Health and Safety Issues

For ICT students

Emergency Procedures

• Know the emergency procedures for your workplace, memorise exit routes

• Know where fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, alarms, assembly points are located

• Locate master cut-off switch for power supply to computers

Fire Extinguishers

Red Water Not for electrical fires

Cream Foam Not for electrical fires

Green BCF Be careful if used in enclosed spaces

Blue Powder Can be used on electrical fires

Black Carbon Dioxide Can be used on electrical fires

Fire extinguishers should be checked regularly and used only on theAppropriate type of fire. They work on the principle of breaking the Fire Triangle – smothering a fire to deprive it of oxygen and/or cooling it down. The colour of an extinguisher should tell you something about its contents

Physical Comfort

• Ergonomics: designing office equipment in a way that minimises human discomfort, therefore increasing productivity.

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Back Pain

• Back pain – is often difficult to diagnose, but as a chronic condition (suffered by up to 40% of the workforce) results in 5% of workers taking time off each month.

• Seating – computer chair should have adjustable back rest and height and be easy to move around.

• Posture – keyboard operators should be able to work with their lower arms horizontal and their eyes looking straight at the screen without having to stoop or crane their necks.

Eye Strain

• Lighting – companies need to consider issues like: glare from windows, minimising screen glare at monitors and where to place lighting for maximum effect and minimum disruption

• Eye tests – responsible employers pay for regular eye tests and subsidise cost of glasses etc for their VDU users

RSI

• Repetitive Strain Injury – where repeated use of the same limb, performing the same actions over, and over again, causes tenderness, swelling and chronic pain.

• Treatment – minimise use of keyboard, use alternative technologies (eg voice recognition), physiotherapy/surgery may help but there is no real cure.

• Prevention – much more important. Take regular breaks away from the keyboard (15 minutes every ¾ hour) and do alternative work. Good posture and keyboarding skills also lessen the risk.

Other Issues

• Pregnancy – many responsible employers will allow pregnant staff to do alternative duties that do not involve long periods in front of a VDU (it is believed by some that prolonged exposure to the strong magnetic field generated by a monitor may be harmful).

• Toxic Waste – reclaiming heavy metals from old computer hardware is dangerous and difficult. Safety equipment must be worn, and measures taken to avoid contaminating the environment