Mobile devices have freed us from our desks and enabled us to travel and work anywhere. This freedom presents challenges to health and safety. Problems can be divided into two main areas (1) use and comfort of the user and (2) the range of environments in which mobile devices can be used.
Posture
Avoid slouching and sitting forward in a slouched position.
Try not to put the laptop on the edge of the desk as this causes you to look down and put your head and neck in a poor position.
Check your posture at regular intervals – you may start in a good position but change once you become engrossed in your work.
Try not to lean or bend to one side as this can put strain on your lower back.
If you have screen glare move away to a spot where there is little
reflection and adjust your screen brightness. Try not to sit with your back to,
or face a window. Keep your screen clean with a dry cloth or screen cleaner.
Smart Phone. Smart Posture
Your head weighs about 4.5 kilograms, and by dropping your neck to look at a mobile device all that weight pulls on the muscles in your neck and shoulders, causing strain and harmful tension.
When you use your phone try and keep your neck as upright as possible, by lowering your eyes or raising the phone to head height rather than bending your neck.
Wrists and Mouse Work
Avoid sitting too high or too low to minimise the risk of strain injuries. Ensure that your forearms are roughly horizontal to avoid bending your wrists upwards and downwards when using the keyboard.
Use a height adjustable chair when available to achieve this.
Always try to use a mouse, pen or touch pad so that your hand and fingers are relaxed.
Lifting and Handling
Always try to carry the laptop in a bag with a padded shoulder strap.
Try to avoid taking hard copies of documents that may already be stored on your laptop.
Inspection of hardware
Check laptop leads and plugs visually before you connect it and don’t use them if they look damaged.
YOUR HEALTH
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Common Problems |
Common Solutions |
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Tingling, pain or numbness in fingers of thumbs? |
Are you working with your wrists bent? You might be sitting too high or too low. |
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Stiffness or an aching neck |
Check the height of your monitor. Your eyes should be very roughly level with the top of the casing. |
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Pain, swelling, tenderness and redness of hand, wrist and or forearm |
Are you carrying out repetitive tasks for long, uninterrupted periods? Take short and frequent breaks when carrying out repetitive tasks. |
Further information and reporting
If you experience any ill-health symptoms (aches, pains) please report them to the Medical Centre. Persistent symptoms should be reported to ICT Technical Support to allow alternative solutions to be considered.
If you need any further advice or information contact your Health and Safety Adviser which is currently Mrs Adams, or the schools IT Operational Manager which is currently Persham Jones.