1. 1.10 Health and Safety In this section you must be able to:
Describe the provisions of the current health and safety legislation in relation to the use of information systems.
Recognise that health and safety guidelines cover the design and introduction of new software.

2. Health and Safety Issues
ICT use can lead to the following health concerns:
RSI – Repetitive Strain Injury
The effect of radiation from VDUs
The effect of computer use on eye-sight
Stress
These can be improved by:
Having an ergonomically designed workplace
Following health and safety guidelines
Using carefully designed software systems

3. Repetitive Strain Injury
A variety of disorders affecting the neck, shoulders and upper limbs
Caused by repeated small movements – e.g. typing or moving the mouse – data-entry are clerks badly affected
Results in numbness, tingling, aching or stiffness
RSI was identified as early as the 18th century but diagnosis has proved contentious in recent times
There is no medical cure other than to:
Stop the repeated motion, e.g. with a change of equipment
Use proper supports – e.g. wrist rests
Stretch regularly and include other exercises

4. Extra Low Frequency Radiation
We are exposed to ELF radiation from:
Mains electricity
Computer monitors
Natural sources, such as sunshine!
Research has shown that there may be a link between ELF radiation and health problems
A causal link between VDU use and miscarriage has not been established, although there is a positive correlation – this could be caused by other factors such as stress and poor ergonomics
Radio equipment (such as mobile phones) has also been in the spotlight

5. Eyestrain
Computer users spend a long time focussing on screens that are relatively close
Other aggravating factors include:
Glare and other improper lighting
Poor work practices – insufficient rest, etc.
Poorly designed equipment
Improperly corrected vision (i.e. not wearing your glasses)
Screens are best viewed in dim lights, but this can make paper documents difficult to see
There is no evidence that there is permanent damage to the eyes

6. Sources of Stress In work environments, stress can be caused by:
Demands – such as workload, work patterns and the work environment.
Control – such as how much say the person has in the way they do their work.
Support – such as the encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the organisation, line management and colleagues.
Relationships – such as promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour.
Role – such as whether people understand their role within the organisation and whether the organisation ensures that they do not have conflicting roles.
Change – such as how organisational change (large or small) is managed and communicated in the organisation.

7. ICT-related Sources of Stress
More specifically, ICT can in induce stress:
Slow machinery – i.e. having to wait for things to log in/out, and data to be processed
Inappropriate or faulty systems
Lack of skills (or confidence – “will it break if I press the wrong key?”, or “I’m too old to use computers”)
Information overload
Work rate – performance can be monitored by software that counts key clicks
Monitoring – e.g. s, web-pages, audit logs
The ability to work at home – with laptops, mobile, pagers, etc. – so it feels like you’re always at work
Speed of development – the pace at which things can change in the ICT industry

8. Information Overload
Managers are bombarded with more information than they can handle
This can produce “information anxiety”
For example, even searching for “information overload” in Google finds 1,850,000 hits in 0.3s!
If people are away for a few days they can have 100s of s waiting for them when they get back
In a survey of ICT department heads, more than 75% reported that pressure at work caused problems in their personal lives from loss of appetite and sleep to alcohol abuse

9. Health and Safety Regulations
The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 protect the health of employees
Employers must
Analyse workstations for safety
Provide training on the use of workstation components
Ensure that employees have regular breaks or changes of activity
Provide regular eye tests for workstation users and pay for glasses where necessary

10. Health and Safety Regulations
Employees must
Use workstations and equipment correctly, in accordance with the training provided
Bring problems to the attention of their employer immediately and co-operate to correct them
Manufacturers are also required to ensure that their products comply with the directive, e.g.
Screens must tilt and swivel
Keyboards must be separate and movable
Notebook computers are not suitable for entering large amounts of data

11. Ergonomics
Refers to the design and functionality of the environment. Employers must consider:
Lighting – offices should be well lit with adjustable blinds to control sunlight & glare
Furniture – chairs should be adjustable
Work space – including heating & ventilation
Noise – must be kept to a minimum
Hardware – screens must tilt and swivel, etc.
Software – must make tasks easier and be adaptable to the users’ needs

12. Software Quality Bad software can be extremely stressful to use, e.g.:
Badly-chosen colour schemes
Incomprehensible error messages
Non-standard keys or interface
Badly structured menus
Repeatedly failure of new software
Lack of functionality – not doing what it should
Unnecessary features – e.g. “Tip of the Day” or the Office Assistant tell you that you appear to be writing a letter
Slow processing
Can all lead to frustration.
(see also 2.10 Human/Computer Interface)