BTEC National Unit 23

Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 European Directive 90/270/EEC 1993 Health & Safety –an understanding of those aspects of the Health and Safety at Work Act as it applies to computer users –safe working practice and an awareness of ESD What You Need To Demonstrate

Ensuring –Safe equipment –Safe work systems –Safe work environment Health & Safety at Work Act 1997  Employers must: Protect the health, safety & welfare of their employees How? BY….

European Directive 90/270/EEC 1993  Specific Requirements for: Working with display equipment

European Directive 90/270/EEC 1993 Can largely avoid hazards to Health & Safety

What’s that? Study of efficiency of workers and their working environment

What’s this ergonomics thing? … Something to do with the design of office furniture? Does that include computer equipment? Yeh… screen displays, keyboards,workstation layout.

 Considerations: Things for you students to find out!!!! –Recommended work surface height –Desktop surface –Document holder position –Chair type & height (footrest needed?) –Screen viewing range –Screen configuration –Office lighting –Cabling –Office layout (doors, radiators, space) –Eye tests? Good Good Workstation Design

Eye Strain Eye Strain Fatigue  May be caused by: Excessively large screens –Over 18 inches Working too long at the VDU without a break Viewing at close range < 300mm Large bright screens Bad office lighting Relative position of screen and document

Use anti-glare screens Ensure monitors are –Flicker free –High interlace rate –High refresh rate > 50 Hz –High screen resolution Adjustable brightness & contrast –Avoid large bright screens. Reducing Reducing Eye Strain Fatigue

Bodily Bodily Fatigue  May be caused by: Poor seating posture Holding the head at an awkward angle to view the screen and documents Using a keyboard at the wrong angle and the wrong height RSICarpal tunnel syndrome or (RSI – repetitive strain injury) Ulna neuritis – nerves along edge of hand become inflamed Having to bend to reach different parts of the workstation

Ensure that –While cover is open Cable is physically disconnected Safe Safe Working Practices  Precautions when Adding or removing computer components from inside a PC There’s more…

Ensure that you Neutralise ESD –wear an ESD band Or –touch a metal object plugged into wall socket. (doesn’t have to be turned on) Safe Safe Working Practices  Precautions when Adding or removing computer components from inside a PC