| Did you know there were serious risks to your | | | | computer. Your employer can be prosecuted in |
| health when working with a computer at home | | | | a Civil & Criminal court of law if the |
| or at work? | | | | employer knew, or ought to have known, that |
| | | | the employee was exposed to risk of injury |
| The rise in general computer usage in modern | | | | from using a computer. This is obvious as |
| society using keyboards that permit high | | | | Health & Safety in computer usage has been so |
| speed typing have resulted in an epidemic of | | | | well publised to all employers through the |
| injuries of the hands, arms, and shoulders. | | | | promotion of health and safety and common |
| Use of pointing devices like mice and | | | | sense. |
| trackballs are as much a cause, if not more | | | | |
| so. The thousands of repeated keystrokes and | | | | Also given that the foreseeable risk, that |
| long periods of clutching and dragging mice | | | | the employer failed to take reasonable steps |
| slowly accumulates damage to the upper body | | | | to prevent or reduce the risk of injury to |
| limbs. | | | | the employee and that the employee's injury |
| | | | was caused, or contributed to, by the work |
| The symptoms of RSI known as Repetitive | | | | the employee was required to carry out and |
| Strain Injuries include aches, pain, | | | | the employer's breach of duty. |
| swelling, numbness, tingling, weakness and | | | | |
| cramps. RSI is caused by a combination of | | | | So how can you and your employer protect your |
| overuse and repetition, awkward or static | | | | safety whilst working with computers whilst |
| posture and insufficient recovery time. RSI | | | | at work? The most important tool for anyone |
| is preventable and treatable. It is vital not | | | | to use in this instance is to complete a |
| to ignore the early warning signs. If you | | | | Computer Usage Risk Assessment otherwise |
| have any of the symptoms of RSI take action | | | | known as a DSE assessment or Workstation |
| now on prevention. If symptoms persist seek | | | | assessment. |
| treatment immediately. | | | | |
| | | | The areas risk assessed include how long you |
| If you are encountering any of the following | | | | work on a computer, do you take regular |
| ailments including Tingling, coldness, or | | | | breaks,are all your computer equipment set up |
| numbness in the hands at anytime even after a | | | | correctly to prevent injury, is there glare |
| period of using your keyboard,some loss of | | | | on the monitor screen, seat and posture |
| strength and coordination in the hands, Pain | | | | ,space to move legs, space in front of the |
| that wakes you up at night sometimes , | | | | keyboard to rest your arms, noise |
| Feeling the need to massage your hands after | | | | distractions,can your feet touch the floor, |
| keying in data, wrists, and arms and Pain in | | | | can you place all your equipment around you |
| the upper back, shoulders or neck, this will | | | | without needing to stretch etc. |
| be most likely due to the repeated use of a | | | | |
| computer. | | | | If your employer does not know how to carry |
| | | | out a suitable and sufficient assessment of |
| If you are encountering any of the ailments | | | | the risks to your health whilst at work, then |
| described above and you use a computer for | | | | recommend they do so immediately to prevent |
| more than three hours a day whilst at work, | | | | further damage to you and your colleagues |
| then your employer is not preventing your | | | | health whilst using computers. |
| health problems,you can actually win | | | | |
| considerable damages in a court of law for | | | | Dont become one of the may thousands of |
| this breach in regulations. | | | | people suffering from the painful condition |
| | | | of RSI and other computer usage related |
| The Display Screen Equipment Regs 1992 sets | | | | health conditions in the world today, act now |
| out what an employer must do, by law to | | | | before its too late! |
| protect your safety whilst at work using a | | | | |