Straighten up while clicking
Shraddha Munjal

USING computer is a necessity nowadays. Too much of everything is, however, bad, and computers can cause a lot of health problems unless one is careful. All computer based workers may face professional hazards, especially those who spend long hours in front of the intelligent yet dumb boxes called PCs. Problems like eyestrain, blurred vision, headache, browache and neckache are multiplying rapidly among computer users. Even non-working categories, like students, who spend too much time in browsing the Net face these risks. Most of the problems arise due to improper working with the machine or overuse of body vis-à-vis work content and schedule. To avoid all possible problems, all we need is to be conscious of work conditions and go according to the basic principles of ergonomics. Ergonomic recommendations in computer use are divided into three categories: (A) Workplace (B) Work (C) Worker

Workstation should be set up in such a way so that it is conductive to stress free working. Work desk should be sufficiently large to conveniently place all work material and the surface should be non-reflective to avoid glare. There should be enough legroom, at least 6 cm (2 inches), of space between thighs and lower surface of table. Ideally, chair height should be adjustable with the aim of fixing a height such that the thighs of worker are parallel to the ground and feet rest flat on the floor. The angle of the back and seat tilt should be so adjusted so that there is a 90° to 110° angle between thigh and torso. The computer user should adjust the back so that the part that curves inward corresponds to the part of the lower back that curves inward. It is recommended that chair should have five pedestal base that swivels easily.

The monitor should be placed at a height such that the top of the monitor is at level or just below the eyes. The monitor should be directly in front of the user and not to a side and the centre of the screen should be in between 4 to 9 inches below eyes.

The keyboard should be as thin as possible so that you don’t have to bend your wrist. The keyboard should be placed in front of the screen with at least 15 cm (6 inches) of free space in front for the wrist. An ideal mouse arrangement is to be on a flat surface i.e. 1 to 2" above the keyboard. There should be some space where mouse is placed, for putting up the wrist. The arm and wrist should be kept as horizontal as possible.

The light point should be from the sides, or top, neither directly in your eyes, nor straight onto the monitor. The presence of bright overhead fluorescent light may give discomfort. To avoid this, use blinds or drapes on windows. Reorient the workstation so that bright lights are not in the field of view. For this rotate the work desk at 90° or 180°.

Electronic supervision of worker’s performance or output should not be without the worker’s knowledge and it is advisable if some non-computer work is included in between computer work. It is of great importance that for how long a worker is going to use a computer. If it is one hour or more one should be careful about work area arrangement. The worker should alter to use keyboard and mouse. Any one device should not be used for long time.

A worker’s physical problems include repetitive stress injury, carpel tunnel syndrome, computer vision syndrome, dry eyes and musculo-skeletal problems.

 

Work more and invite psychological problems A new study has revealed that people who work in front of a computer even just for five hours a day run the risk of mental illness such as depression and insomnia. The study conducted on 25, 000 people has found that those working for hours in front of the computer complained of feeling depressed, anxious and reluctant to get up for work in the mornings. The researchers said that many even reported problems getting along with fellow- workers and added that they were plagued by broken sleep and daytime fatigue, reports The Telegraph. After studying the effects on health over a three-year period in one of the biggest investigations into the hazards of computers in the workplace, the experts are calling for employers to restrict time spent at terminals. "This result suggests the prevention of mental disorders and sleep disorders and this requires the restriction of computer use to less than five hours a day," said the lead researcher, Dr Tetsuya Nakazawa, of Chiba University in Japan. For three years, researchers monitored changes in workers’ mental health and matched them up to time spent working at computers. The results, published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, showed one in four staff was tied to their terminals for five or more hours a day. Once they crossed that threshold, the dangers of psychological disorders setting in appeared to increase sharply. So far most research has focused only on how computers affect physical health. Sitting at terminals has been linked with repetitive strain injury, headaches, eyestrain and back and shoulder pain. But the latest study looked for psychological effects by tracking thousands of office staff working for a large information technology company in sales, customer services, accounting and planning. British experts said that working alone at a computer for hours on end could lead to a sense of isolation, even in a busy office. — ANI