Workplace Safety

Safety is Everyone’s Job  The chance of being injured on the job is a safety hazard  The most serious health risk in our society is the risk of accidents

Safety Begins With … PProper Attitude –P–Promotes good will –H–Helpful to others

Two Main Causes of Accidents: CCarelessness DDistractions –n–not caring or thinking about what you are doing

Horseplay  Someone gets hurt  Someone gets angry

Happier Workers Establishment that is well organized and well run

When Safety Becomes a Habit you will have gained a valuable skill that will always be useful to you.

Safety Instructions are for the purpose of making safety a habit with you.

Health Issues and Computer Use

Ergonomics  The study of the interaction between a worker and the environment.  It addresses the design of equipment for the workplace in an attempt to maximize worker productivity while minimizing worker discomfort, fatigue, and stress.

Repetitive Strain Injuries, Radiation, and Eyestrain

 Repetitive strain injuries (RSI), are the fastest-growing category of work compensation claims.  RSI can be the result of working too long at a keyboard.

 The conventional keyboard is taken from a 100-year-old design.  It was never intended for hours and hours of use.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome  The most well known type of RSI  Occurs when the lining of the tendons passing through the carpal tunnel in the wrist swells, putting pressure on the median nerve and causing pain, tingling, and numbness in the hand.

 According to the National Institute for Occupational Health, approximately 600,000 workers a year are afflicted with CTS.

Monitors  Electromagnetic radiation can leak out of the housing surrounding the monitor.  Type/kinds of electromagnetic radiation: –extremely low frequency (ELF) –very low frequency (VLF)

 Surrounding light can easily produce a glare on the screen.  Screens that flicker or screens that display characters that are not sharply defined also can contribute to eyestrain.

Improved Hardware Designs

 Ergonomically designed keyboard –Adjustable Keyboards –Keyboards divided in two halves and set them at about a 20-degree angle to the desktop –Sloping the keyboard

 Ergonomically designed mice –Longer, curves, and slopes to fit the hand better –Larger buttons, scrolling wheel

Additional Help  Wrists pads  Back support pads that slip on the back of the chair  Foot rests  Ergonomically designed office furniture

Reducing Eyestrain  Movable monitor  Place monitor underneath the desk -- view through glare-free pane of glass  LCD flat-panel helps alleviate some of the causes of eyestrain

 Dot Pitch--the distance between the groups of red, green, and blue dots on the inside of the monitor  The smaller the dot pitch, the sharper the image.

Keyboarding –forces you to rotate the palm downward. –forces the wrist to bend, which reduces the size of the carpal tunnel and tends to compress the median nerve. –forces you to angle the hand away from the body, which tends to compress the median nerve.

What You Can Do  Back -- angled backward a few degrees  Arms -- relaxed and loose at the sides; forearms and hands should be parallel to the floor  Wrists -- level with the keyboard  Thighs -- at a right angle to the torso  Knees -- at a right angle to the thighs

 Adjust the monitor so the top of the screen is eye level when the head is tilted at a comfortable, slightly downward angle.  The monitor should be tilted slightly so that the center of the screen is about 7 to 10 inches, or about 15 degrees, below your horizontal line of sight.

 Use a copy holder  Dim the lighting in the room to reduce glare  Blink frequently while looking at the monitor  Use correct posture while sitting at the computer  Take periodic breaks from keyboarding

OSHA  Office of Safety and Health Association  An organization to determine safety and health standards for the world of work.

Other Safety Concerns  Electrical Equipment  Microcomputers  Monitors  Diskettes/Storage Devices  Work Areas and Furnishings  Drawers

Emergency Drills

Fire Alarms 3 short bells  Stop classwork immediately  Walk out in single file  Stay with group for accountability  A bell will signal return to building

Tornado Drills 1 long bell  Quietly move to inside offices  Stay together for accountability  A bell will signal return to class

Bomb Threat  Follow the same signals and procedures as for fire drill.  Follow the same signals to return to class

Inclement Weather  Local radio stations are asked to announce any changes in the normal operating procedures of the school.

LockDown  Announcement will come over the PA system  No one is to leave the room for any reason  An “All Clear” will be issued