BT 410:

PROFESSINAL ETHICS
AND CONDUCT

LECTURE 03
HEALTH AND SAFETY

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 Computers and Health
 Computers have been said to pose a threat to our physical and mental well-
being.
 Although supporting scientific evidence is far from conclusive, we should
all be aware of the major concerns raised about the possible effects of
computers on our health.
 Long time computer use can lead to health risk/complications:
 Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI)
 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
 Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)
 Technostress: Irritation, hostility, impatience, enervation, fear
 video display terminal (VDT) radiation: Role of radiation, screen
emissions, low-level electromagnetic fields
 Other health concerns of computer use are:
 Heat from laptops
 Hearing loss from headphones
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 Health Concerns of Computer Use
(a) Musculoskeletal disorder (MSD)
 An injury or disorder of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, and
joints.
 MSD also called Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) which also known as
Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OSS);
 RSI is the occupational disease in which muscle groups are forced
through repetitive actions with high-impact loads or thousands of
repetitions with low impact loads.
 Largest source RSI is computer keyboards
1. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS): Inflammation of nerve that
connects forearm to palm. This is the type of RSI, which put
pressure on the median nerve through the wrist’s bony carpal tunnel
structure produces pain
2. Tendonitis: Inflammation of tendon due to repeated motion or
stress on that tendon.
 Account for one-third of all related injuries and illnesses
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 Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OSS)
 What precautions can reduce the chance of developing tendonitis
or carpal tunnel syndrome?
 Take frequent breaks during the
computer session
 Use a wrist rest
 Exercise your hands and arms
 Minimize the number of times
you switch between the mouse
and the keyboard
 What precautions can prevent
tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome?
 Spread fingers apart for several seconds
while keeping wrists straight
 Gently push back fingers and then thumb
 Dangle arms loosely at sides and then
shake arms and hands
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 Health Concerns of Computer Use
(b) Computer vision syndrome (CVS)
 Eyestrain condition related to computer display screen usage
 Eye and vision problems caused by Long-term computer use.
 What are conditions associated with computer vision syndrome
(CVS)?
 Headache or sore neck
 Blurred or double vision
 Sore, tired, burning, itching, or dry eyes
 Distance vision blurred after prolonged staring at monitor
 Difficulty shifting focus between monitor and documents
 Difficulty focusing on the screen image
 Color fringes or after-images when you look away from the
monitor
 Increased sensitivity to light
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 Computer Vision Syndrome
 How can you ease eyestrain when working at the computer?

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 Stress-Related Concerns
 Computer use can also be a problem for emotional health
 Stress due to ever-changing technology
 Many jobs require computer use now that didn’t in the past
 Technostress: An emergent psychological disorder experienced by
individuals when they interact with technologies. (Brod, 1984)
 Technostress is the inability to cope with computer and related
technologies in a healthy manner
 One of the greatest stressors today
 Technostress is also labelled as computer-anxiety or computer-phobia.
 A sort of aversion, fear, apprehension, hostility or resistance toward
computers
 A negative emotional that a person experienced when he/she is using
a computer.
 Technostress symptoms include aggravation, hostility toward humans,
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 Technostress
 Technostressed people <Weil and Rosen (1995)>
 Negative attitudes
 Negative thoughts
 Negative feelings toward technologies
Physical and psychological symptoms when they manage
directly or indirectly hi-tech products.
 Technostress may take many forms:
Upgrade anxiety
 Tether anxiety
 Monitoring anxiety
Computer addiction
 Information overload
 The computer workstation
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 Technostress Forms
 Upgrade Anxiety
Companies often acquire new computers every one or two
years
 Workers have to learn new technology just as they were
adjusting to the old
 Tether Anxiety
 Never-ending desire to access information
Work constantly demands your attention via
 Laptop computers
 Cell phones
 Pagers
 Employees too accessible creating imbalance between
personal and professional life
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 Technostress Forms
 Monitoring Anxiety
 Companies may track performance and activity with technology
 Computer monitoring  Recording calls
 Video surveillance  Global Positioning Satellite (GPS)
 Computer Addiction
 Compulsive surfers
 Much the same as other addictions
 Occurs when the computer consumes someone’s entire social life
 Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is an addiction to the Internet
 Signs/ Symptoms of the techno-centered state include
 High degree of factual thinking  Craves computer time
 Poor access to feelings  Overjoyed when at the computer
 Unable to stop computer activity
 Low tolerance for the
 Irritable when not at the computer
ambiguities of human behavior
 Neglects family and friends
and communication
10  Problems at work or school
 Technostress Forms
 Information Overload
 Data smog describes the information-dense society that can cause
sensory overload
 Crowds out quiet moments and contemplation time
 The Computer Workstation
 Many employees spend entire day on a computer terminal
 Computer-related ailments
 Carpal tunnel syndrome
 Vision problems
 Fast growing organizational hazards focus attention on
ergonomics
 Ergonomics is the study of optimal work-area layout, lighting,
furniture design, machine structure, and task limits
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 Workstation-Related Technostress
 What is ergonomics?
 An applied science devoted to incorporate comfort, efficiency,
and safety into the design of items in the workplace
 Ergonomics is the study of the interaction between humans and
the working environment
 The science of fitting a work environment to the people
 It aims to promote the safety of workers.
 For example, making simple changes to work methods,
equipment and layout can help to prevent Occupational Overuse
Syndrome (OSS).
 Ergonomics includes:
 The design and adjustment of support furniture
 The immediate surroundings of light, noise and temperature

