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Computer Workstations |
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Solutions |
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Many who use a computer at work or home may be unaware of
workstation situations that can increase their risk of development of injury. The following references aid
in recognizing potential hazards associated at computer workstations and give
possible solutions to address those hazards.
Hazard Recognition
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Computer Workstations. OSHA eTool. Includes new material
developed by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Also,
incorporates a checklist to assist the computer user with evaluation
of their workstation and with purchasing of new equipment.
- Computer Workstations: A Survival
Guide to Computer Workstations. Occupational Health, Safety,
and Education (OHSE), Ohio State University. Presents hazard and
radiation information.
- NIOSH Publications on Video Display
Terminals. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS),
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 99-135, (1999, September). Provides a compendium
of NIOSH publications and reports on video display terminals
(VDTs).
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Safety With Video Display Terminal. OSHA Fact Sheet No. 95-24,
(1995). Addresses some video display terminal (VDT) concerns
including high voltage electricity, ergonomics, noise, and the
interest is in whether extreme low frequency fields or higher
frequency radiation fields emitted by VDTs pose any problem,
particularly for pregnant women.
- An Office Building Occupant's Guide
to Indoor Air Quality. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
(1997, October). Also available as a 52 KB PDF, 8 pages. Identifies
factors that contribute to indoor air quality and issues that
affect occupant comfort and productivity. Includes tips for office
managers and tenants who think their building may have indoor air
quality problems.
- Building Air Quality: A Guide for
Building Owners and Facility Managers. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), (1991, December). Also available as a
2.78 MB PDF, 228 pages. Provides
practical suggestions on preventing, identifying, and resolving
indoor air quality (IAQ) problems in public and commercial
buildings.
Possible Solutions
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Ergonomics. Safety Office, University of Waterloo.
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OSH Answers Search: Office Ergonomics. Canadian Centre for
Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). Provides a searchable
database for health and safety information on a variety of topics
in an office workstation. Provides navigational links on specific
topics, such as "positioning the monitor" or "wrist rests".
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Computer Workstation Ergonomics. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC).
- Evaluating your computer workstation: How
to make it work for you. Oregon Occupational Safety and
Health Division (OR-OSHA), 181 KB
PDF, 48 pages. Identifies health considerations for video
display terminals (VDTs) and workstation use, how to evaluate a
workstation, and various measures that can be taken to reduce
associated worker health problems.
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Study Finds Strategic Rest Breaks Reduce VDT Discomforts Without
Impairing Productivity. National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) Update, (2000, May 22). Summarizes a
report showing that short, strategically spaced rest breaks can
reduce eyestrain and musculoskeletal discomforts for video display
terminal operators without decreasing productivity.
- Alternative Keyboards. US Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-148, 471
KB
PDF, 17 pages. Explains the differences between alternative
and regular keyboards, and providesinformation on whether
alternative keyboards prevent injuries.
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