Module 5 OH&S Learning activity 1

Possible Perils working on the computer Module 5 OH&S Learning activity 1 Problem with lower back pain and injury if: wrong type of chair no mechanism for lowering and raising chair to the right height feet not flat on floor back not in straight upright position, sitting on the edge of the chair, sitting cross legged no removable and adjustable armrests no contoured seat with rounded edges to distribute your weight no breathable fabric on chair do not do regular stretching exercises for body Problem with neck pain and injury if: use of wrong type of prescription glasses (like bifocals), no document holder to restrict neck movement. Screen’s height not adjusted parallel to eyesight Problem with pain and injury to wrists & fingers if: Striking the keys too hard. grip the mouse to tightly mouse is not close enough to the body. mouse not placed right in front of the shoulder, no wrist support for using mouse elbow and wrist not parallel to keyboard keyboard at wrong angle keyboard too far away do not do regular wrist exercise Problem with strain or damaged eyes if: too much glare from monitor from prolonged use unnecessary glare from not adjusting brightness and contrast of monitor sun glare on the monitor from windows, wrongly placed internal lighting reflections and glare no tinting coat on prescription glasses. computer screen is not between 18 and 24 inches away from face not blinking eyes enough to keep moist do not have regular eye testing More problems if: room temperature is too hot or too cold drink too much tea or coffee do not drink enough water stationery, cd's, files and other equipment not in easy reach distance do not take regular hourly breaks to exercise do not eat enough food for energy do not restrict hours of work per day continue working when stressed (physically or mentally) do not do alternate work tasks regularly away from computer station do not have sufficient leg room under desk do not have rounded corners and edges of desk do not keep the air around you clean do not adjust the refresh rate of your monitor to stop it flickering do not keep your monitor the screen clean do not keeping the screen and document holder at the same distance from your eyes do not service, repair or replace monitors that flicker or have inadequate clarity Added safety measured to be taken: keep spillable drinks away from equipment to avoid electrical short circuits and fires secure lockable and unlockable doors and windows of room and building fire extinguishers for paper flames and also electrical fires easily reached exit in case of fire alternate exit in other direction don't over load power points with lots of power boards keep all equipment connections in an orderly secure manner that is easily identified use adapters to save equipment from power surges install automatic circuit breaker on main power board to prevent equipment damage, electrocution and fires regularly service and update all electrical equipment to prevent exposure to unsafe emissions Must also maintain: strict time management well structured work routine other curricula activities not related to computer