Applying Occupational Health and Safety Procedures

Outline
● Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)
● Definitions
● Objectives
● Occupational Hazards
● Ergonomic Principles and Practices in ICT
● OHS Procedures for Computer hardware
● Basic Display Cleaning
● LED & LCD Display Disinfection

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)

● Related to health of worker and impact on the environment
● Developed in response to social, political, technological and economic changes
● Components
○ Industrial hygiene
○ Industrial Disease
○ Industrial Accidents
○ Industrial Hazards
○ Industrial Rehabilitation
○ Occupational Psychology

Definition
● Occupational Health is the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social wellbeing
of the workers
● Hazard is something that can cause harm if not controlled
● Occupational disease is disease directly caused by a person’s occupation

Objectives
● To maintain and promote the physical, mental and social well being of the workers
● To prevent occupational diseases and injuries
● To adapt the workplace and work environment to the needs of the workers i.e. application of ergonomics principles
● To prevent incidents rather than curing

Occupational Hazards
● Physical Hazards
○ Heat, Cold, Light, Noise, Vibration, radiation
● Chemical Hazards
○ Acids, Bases, Heavy Metals, Solvents, Particulates, Fumes
● Biological Hazards
○ Bacteria, Virus, Fungi, Insects, Hazardous pants, Birds, Animals
● Psychological Hazards
○ Psychological and behavioural changes
■ Frustration, Lack of job satisfaction, Insecurity, Poor human relation, Emotional tension, Absenteeism
○ Psychosomatic ill health
■ Depression, Rapid aging, Heart diseases
● Mechanical Hazards

Ergonomic Principles and Practices in ICT

● Prolonged use of computer can lead to muscle aches and nerve pains
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● Need to follow guidelines
● This leads to working more comfortably and safely

Posture and Positioning

● Maintain a good posture (Utilize a chair with back support)
● Keep the feet supported on the floor or on a footrest
● Avoid twisting or bending trunk or neck
○ Keep frequently used items in front
● Keep shoulders relaxed with elbows close
● Avoid resting elbows on hard surfaces
● Elbows should be kept at 100 to 110 degrees
● Keep the wrists in a neutral or straight position when using keyboard or mouse
● Take breaks

Work Technique
● Reduce keystrokes with the use of macros or sticky keys
● Adjust the working position to avoid making same movements repeatedly
● Keep the fingers and knuckles relaxed when working with keyboard
● Never hold an object in the hand while keying
● Avoid hitting the keyboard with excessive force
● Avoid holding the pointing device too tightly
● Give rest to the eyes by focusing on far away objects in between

Work Environment
● Avoid excessive reaching
● Use a keyboard tray to properly position keyboard and mouse
● Use copyholder positioned inline with monitor and keyboard
● Position the monitor in such a way that the neck is in a neutral position
● Position the monitor in a way it can eliminate excessive glare
● Keep the top of the monitor slightly below the eye level
● Customize the computer in a convenient way
● Adjust font, brightness, contrast, pointer size, speed, color

Lifestyle
● Aerobic exercise will help to sustain strength
● Do not use non-prescribed medicines
● Take rest

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 OHS Procedures for Computer hardware
● Do not work alone
● Take away any liquid in working area
● Be careful with tools that may cause short circuit
● Always ground or discharge before touching any part of the computer
● Do not use excessive force
● Clean the area
● Hold the components by the edge
● Always wear PPE
● Make sure the pins are properly aligned
● Have contingency measures
● Use brush, compressed air or blower

Basic Display Cleaning

● Power off the display and unplug
● Fill a spray bottle with a solution of 50/50 % distilled water and isopropyl rubbing alcohol
● Dampen a lint-free microfiber cloth with solution
○ Do not spray the display directly
● Wipe down all the display surfaces with the dampened cloth
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● Let the display dry completely at the room temperature
● Reconnect the power

LED & LCD Display Disinfection

● Follow the same procedure as a basic display cleaning
● Increase the ratio of alcohol to 70%
● It's not recommended to use other household disinfectants like bleach
○ This could degrade display
○ Degraded viewing experience

LED & LCD Display Disinfection

● Follow the same procedure as a basic display cleaning
● Increase the ratio of alcohol to 70%
● It's not recommended to use other household disinfectants like bleach
○ This could degrade display
○ Degraded viewing experience

Q&A
● Why do we need an OHS procedures?
● What is a Hazard?
● What is an Occupational Disease?
● What are the types of occupational hazards?
● Give two examples of psychological hazards.
● Give two techniques that can be applied to work technique as safety procedures.
● Why should the cloth used to clean the display be lint-free?