Working Safely with Display Screen Equipment DSE

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Working Safely with Display Screen Equipment
(DSE)
Click the button to continue
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Aims

• The aim of this presentation is
• To explain why health problems can occur from
  using DSE
• To teach you how to set up your workstation
  properly
• To provide you with 10 top tips for working
  safely with DSE

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Before we go on..

• DSE stands for Display Screen Equipment
• DSE is your computer workstation and it includes
• Your chair
• Your desk
• Your computer
• Accessories on your Desk

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Whats the point of this?

• I am only watching this presentation because my
  employers asked me to
• I dont have any problems when working at my PC,
  so this is a waste of time
• I have no problems but I am interested in my
  health
• I am concerned about working safely with DSE and
  I hope to learn more.

I hope you agree with point 4 !
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Section 1 of 3 Health Effects
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Health Effects (1)

• Look at the skeleton in the picture
• Have a guess at how many medical conditions can
  be caused by working with DSE (click on the
  buttons below).

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9
17
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Health Effects (2)

• The answer is at least 17.
• If you find that alarming, then you need to take
  this presentation seriously.
• How many of the conditions have you heard of?
• The general term for health problems caused by a
  computer is Repetitive Strain Injury or RSI

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What Causes RSI?

• These conditions are caused by excess repetition
  or tension in the joints and muscles.

FACT Did you know that there are nearly 700
muscles in the human body?
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Test Yourself..

• Take a 1kg bag of sugar and hold it out at arms
  length in front of your face. Initially this
  feels easy, but soon you will start to feel an
  ache in your arm muscles. The ache starts because
  the constant contraction of the muscle reduces
  the blood flow through the muscles (think of
  squeezing water out of a sponge), the muscles are
  starved of oxygen and start to hurt.
• Now repeat the exercise, but continue to hold the
  weight for longer not surprisingly the pain
  will get worse, but most importantly it will take
  longer for the ache to resolve.
• When working with DSE at a workstation, the same
  effect takes place such as in the arms,
  shoulders, back, legs and neck.

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Prevention is Better than Cure
RSI is a progressive condition that can be
divided into three broad stages, although the
symptoms of sufferers do not always neatly fit
into these categories.

• Stage 1 (mild) Pain, aching and tiredness of
  the wrists, arms, shoulders, neck or legs during
  work, which improves over night. This stage may
  last weeks or months and is reversible.
• Stage 2 (moderate) Recurrent pain, aching and
  tiredness occur earlier in the working day,
  persist at night and may disturb sleep. This
  stage may last several months
• Stage 3 (severe) Pain, aching, weakness and
  fatigue are experienced even when a person is
  resting completely. Sleep is often disturbed and
  the sufferer may be unable to carry out light
  tasks at home or work. This stage may last for
  months or years. Sometimes it is irreversible
  and the person never gets back full use of the
  affected part of the body.

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Am I at Risk ?

• It is fully possible to use a computer as a
  regular part of your job without ever developing
  RSI.
• For this to be true you need to do the following
• Set up your workstation so that it is comfortable
  for you.
• Take regular breaks throughout the day. 5 minutes
  for every ½ hr of computer use.
• Lead a healthy and active lifestyle.
• Enjoy a balanced diet and drink lots of fresh
  water
• Remember, the human body is not designed to be
  static for long periods. It is suited to being
  active. Not suited to long periods of sitting
  down such as in the car, at work and at home on
  the sofa.

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Section 2 of 3 Workstation Setup
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Workstation Setup (1)

• Now that you have learned about the risks from
  using DSE equipment, we will look at how to set
  up a workstation correctly.
• By following the guidance in this section you
  will greatly reduce the risk of injury.

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Bad workstation setup.

• Spot as many problems as you can with Helens
  workstation

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Bad workstation setup.
Exhaust fan from nearby PC, can be noisy and blow
out hot air towards the user.
Sunlight shining through blinds. Can cause glare
on the screen
Possibility of Trapped Cables
Computer at an angle on the desk. User needs to
twist her body.
Both elbows not supported
Desk too small.
No back support. Not leaning back on the chair
Arm rest set too high. Unable to move chair
under the desk.
Click the photo to see the hazards
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Correct Workstation Setup

• Often people sit down at a desk and dont even
  think of rearranging it. Objects (e.g. phone)
  are left on the desk the way they found them.
• This is what you need if you work at the
  computer
• Screen directly in front of you, not at angle so
  you have to twist your neck.
• A chair that supports your lower back
• A desk that is large strong enough to support
  all the equipment
• A monitor (screen) at a comfortable height. As a
  general rule of thumb, your eyes should be level
  with the top of the monitor.
• Good quality equipment

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Setting up the chair

• CORRECT SITTING POSTURE
• Sitting height must be adjusted to allow an angle
  of 90o between the thighs and lower legs.
• The backrest must be in a position where it gives
  effective support to the lumbar region (lower
  back).
• The seat area should be used fully. You should
  not be sat on the edge of your chair.
• Not all chairs are easy to setup. Ask your
  Health and Safety Officer for help if you need it.

