Health and safety report of M11U
Health and safety in a computer room is very important as the misuse of the computer room may lead to certain problems both physically and mentally. Using a computer for a long period of time can affect your health in different ways.
The following report will contain details about the health and safety risks in using the computer and how to combat them, and a study of the Laws & Guidelines
Health and Safety risks and ways to combat them
- RSI- RSI stands for repetitive stain injury. Doing the same thing for a long time can cause this.
- Eye strain- this is when you look at a VDU screen for a long time. Particularly at looking at a flickering screen or in bad light of glare.
- Stress- this occurs when you are too concentrated on something. It is the feeling of anxiety fear, anger, frustration and depression.
- ELF radiation- Elf stands for extremely low frequency. Electro-magnetic fields cause this. VDU screens give out radiation at the back and sides. Pregnant women are at most at risk.
- Lose wires- are a hazard as anyone may trip over the wires and fall over
Ways to combat the mentioned problems
- RSI- The risk of RSI can be minimised if a computer user is able to sit in a comfortable, upright position when working. To be able to do this they need adjustable chairs and tables, wrist pads, and footrests.
- Eye strain- One way to avoid eyestrain is to look out of a window at a distant object every once in a while.
- Stress- Do stress relieving exercises.
- ELF radiation- keep the back of a computer at least 2 metres from you.
- Correct Posture-to achieve a correct posture the chair and table heights must both be adjusted to fit the user. The seat should be adjustable so that your feet rest on the floor (or on a footrest), your knees are bent at right angles, and your thighs are parallel to the floor. The backrest of the chair cannot be adjusted up and down the chair. Do not have casters that roll easily on the floor. The chair should be able to swivel and has five and not four lags. A poor sitting position can also give people a backache.
- The risk of RSI can be minimised if a computer user is able to sit in a comfortable, upright position when working. To be able to do this they need adjustable chairs and tables, wrist pads, and footrests.
- A VDU screen can strain your eyes. VDUs give out radiation at the back and sides and may cause most damage to pregnant women. It is best to keep the computers around 2 metres away from each other to decrease the risk of ELF radiation.
- A computer worktable should be fully adjustable. The keyboard should ideally be adjustable so that the operator’s arms are horizontal when the hands are on the keys.
- There are ways of hiding wires. You could put the wires under the carpet or hide them behind the work desks.
