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GAZETTF
OCTOBER 1992
Are You Si tt ing Comfor tably . . .?
Henry C. Barry
by Henry G Barry
An EC Health and Safety
Framework directive will impose
obligations on employers of staff
who operate VDUs, to comply with
rigorous standards of ergonomics.
1\vo hundred metres underground in
a disused section of a salt mine in
Cheshire, England, there is a testing
laboratory for ICL's complete
product range where exhaustive tests
measure the electromagnetic
conformance of the equipment to
make sure that it will comply not
only with EC directive 87/391/EEC
( " The Framework Directive") but
also with seven satellite directives
together wtih approximately 30
drafts on health and safety currently
being discussed. The fact that ICL
has invested over £lm in the project
is indicative of how seriously the
company regards not only the
directive itself but future directives
dealing with emissions from network
cabling, printers, modems, and office
equipment generally.
By 31 December, 1992 all newly
purchased computer equipment must
meet the directive's stringent
requirements. Existing equipment
must be brought up to the directive's
requirements by employers within
four years after that date.
However, before the reader becomes
too complacent, it should be said
that even now before national
legislation in the UK and in this
country has implemented the
directives relating to health and
safety at work, claims for damages
for injuries at work associated with
VDU operation are increasing, and
nobody can afford to risk being
sued. In the UK recently a Midland
Bank employee,
Pauline Burnard,
received £45,000 damages in an out-
of-court settlement after she was
unable to work as a result of
shooting pains in both arms. 7\velve
British Tfelecom employees have
mounted actions against British
Telecom. The National
Telecommunications Union is
bringing another 83 claims. The
General Municipal and Boilermakers
Union has approximately 1,000 cases
lined up and the Inland Revenue
Staff Federation is processing 40
cases while the Civil and Public
Service Association has 90 cases in
the pipeline.
It is only a matter of time before the
first Irish case comes to court.
The incidence of stress, postural and
musculo-skeletal problems, eyestrain
and headaches among employees is
increasing. Under the Framework
Directive employers have until the
end of this year to analyse the health,
and safety risks of "workstations".
The Framework Directive refers to an
individual's 'workstation' which is
defined as "an assembly comprising
of display screen equipment, which
may be provided with a keyboard or
input device and/or software
determining the operator/machine
interface".
The scope of the Directive is very
wide, covering furniture, computers,
keyboards, software, environment
factors such as lighting, heating,
ventilation, noise, humidity,
radiation, space planning, display-
related work routines and practices,
health and safety training, eyesight
checks, and the provision of glasses
by employers. Incidentally the term
workstation includes VDUs (which
are now called 'DSEs' (display screen
equipment).
Pending the translation of the
Framework Directive and satellite
directives into national legislation,
how is the potential buyer of
computers and other office
equipment to know what to buy and
do to avoid being caught out? The
Directive lists minimum requirements
for the components of a
workstation.
Screens
Characters should be clear, sharp,
well-spaced and adequately sized.
The image must be stable and not
flicker and it must be easy for the
user to adjust brightness and
contrast. All screens must have a tilt
and swivel base and must be free
from reflective glare.
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