Health and safety policies

Computer equipment can be used in ways which can be a hazard to the health and safety of staff, volunteers and other users.The law requires you to minimise risks relating to computer health and safety and your health and safety policy should include guidance on avoiding problems.

The number of computers in the workplace has increased rapidly over the last few years and it is now quite normal for most staff in VCOs to be exposed to computer usage. The Health and Safety at Work Act outlines 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 where the employer could have foreseen the risk but did nothing about it.

What are the health risks?

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

The main risks associated with using computers include musculoskeletal problems and eye problems. These can range from general aches and pains to more serious problems and include repetitive strain injury (RSI), tenosynovitis, back and neck pain and discomfort, tension stress headaches and related ailments, and carpal tunnel syndrome – which is by far the most important as it can quickly lead to permanent incapacity.

Symptoms related to vision include visual fatigue, blurred or double vision, burning and watering eyes, headaches and frequent changes in prescription glasses.These are usually the result of visual fatigue, glare and reflections from bright windows or strong light sources, or poor display screen contrast. Computer work hasn't been proved to cause permanent eye damage, but the temporary discomfort can reduce productivity and reduce job satisfaction.

Reducing health and safety risks

• Understand the law
  • Make sure someone in your organisation has a health and safety brief covering all areas, not just computers.
• Be aware of the health risks
  • The government officially recognises some of the risks although there are some grey areas you'll need to make up your own mind about.
• Assess the risks – using procedures set out in the law
  • Be systematic and get help if you need it.
  • Get a health and safety audit done by a competent organisation if necessary.
• Take steps to minimise the risks
  • It may only involve simple steps.
• Train all users to recognise risks
  • If people aren't aware of the dangers they can't take adequate precautions to protect their health.
• Take the views of users seriously
  • If someone feels there is something wrong there often is.

Simple precautions

Several relatively straightforward precautions can be taken by computer users to avoid problems:

• Take regular breaks from working at your computer – a few minutes at least once an hour.
• Alternate work tasks.
• Do regular stretching to relax your body.
• Use equipment such as foot rests, wrist rests and document holders if you need to.
• Keep your mouse and keyboard at the same level.
• Avoid gripping your mouse too tightly – hold the mouse lightly and click gently.
• Familiarise yourself with keyboard shortcuts for applications you regularly use, to avoid overusing the mouse.

Prolonged use of laptops can present particular problems due to small screens, keyboards or touch pads. If you use a laptop as a main computer it is advisable to use it with a docking station, or a large screen and separate keyboard and mouse.

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This article is an edited version of an excellent resource on the ICT Hub Knowledgebase at www.icthubknowledgebase.org.uk/healthandsafety

Setting up your workstation

It is important to have your workstation set up correctly.Your workstation includes monitor, keyboard, mouse, seating, desk and, where appropriate, foot rest (to enable you to put your feet flat if they would otherwise not reach the floor), wrist rest, and document holder.

• Monitors should:
  swivel, tilt and elevate – if not, use an adjustable stand, books or blocks adjust the height; be positioned so the top line of the monitor is no higher than your eyes or no lower than 20° below the horizon of your eyes or field of vision; be at the same level and beside the document holder if you use one; be between 50 – 60cm away from your face.
• Keyboards should:
  be detachable and adjustable, with legs to adjust angle; allow your forearms to be parallel with the floor without raising your elbows and your wrists to be in line with your forearms; have enough space to rest your wrists or should include a padded detachable wrist rest; be placed directly in front of the monitor and at the same height as the mouse, track ball or touch pad.
• Chairs should:
  support the back and have a vertically adjustable independent back rest that returns to its original position and has tilt adjustment to support the lower back; allow the height to be adjusted from a sitting position; be adjusted so the back crease of the knee is slightly higher than the pan of the chair – use a suitable footrest where necessary; be supported by a five-prong castor base; have removable and adjustable arm rests; have a contoured seat with breathable fabric and rounded edges to distribute the weight; be adjustable to allow the seat pan to tilt forward or back.
• Tables and desks should:
  provide sufficient leg room and preferably be height-adjustable; have enough room to support the computer equipment and space for documents; have rounded corners and edges.