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Bad Seating Posture

• Reasons
• Seat height is to high.
• Backrest is to high.
• No contact with the backrest.
• Sitting too far forward in the seat.
• Consequences
• back ache!

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Correct Workstation Setup

• The right lighting can reduce eyestrain, neck
  strain and headaches. Sunlight is the best light,
  but make sure it doesn't create glare on your
  computer screen.
• The proper desk will let you find the perfect
  working position. It should be deep enough to
  support your arms when you work at the computer.
• Place your computer screen at eye-level or just
  below. For optimal comfort, set it about 45 cm
  (18 in.) from your face.
• Sit up straight in your chair. Keep your feet
  flat on the floor and your knees level with your
  thighs.
• Choose an office chair that lets you tilt forward
  to reach objects in front of you and backward to
  stretch your arms when you're tired.
• When you type, hold your fingers, wrists and
  lower arms in a straight line from your keyboard.
  
• Keep equipment that you use a lot, like your
  telephone and computer keyboard, within a
  distance of about 75 cm (30 in.) Keep other
  equipment farther away. This encourages you to
  change positions during the day.
• Keep a bottle of water on your desk and drink
  regularly from it.

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Section 3 of 3 Ten Top Tips
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10 Top Tips

• Set up your workstation so that it is comfortable
  for you. This means adjusting your chair and
  rearranging your desk.
• Take regular breaks throughout the day. 5 minutes
  for every half-hour of computer use.
• Take regular micropauses. Every 10 minutes leave
  the keyboard and mouse alone for 30 seconds.
• Lead a healthy and active lifestyle. Play sport.
• Enjoy a balanced diet and drink lots of fresh
  water.

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10 Top Tips (cont.)

• In your free time undertake hobbies that relax
  you and let you unwind.
• Reduce the amount of time you use a computer by
  only using it when you need to. Rather than
  sending someone an email, phone them instead.
• Learn keyboard shortcuts for common commands to
  help you reduce the amount of time you use the
  mouse
• Get an eye test. Tell your optician that you
  work with a computer.
• If you have any symptoms of RSI, then tell your
  employer immediately

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Quiz
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Question 1 of 7

• What does RSI stand for?
• Reduced Static Injury
• Repetitive Stress Injury
• Repetitive Strain Injury

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Question 2 of 7

• What is the best layout for a workstation?
• Monitor (screen) on the corner of the desk so
  that I have to twist to see it. I put it there so
  I will have lots of space on my desk
• I leave all items arranged/adjusted however I
  found them
• All items within my easy reach. Screen directly
  in front of me, and my chair at the right height
  so that I am comfortable.

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Question 3 of 7

• There is glare on your screen, what do you do?
• Turn up the brightness on the screen to
  compensate for the glare
• Do nothing, its only a problem at certain times
  of the day when it is really sunny outside. I
  can put up with that.
• Reposition my desk, or adjust my monitor so that
  it is not affected by the glare. I will also ask
  for blinds to be fitted to the windows.

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Question 4 of 7

• What is the best height for your chair?
• Chair adjusted so that my feet dont touch the
  floor and are free to swing
• Set as low as possible so that my posterior takes
  most of the weight of my body.
• Adjusted so that there is a 90o angle between my
  lower leg and my thigh.

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Question 5 of 7

• Your open-plan office is too warm, what do you
  do?
• Get a desk fan and point it at my face. Wear
  loose fitting clothing.
• Moan constantly and hope someone does something
  about it.
• Ask other people around me to see what they
  think. We can come to a consensus and ask the
  person in charge of the office to adjust the
  temperature.

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Question 6 of 7

• You see a colleague slouching in his chair at the
  computer. What do you do?
• Nothing, he is probably comfortable like that
• Nothing, I sit like that too.
• Inform him that to protect his health, he must
  sit upright.

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Question 7 of 7

• You are working on a project, you feel a bit
  stressed and developing some aches in your
  shoulders. What do you do?
• Take pain killers to mask the pain
• Battle on, the project is nearly finished and you
  can recover later
• Tell your manager / HS advisor and use the top
  10 tips you learned in this presentation.

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How did you do?

• The correct answer to all questions was answer
  (c).
• If you got any wrong then you must watch this
  presentation again.
• If you need further advice then please see your
  Health and Safety representative.

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The End

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• Or press the escape key on your keyboard to
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