Topic 1-health And Safety Flashcards
Back ache:
- What it is caused by
- how to prevent it
- sitting with incorrect posture and slouching
- use an adjustable chair(legal requirement)
- check the adjustment of chair to use if it is suitable for your height
- use foot support called a footrest
- sit up straight &feet flat on the floor
Health problems when working with ict systems
- Back ache
- repetitive strain injury (rsi)
- Eye strain
- stress
Repetitive strain injury(RSI)/ULD (upper limb disorder)
- What does it cause
- how to prevent it
- aches, pains in hands, wrists, arms and neck
- can be eventually disabling
- use an ergonomic keyboard/mouse
- use a wrist rest
- keep wrists straight when keying
Eye strain:
- What it causes
- whats it caused by
- how to prevent it
- causes blurred vision and headaches
- caused by using the screen for long periods, glare on the screen and working without the best lighting conditions
- keep the screen clean so it is easy to make out characters on screen
- have frequent eye tests
- take breaks and ensure your not sitting too near
Stress:
- What it is caused by
- how it is prevented
- the pace of work (e.g too much to do to little time)
- worry about using new technology (old people cannot cope)
- software that is hard to use because it has not been designed properly
- losing work, problems with viruses
-people who produce ICT systems for others have a responsibility to make them simple to use
What is the health and safety at work act 1974?
Employers have a duty to minimise risks to employees in the workplace:
-they need to have a safe place to work and safe system of work
What is the health and safety regulations 1992
The regulations made it law for employers to take certain measures to protect the health and safety of their employees who use ICT equipment
Health and safety regulations 1992:
Computer screens should…
- be an appropriate height for the user
- display a stable image with no flickering
- have brightness and contrast control
- be free from reflections
Health and safety regulations 1992:
-there should be training of employees so that they…
- know how to make adjustments to the screen e.g alter brightness/contrast
- understand the need for taking regular breaks
- adjust the size of text and other screen elements so that they can be ready easily
- understand the need of clean screen
Health and safety regulations 1992:
Chairs should be…
- adjustable in height so that the feet can be flat on the floor& footrest should be provided
- have seat backs which provide proper back support
- ensure that it is easy for chair to be moved closer and further away from the desk
Health and safety regulations 1992:
Desks or work stations should…
- big enough for computer equipment and paperwork
- have a Matt surface to reduce glare
2 type of keyboards
- QUWERTY keyboard
- ergonomic keyboard- separates keys completely
How do software designers make software less stressful to use
- bug free and doesn’t cause the computer to freeze or crash
- font&font sizes chosen carefully to make it easier to read
- help screens tell the user what to do in a way they understand
- shortcuts should be used to minimise mouse click
Other things that can be done to make the use of software less stressful:
- having a help desk to help user with problem
- training users fully in all the ict systems they use
- a procedure of logging problems as they arise so that they can be corrected
What should be considered when designing a software?
- ensure that the order of material on each screen is logical and that the important items go first
- ensure that all software is tested so that it doesn’t crash
- software should be tested by users so that any frustrating user-identified problems can be eliminated
- minimise mouse movements>reduce risk of RSI
- put items e.g buttons&menus where users would expect them
- help screens should be written simply. This should be tested by novice users