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 The scheduling of work loads. 1/7/2019
 Ergonomics
 When attention is paid to the ergonomic design of a workplace
there are many benefits, including:
 Increases in your work efficiency
 Decreases in errors due to fatigue
 Reduction of health and injury problems
 Increase in work satisfaction.
Ergonomic Hardware
 A variety of devices available that are designed to avoid physical
problems due to the use of a computer
 Ergonomic keyboards and trackballs  Keyboard drawers
 Document holders  Wrist supports
 Antiglare screens  Computer gloves
 Good user habits can also help avoid problems
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 Ergonomic Hardware

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 Ergonomics
 What is good Ergonomics?
 Proper seating  Glare and eye strain
 Proper alignment to work  Work breaks
 Height of VDT to employees view  Exercises

WORKSTATION
 The correct way of sitting when using a computer.
 Keyboard height: 23” to 28”
 Elbows at 90 degrees and arms and hands parallel to the floor
 Adjustable backrest
 Adjustable seat
 Feet flat on floor
 Adjustable height chair with 5 legs for stability

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 Workstation-Related Technostress
Sitting
correctly at a
workstation

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 Workstation-Related Technostress
Sitting
correctly at a
workstation

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 Workstation-Related Technostress
Sitting
correctly at a
workstation

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 Other Forms Technostress
 Expectations of immediate gratification with communication
response
 Guilt feelings not responding in time
 Stress responding to emails
 Pressure to update/refine online profiles
 Anxiety being alone/not connected
 Privacy concerns
Other aspects?
 Information Overload
 Boundaries
 Ethics
 Less Family Time
 Computer Dating
 Wi-Fi Stress
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Other aspects?  Generational Divide 1/7/2019
 Environment-Related Concerns
 What is green computing?
 Involves reducing the electricity and environmental wastes while
using a computer
 Computers use and often waste, resources such as electricity and
paper
 What can you do?
 Conserve
 Recycle
 Educate
 ENERGY STAR program
 Developed by the United States Department of Energy (DOE)
and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
 Encourages manufacturers to create energy–efficient devices that
require little power when they are not in use
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 Green Computing
 Use computer and devices that comply with the ENERGY
STAR program.
 Do not leave the computer running overnight.
 Turn off the monitor, printer, and other devices when not in
use.
 Use paperless methods to communicate
 Recycle paper
 Buy recycle paper
 Print paper in both sides
 Recycle toner cartridges
 Recycle old computers and printers
 Telecommute (save gas)
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 END

BT 410 LECTURE 03
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