1.1 - Health And Safety In relation To Ict Systems

Question 1

What 6 things are needed when considering a risk assessment for an ICT workstation?

Answer 1

1. Identify the hazards the user is exposed to
2. Identify the risks the hazards can produce
3. Put safety precautions in place to reduce the risks
4. Train workers to deal with risks that remain
5. Check regularly the situation to see if it has become worse
6. Encourage staff to report problems

Question 2

What are display screen equipment regulations?

Answer 2

They are health and safety regulations that apply to computer use

Question 3

What health problems can be caused by computers?

Answer 3

1. Eye strain
2. RSI
3. Back and neck problems
4. Deep vein thrombosis
5. Epilepsy

Question 4

How is eye strain caused?

Answer 4

• concentrating on the screen for too long
• sitting too close to the screen
• refocusing eyes between the screen and paper
• glare from the light reflecting on the screen

Question 5

How to prevent eyestrain?

Answer 5

• take regular breaks
• use blinds to reduce glare
• sit at least 1m away from screen
• refocus eyes regularly

Question 6

How is RSI caused?

Answer 6

-from repeated similar movements, such as typing or clicking mouse buttons

Question 7

How to prevent RSI?

Answer 7

• use wrist rests when typing
• take frequent breaks
• have the keyboard at the same height
• press keys and buttons lightly

Question 8

How are back and neck problems caused?

Answer 8

By repetitive movement

-bad posture

Question 9

How to prevent back and neck problems?

Answer 9

• keep good posture

- take frequent breaks and move around

Question 10

How is deep vein thrombosis caused?

Answer 10

-sitting still for long periods of time

Question 11

How to prevent deep vein thrombosis?

Answer 11

-take frequent breaks and move around

Question 12

How is epilepsy caused?

Answer 12

• by screens which flicker at certain frequencies

- strobe effects on screen displays

Question 13

How to prevent epilepsy?

Answer 13

• screen filters can reduce flicker

- use a high screen refresh rate

Question 14

What are 5 steps to having a well designed workstation?

Answer 14

1. Sit upright, knees and elbows at 90 degrees with feet flat on a footrest
2. Chair should have a back support
3. Chair should have wheels
4. Eyes should be 1m away from the screen
5. Keyboard should be at the right height

Question 15

What is the meaning of ergonomic?

Answer 15

-designed to minimize discomfort and injury

Question 16

Examples of hardware minimising health problems

Answer 16

• ergonomic mice and keyboards
• screens with the right resolution and size
• printers should produce right quality of documents
• equipment should work within acceptable time limits

Question 17

What does the Health and safety (Display Screen Equipment Regulations) 1992 do?

Answer 17

It covers employees responsibilities

Question 18

What do employers have to do for their employees?

Answer 18

• pay for regular eye tests and glasses
• provide workstations with space and ensure electrical equipment is safe
• provide chairs with height adjustment and back support
• provide trained first aiders
• allow for regular breaks to be taken
• ensure workstations have good lighting, reduced glare, comfortable temperature and good ventilation
• allow pregnant women to work away from VDU’s
• ensure workplace is safe from fire hazards and obstructions
• provide health and safety training and also fire and emergency training

Question 19

How can software cause health problems?

Answer 19

• changing to new software can cause stress and fatigue
• user interface too complicated
• losing important work
• simple interface causes frustration for experienced users

Question 20

How can software be designed in order to reduce stress?

Answer 20

• available training
• easy to use interface
• shortcuts for experienced users
• allow work recovery
• good colour combinations

Question 21

What does a document holder do?

Answer 21

It holds the documents next to the screen instead of having them lay flat

Question 22

What to consider when designing a user interface

Answer 22

• background and font colour
• font sizes
• menu layout
• icon layout
• shortcuts
• macros
• help options

Question 23

What is the purpose of the health and safety work act?

Answer 23

-it sets out to protect workers from things that could cause them to have accidents or damage their health