Health + Safety in ICT. Flashcards
What is deep vein thrombosis? (DVT)
Blood clot, usually in leg. It can be caused by sitting in a chair that puts pressure on the back of the knees. It can be prevented by standing up and moving around or by ensuring correct posture when sitting.
What is repetitive strain injury? (RSI)
Pain in the arms, shoulders or back. It is caused by repetitive actions, poor posture when working or maintaining a fixed position. Can be avoided by using a correct workstation, foot rests, foot stools, adjustable chairs and frequent breaks.
What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
Pressure on the median nerve in the wrist. Caused by repeated wrist movements such as typing. Avoided by not doing repetitive actions and frequent breaks.
What is ulnar neuritis? (Cubital tunnel syndrome)
Compression of the ulnar nerve in the elbow. Caused by leaning on elbow for long periods of time. Avoided by use of wrist rests, adjustable height of chairs and correct desk height.
What is eye strain?
Hazy vision, tired eyes. Caused by looking at a monitor for long periods of time, dehydration of the eyes. Prevented by taking plenty of fluids and breaks. Use correctly adjusted, flicker free monitors.
What is back pain/ache?
Muscle spasms. Caused from poor posture, sitting in the same position. Use correct posture and adjustable chairs to avoid.
What is fatigue?
Tiredness from continued periods of mental work. Take a five minute break every hour and vary the type of work.
What is stress?
A state of mental strain. Caused from overwork or software/hardware not doing what you expect. Take a five minute break every hour or train the software to avoid. ;)
Describe trailing wires.
Wires from computers trailing from desks and along floors can cause accidents. Cable management systems can cover wires.
Describe fire.
Overheating of computers can cause them to catch fire, overloading of plug sockets can cause fire.
How do you prevent fire?
Adequate ventilation and clear space around equipment. Not overloading plug sockets. Correct number of sockets on a brewers. Using the correct type of fire extinguisher (CO2) for electrical fire.
Describe electric shock.
Water and electricity can cause an electric shock. Bare wires when touched can also. Don’t drink near computers, all wires should be frequently checked and repaired.
Describe unstable surfaces and chairs.
Desks and surfaces that wobble can cause computer equipment to fall off. All surfaces need to be stable before equipment is placed on them.
Describe food and drink as a safety hazard.
Liquids can cause shorting and lead to fire. Crumbs from food are a fire hazard. No eating and drinking near computers. ;)
