1. The Myths, Mysteries and the Miracles of Computer Ergonomics by Roger Coles IOSH South Coast Branch 9 June Date:
About Me:
MoD electrical apprenticeship Portsmouth Dockyard
Weapons at Gosport
AWE 1989 – Contractorised in 1992
In 1993 I was asked to be a safety advisor, I said no !
Safety for 20 years

2. To give members and guests an awareness of workstation
Objectives
To give members and guests an awareness of workstation
Members and guests should be able to:
Identify indicators of poor posture
Set-up a workstation for a user
Know when to seek professional help
Cut down version of an IOSH Approved DSE Assessor
Interactive session - Questions throughout !!
Don’t be fooled by my hands going up !!

3. Legislation
Why is there specific legislation covering this very common and seemingly low risk activity?
Who has seen specialist chairs in their offices – how many?
Hands up who uses a computer for work?
Hands up who, at some time, has suffered aches and pains from the use of that computer?
WHO HAS ONGOING, UNRESOLVED DISCOMFORT?
All DSE Assessors in the audience?
What percentage of discomfort cases lead to hardware being purchased?

4. Criminal Law Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974
Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992

5. Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992
Who are DSE Users
Training requirements for DSE Assessors
Before – Requirements of workstations (schedule)
Provision of training
Day 1 – Analysis of workstations
Provision of information
Ongoing- Daily work routine (breaks)
Eyes and eyesight
Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992
as amended by the Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002
An employer shall ensure that a workstation meets the requirements laid down in this Schedule to the extent that –
(a) those requirements relate to a component which is present in the workstation concerned;
(b) those requirements have effect with a view to securing the health, safety and welfare of persons at work; and
L26 - HSE Guidance: Work with display screen equipment – For Safety Advisors
HSG90 The Law on VDUs: an easy guide – For DSE Assessors
indg36 – Working with VDUs – For DSE Users

6. Civil Law Lacy V. Shropshire Career Service – WRULD – £12,367.80
McPherson V. London Borough of Camden – De Quervain’s Syndrome
– £98,194
Conaty V. Barclays Bank plc – De Quervain’s Syndrome
– £243,792
Inefficiency
Lost time
Sick absence
PI Claim
Not Managed Well

7. Where are Real Losses Occurring? Criminal Law V. Civil Law
Low efficiency / morale
Lost time
Sick absence
Unnecessary posture aids
Legal costs – PI claim
Minimum requirements
Provision of training
Analysis of workstations
Provision of information
Daily work routine (breaks)
Eyes and eyesight
Where are the losses?
Myth – HSE and Local Authorities have resources to spot check - unless ill health reported
Slippery slope of losses
Flipchart - LEGAL > ERGONOMIC > MEDICAL

8. DSE Assessor Training Expensive chairs are better for you?
Chair to be stable, allow easy movement & be comfortable
Adjustable in height
Seat back should be adjustable in height and tilt
Expensive chairs are better for you?
Synchro / free flow good for posture?
Adjustable seatpan beneficial ?

9. What do we already know? What do we already know?
FLIP CHART - Things that we know! (add to it over then next few slides)
ALL SAFETY PEOPLE
Slouch – good or bad?
Backrest upright?
How high should your screen be?
How far away should your screen be?

10. Chair Requirements Are armrests beneficial?
Chair to be stable, allow easy movement & be comfortable
Adjustable in height
Seat back should be adjustable in height and tilt
Expensive chairs are better for you?
Synchro / free flow good for posture?
Adjustable seatpan beneficial ?

11. Footrests When would a user need one?
When the posture set-up shows that one is needed.
Should it be height adjustable?
Should it tilt?

12. Keyboards
Which type is best?
Should it tilt?

13. Mice
Which type is best?
Most have medical explanations of why each mouse is insurance against discomfort

14. Posture Set-up Sequence
So that they can get themselves into a stable posture:
Begin away from the desk
Building block sequence - one way street
Mostly about the chair
What the User feels like at each stage, not what they look like
£1000 a workstation - leading online training / assessment tool
Names on chairs
Guidance was not working!
SO, I developed the posture set-up sequence.
ON YOUR SEATS – EXTRA COPIES HERE !!
VOLUNTEER
FLIP CHART – Hand basin – (Myth) begging dog – Like a Thunderbirds puppet !!!

15. Before
After

16. Where is it going wrong? GO THRU INDICATORS
Round shouldered – causing strain on the thoracic spine
Head nodded down – loading the muscles in the back of the neck
Elbows forwards – trapping nerves and tendons against the desk

17. Office Squirrels Mark the squirrel on the handbasin
Go back thru the flipchart – What do we know !
If you want to be sure of the effect of the set-up, gather the costs of:
Low efficiency / morale
Lost time
Sick absence
Unnecessary posture aids
Legal costs – PI claim
I’ve only admitted defeat in two cases, out of 2000
It’s common to be able to bring a halt to chiropractor visits and massage sessions!
One day’s training is all that it’ll need!!!

18. Think Thunderbirds!!