Health And Safety

Emily Folorunsho Health and safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations -1992 •

The display screen is the computers monitor, or visual display (VDU)

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The law deals with how employees work on computers and the idea is to reduce damage to the body (bones, muscles and joints as well as the eyes) The employers responsibility to meet the law: •

Make sure that workstations, furniture, computer software and the working environment, of computer users meet the minimum of the regulations.

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Ensure computer users have regular breaks or changes in activity. The law says it is illegal to work on computers all day.

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Offer eye examinations for employees who work with a computer for more than an hour a day. They should also provide glasses if the test show they are necessary.

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Provide health and safety training to computer users

The law covers the position of the computer on a desk; the position of the keyboard the distance of the user from the screen, and glare and posture. Minimum Standards:  The computer screen should be of a reasonable size and the user should be able to adjust brightness and contrast.  There should be no glare from lights or the sun on the screen  The keyboards must be separate from the screen, with the ability to tilt them  The computer should be placed on a large work surface that is not reflective  Work chairs must be stable and allow easy movement into a COMFORTABLE POSISTION  Users should be able to adjust the height of their seat backs, and footreast must be provided

Emily Folorunsho

Continued use of a keyboard and a mouse could cause Repetive Strain Injury (Rsi). To avoid this, a variety of tasks should be undertaken by a computer user each day.