Practicing Proper Health and Safety in ICT

Having a job in which you primarily work on a computer is considered one of the safer career choices, but that does not mean that there are not health hazards. If you are working in the ICT, or Information and Computer Technologies, field, you should be aware of the potential health risks, and understand the proper measure to take to practice health and safety in ICT.

Whether you are running an office with employees who work with computers, or if you are working with computers yourself, you should understand the health problems that are caused by this line of work.

Some common computer-related health problems include:

• Back problems
• Eyestrain
• Stress and Anxiety
• Wrist Injuries
• Neck Pain

Fortunately, health and safety in ICT can easily be achieved through proper education, awareness, and prevention. There are actions that you, or your employees, can take to be able to work safely with computers without facing any of these potential problems. All of these health problems are much easier to prevent than they are to heal after the fact.

Back Pain

If you spend many hours sitting at a desk every day, you run a great risk of developing a back problem. If you find yourself sitting for long periods, at an odd angle, you can develop serious pack problems and poor posture that you will carry with you outside of work. Fortunately, there are very simple ways to keep back problems from getting worse:

Adjust your chair and computer screen so that you do not have to bend your back or neck in a weird position in order to work. You should be able to work at your desk with your back in a straight upright position. Your spine will benefit greatly if you try not to slouch while you work.

Take breaks at regular intervals and get up and walk around. At least once an hour, take a break from your work and get up and move. This can mean just for a few minutes. You can stand up, stretch, and just walk for a few minutes.

Strain to the Hands and Wrists

A big part of health and safety in ICT is the health and safety of your fingers, hands, and wrists. You can cause strain and damage to these areas through repetitive movements over a long period of time. Basically, your hands and wrists become warn out because you are typing with them all day long. The result is hands; wrists and arms that ache, hurt, or feel tender and swollen even after you have stopped typing for a significant period of time.

In order to stop these problems from happening, you will once again be sure that you are taking breaks while you are working. By taking a break every hour, you will be giving your hands a much-needed rest. Another way that you can protect your wrists is by having them properly supported while you type. There are very comfortable and inexpensive supports that you can purchase.

Eye Strain

When discussing Health and Safety in ICT, you cannot forget the eyes. When you spend the entire day staring at a computer screen, you eyes will become tired and strained. The result is blurred vision or double vision. Eyestrain can also cause you to suffer from headaches, fatigue and nausea.

Ways to combat eyestrain:

• Work in good lighting. Don’t have sunlight shining on your computer screen.
• Use a screen filter.
• Do not sit very close to the screen.
• Regularly look away from the screen and allow your eyes to focus on something else.
• Be sure to go to the optometrist for regular eye check-ups.
• Take breaks away from the computer every hour.

Stress

Computers and technology are supposed to make our lives easier, but unfortunately sometimes they can sometimes cause us increased stress, anxiety and frustration. ICT health can be compromised because sometimes when working with computers, we come across problems that are difficult to troubleshoot, or the computer malfunctions and all of your work is lost. Some people just do not feel comfortable or confident working with computers, and that can cause stress. In this case, a technology-training course can help make the employee more confident when utilizing technology.

Once again, a break can be very useful to reduce stress. Sometimes being stuck inside in an office can boost stress levels as well. Maybe for a few of your hourly breaks away from the computer, you should take a walk outside and get some fresh air and sunshine to reduce your stress levels.

Safety Legislation

In most areas, employers are required to follow basic health and safety in ICT guidelines. This means that they are required to provide their employees with a safe and comfortable work environment. This means ensuring that employees have the chairs, supports, and lighting needed to work at their desk without developing health problems. Employers are also responsible for ensuring that the employees are tacking sufficient breaks throughout the workday.

Health Care Informatics

It is crucial that all ICT employees and students are aware of the possible health problems that can be developed in ICT and have schools computer health resources available. All employees should have easy access to any and all health related materials. It is very easy to understand health and safety in ICT if you simply take the time to become educated about the risks that you face when working behind a computer all day.