Grade 7: Lesson 1 – Health and Safety

Definition of terms

Ergonomics is the process of designing or arranging workplaces, products and systems so that they fit the people who use them.

Health -The state of being free from illness or injury.

Safety-The condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk, or injury.

Health and Safety-Regulations and procedures intended to prevent accident or injury in workplaces or public environments.

 

Rules governing the use of the computer laboratory and electronic devices.

1. Place chairs under desk when not in use;
2. No food or liquid in the computer laboratory;
3. Eject flash drive correctly before removing it from computer system,
4. Exercise care when connecting or disconnecting cables to the computer system.
5. Report problems immediately.
6. Make sure you close all windows, log out and push in your chair when you leave.
7. Playing of video games is strictly prohibited.
8. Installation of software is strictly prohibited.

***THINK OF OTHERS!!!!!

 

Injuries which may arise from the prolonged use of computer systems

1. Repetitive Strain Injury- the pain felt in muscles, nerves and tendons caused by repetitive movement and overuse.
2. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome- the numbness, tingling, weakness, and other problems in your hand because of pressure on the median nerve in your wrist.
3. Computer Vision Syndrome – refers to all eyes strain and pain that result from using the computer because your eyes follow the same path over and over. And it can get worse the longer you continue the movement.
4. and lower back pain – pain that exist in the lower back result from sitting for a prolonged period as well as sitting incorrectly.

Methods to prevent/reduce the impact of these injuries (Computer related injuries)

1. correct posture,
2. taking breaks away from the computer,
3. proper lighting,
4. top of monitor at or just below eye level,
5. head and neck balance in line with torso,
6. shoulders relax,
7. elbows close to body and supported,
8. wrists and hands in- line with forearm,
9. feet flat on the floor

 

 

                                 Ergonomics guidelines for the use of computer systems

Ways in which the computer system is designed so that it fits the user.

• Chairs designed to support back
• Wrist/palm rest designed to help support wrists
• monitors designed to adjust brightness and position of screen
• adjustable keyboards that allow the user to change the positions and angles of the keyboard
• armrests should be removable and the distance between them should be adjustable
• armrests should be padded and soft
• a mouse should match the curve of your hand and have sufficient cord length to allow its placement next to the keyboard
• wrist rest should match the front edge of the keyboard in width, height, slope, and curve

Activity

 

***Homework Task 1: Research pictures depicting the ergonomics guidelines above and paste them in your notebook.

****Task 2:  Design a ergonomic furniture for a computer lab on blank paper. Due next class.

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Power Outage

A power outage is a short-term or long-term state of electric power loss in a given area. A power outage is also called a power cut or a blackout.

Safety procedures to be observed  at home when there is a power outage while using a computer system.

• Unplug the computer from the socket, as there may be a surge or spike in the current when it returns and that will damage your computer.
• In addition, you should also use a surge protector to plug in your electronic devices as you use them.

Negative Effects of electronic devices on the environment

1. Pollution – Air, water, heat and noise pollution can all be caused by producing and using technology
2. Consuming resources – Non- renewable resources, including precious metals like gold, are used to make technology as well as coal, are consumed to generate the electricity to use technology. Even some renewable resources, like trees and water, are becoming contaminated or are used up faster than they can renew themselves because of technology.
3. Waste – Manufacturing technology creates large amounts of waste, and used computers and electronics get thrown out when they break or become outdated. Called “technotrash,” these electronics contain all sorts of hazardous materials that are very unsafe for the environment. They need to be disposed of using special methods.
4. Disrupting ecology – Clearing land where animals used to live to build factories and allowing pollution to contaminate the food chain can greatly affect the environment’s natural cycles.
5. Health hazards – Using toxic materials that can harm our health can cause cancer, and technology addiction can lead to other health problems like obesity and carpal tunnel syndrome.

 

                                                                             ACTIVITY

Instruction: In your groups, identify FIVE health and safety issues associated with the use of computer in this office and state how each can be corrected.

 

References for the adapted information on this blog:

• http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/
• http://wvmar.trincol.org/docs/computerlabrules.pdf
• http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/repetitive-strain-injury/Pages/Introduction.aspx
• http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/carpal-tunnel/tc/carpal-tunnel-syndrome-topic-overview#1
• http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/computer-vision-syndrome#1
• http://www.safety.uwa.edu.au/topics/physical/ergonomics/workstation
• http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/facultyPages/environment/issues.html
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTL8EBBH69o