Part 4.

Health and Safety

Key Concepts of this section :

* Understand the health problems related to the use of ICT equipment * Know some strategies to prevent these health problems. * Be able to describe safety issues related to using computers and measures for
preventing accidents. 1) Health problems

* There are a number of health problems that you can suffer if you use ICT
de ices incorrectly or for too lon!. The main ones are

"epetiti e Strain In#$ry %"SI)

* &ac' and (ec' Strain * )ye Strain and Headaches

"epetiti e Strain In#$ry %"SI)

* !"I causes painf$l s*ellin! of the *rist and fin!ers. * "ufferers with really bad !"I are unable to use their hands at all.

* !"I is caused by doin! the same small mo ements o er and o er a!ain

across a long period of time. #or e$ample% clic&ing a mouse button repeatedly.

* Computer users who type and $se a mo$se all day lon! are commonly
affected. +) Bac& and 'ec& (roblems

* Both bac& and nec& ache can be caused by sittin! incorrectly *

and using poor ,$ality chairs *itho$t bac' rests. This is called poor post$re

-) )ye "train and *eadaches

* "taring at a computer screen for too long can strain yo$r eyes and ca$se
headaches.

* )ye strain can cause your

causing screen glare

ision to bl$r.

* Common causes of eye strain are screen flic&er and having direct li!ht

...Safety Iss$es. ..

* There are a number of safety issues that can arise from using ICT devices. * )lectroc$tion * Trippin! o er *ires * Hea y e,$ipment fallin! on yo$ * /ire ris's
a) )lectrocution

* +ost ICT devices require an electrical po*er so$rce. * ,henever you have electrical power sources you run the ris' of the
electroc$tion.

b) Tripping over wires and cables

* ICT devices with wires can ma&e a room a potential ha-ard. * Trailing *ires are easy to trip o er if they are not secured or tuc&ed away.
c) *eavy equipment falling on you

* "ome ICT devices .li&e computer screens/ are fairly hea y and can cause
in#$ry if they fall on yo$.

* )quipment should be positioned sec$rely on stron! des's and tables well

a*ay from the ed!e. d) #ires

* ICT devices require power from a mains outlet. * If too many de ices are pl$!!ed into a sin!le mains at the same time it is
possible to overload the circuit and start an electrical fire. .) 0$estions:

* There are a n$mber of health ris's lin'ed *ith $sin! ICT de ices. * State what !"I stands for

* State one symptom of !"I is% t*o causes of !"I and t*o ways to prevent it * State t*o causes of bac& pain and t*o ways to prevent it * 1escribe what is meant by ergonomics * State t*o causes of eye strain and t*o ways to prevent it * There are a n$mber of safety ha2ards that can arise from $sin! ICT
de ices.

* State t*o causes of electrocution and t*o ways to prevent it * State t*o ways to help prevent people tripping of computer wires and cables * State t*o causes of falling ICT equipment and t*o ways to prevent it * State t*o causes of electrical fires and three ways to prevent them