Berbice Educational Institute

Electronic Document Preparation and Management

Computer Care and Safety
Lesson Four(4) Grade 10

General Care of the computer

Some guidelines for the general care of the computer include:

 Follow all the manufacturer’s instructions.

 Keep the computer, peripherals and work area dust free.
 Use a soft brush or feather duster to dust the monitor, keyboard, mouse,
system unit, scanner and other devices.
 Wipe screen and screen glass with a soft lint-free cloth that is slightly
moistened with screen cleaning liquid.
 Cover the computer and its peripherals with dust covers when the equipment
will not be used for a long period.
 Never eat or drink near the computer.

Safety
Safety standards are designed to minimize the risk of harm or injury. Three areas
of particular concern to computer users are as follows:

 Overloading electrical sockets: never overload electrical outlets as this can

damage your computer and create a fire hazard. Instead you should use a
surge-protector with multiple outlets to safeguard the equipment from
sudden changes in electrical voltage.

 Position of work stations: ensure that your computer is placed on a stable,

level surface. Protect the computer from excessive heat, moisture and
extended exposure to direct sunlight.

WRONG
 Location of extension cord: route all cords so that they do not cross
passageways. Ideally, the computer desk should be positioned 8-10 cm 04 3-
4 inches from the wall, adjacent to an electrical outlet, so that all cables will
be safely out of the way.
Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the science of designing the job, equipment and workplace to suit
the worker, to reduce fatigue, discomfort and injury. It includes:

 Workplace design such as office layout and size, seating, lighting and
ventilation.
 Furniture and equipment
 Work habits

Effects of extended use of computer

Repetitive strain Injuries occur when the muscles, tendons, nerves or other
tissues experience stress or strain because a task is performed repeatedly, such as
extended use of the computer.

Static Forces are pressures exerted on parts of the body that are caused by
maintaining the same position for a prolonged period of time. To help reduce the
effects of extended use you should:

 Take short breaks (10- 60 seconds) throughout the work day.

  Look away from your work, blink several times and flex and stretch your
muscle.
 Get out of your chair every 20 to 40 minutes.
 Alternate tasks if possible in order to avoid having overly long periods of
the same activity.

Lighting

Inadequate lightening can cause headaches and eye strains.

 The lights should be bright enough for you to see properly, without causing
glare or discomfort.
 The computer should be positioned so that light does not shine directly into
your eyes or reflect off the screen.
 If it is not possible to reduce the amount of light, an anti-glare filter should
be pleased over the screen.

Furniture

Inappropriate furniture can cause discomfort and pain in the back, neck, shoulders,
arms and wrists.
  Your chair should be comfortable with adjustable height, lower–back
support and adjustable armrests.
 Your desk should be wide enough so that you can position you monitor 60-
75 cm or 24-30 inches away from your eyes or approximately an arm’s
length away from your body.
 The height of the desk should allow your shoulders to be relaxed and to hang
naturally. You should use a desk with a keyboard tray for typing.
 The surface should be non-reflective to maintain glare.

Posture

Bad posture can cause muscular aches and pains.

 Sit with your back erect and your shoulders down and back.
 Do not be stiff or tense, relax, but do not slump.
 Adjust the chair height so that your knees bend at a 90o angle. Your thighs
should be horizontal and your feet should rest firmly on the ground.
 Your keyboard should be positioned so that your upper arms will hang
naturally at your sides. Your forearms should be parallel with the keyboard.
Your wrists should be straight.
 Avoid posture that require extended stretching, twisting or unnatural
curvature of the spine.
Utilities
Utilities are programs that are intended to recover data and manipulate disk files.
Antivirus programs are designed to search for and remove virus programs.

A Virus is a program this is designed to destroy files and corrupt a hard drive.
There are three ways of acquiring a computer virus:

 It can be attached to an email

 It can come on a flash drive that was used on an infected computer
 It can be on your computer when you download files from the website.

Some antivirus programs check programs while they are being installed and warn
of potentially harmful actions, Antivirus programs are a useful safeguard. New
viruses are created constantly so you should follow these guidelines:

 If you receive an email from someone you do not know and it had an
attachment DO NOT OPEN IT.
 Avoid interchanging storage media between computers.
 Do not insert flash drives and diskettes from unreliable sources
 Use antivirus software to scan all media before copying or opening files
from them, or starting your computer from them.
 Do not visit unsecure websites.
 Always get the latest antivirus programs.

Important Reminders

To ensure personal health and safety, follow these guidelines:

 Use a properly designed computer desk with a built in tray to hold the
keyboard and mouse.
 Select a comfortable chair with adjustable height, lower-back support and
adjustable armless.
 Position your monitor 24-30 inches or 60-70 cm away from your eyes or
approximately an arm’s length away from the body.
 Look away from the screen and blink your eyes every few minutes to reduce
the risk of eyestrain.
 Take frequent breaks away from the computer