Computer Safety and Health

The Health and Safety at Work Act lays down legal standards for computer equipment and requires employers to take steps to minimise risks for all workers. Workers have received substantial damages for injuries caused through use of computers. The main regulations covering the use of computer equipment include:

• Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992
• Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1992
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992
• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992

Measures employers should take include:

• Understanding the law
• Being aware of the health risks
• Assessing the risks
• Taking steps to minimize the risks
• Training all users to recognize the risks
• Taking users views seriously

With the increase in computer use, a number of health and safety concerns related to vision and body aches and pains have arisen. Many problems with computer use are temporary and can be resolved by adopting simple corrective action.

If you experience any of these symptons, seek prompt medical attention:-

• continual or recurring discomfort
• aches and pains
• throbbing
• tingling
• numbness
• burning sensation
• or stiffness

Seek help even if symptoms occur when you are not working at your computer.

Laptop computers can present particular problems due to small screens, keyboards and inbuilt pointing devices. If using a laptop as a main computer, it is advisable to use the laptop on a desk. This allows an ordinary mouse, keyboard and monitor to be used with the laptop.

The main risks associated with using computers include:

• Musculoskeletal problems
• Eye strain and a greater awareness of existing eye problems

Musculoskeletal problems
These can range from general aches and pains to more serious problems and include:

• Upper limb disorders such as repetitive strain injury (RSI) tenosynovitis and carpal tunnel syndrome – by far the most important as it can quickly lead to permanent incapacity
• Back and neck pain and discomfort
• Tension stress headaches and related ailments

These types of problem can be caused by:

• Maintaining an unnatural or unhealthy posture while using the computer
• Inadequate lower back support
• Sitting in the same position for an extended period of time
• An ergonomically poor workstation set up

Computer users can experience a number of symptoms related to vision including:

• Visual fatigue
• Blurred or double vision
• Burning and watering eyes
• Headaches and frequent changes in prescription glasses

Computer work hasn’t been proven to cause permanent eye damage. Eye problems are usually the result of visual fatigue or glare from bright windows or strong light sources, light reflecting off the display screen or poor display screen contrast.

Source : Computer Safety Tips