergonomic keyboard• Designed to help reduce RSI

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Lights• No point sources of light (to

reduce reflections on the screen)

• Adjustable blinds reduce the amount of sunshine entering through windows

• Matt grey keyboard, mouse, screen, etc., to reduce glare

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Other office equipment• Desks – correct height • Non-reflective surface• Plenty of room to work

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