Display Screen Equipment Training Protects Eyes

Display Screen Equipment Training Protects Eyes

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According to the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, every employee must have adequate health and safety training in the use of any workstation upon which he may be required to work. It also outlines the responsibilities employers have as regards the provision of eye tests and corrective measures.

It's a popular misconception that using a computer leads to poor eyesight; despite much research, no evidence has been found to link the two. The misunderstanding may arise from the fact that spending so much time focusing on words, images, etc can raise awareness of pre-existing eye conditions. Eyestrain, headaches and dry eyes can, however, be caused by extended computer use.

Poor lighting can also lead to eyestrain and headaches. Improperly low lighting and excessive glare can both cause problems, as your eyes struggle to compensate. Lighting should be appropriate for all tasks - for example reading the screen, typing, writing on paper and reading printed text. There should never be any bright, unshielded light directly in the eyes. An ideal position for the screen is at a right angle to the light.

Added to this, the quality of the display and the software can easily increase eyestrain, which may lead to headaches and migraine. Screens need to be clean and set up to be clear and easy to read, free from flicker and sharply focused, with screen brightness and contrast suitably adjusted - the characters on the screen should be clearly formed and of sufficient size and spacing, with text and background colours working well together.

Computer use can also put a strain on eyes as a result of staring for prolonged periods at the same point - the screen. In this case your eye muscles struggle to maintain position; any muscle held in one position for a long time will start to strain. It might sound stupid, but do remember to blink. Dry eye is a common problem amongst those who use computer screens for long periods because staring at a fixed point for a long time leads to your blink rate decreasing. If you don't blink, then you won't produce tears and your eyes will feel dry, gritty and sore.

Refocusing on a distant point for 20 seconds every 20 minutes will also help relieve eye strain. If you do experience any difficulties with your eyes or eyesight, report it to your employers immediately. Eyesight is one of the chief concerns of health and safety and your employers have a basic responsibility to safeguard it. Its true that computers are blamed for all sorts of illness and health problems but its usually the way they are being used that causes problems. Display Screen Equipment training is best conducted at one's own work station, so one can immediately see - and make ammendments to - those things which are causing problems.

About the Author:
We hope you found this article informative. It was written by Sarah Cushenan, an employee of The Interactive Health and Safety Company. iHASCO specialises in producing interactive Health and Safety training. To arrange further training on Display Screen Equipment and other courses.

For more information about DSE Training Course, visit: www.ihasco.co.uk



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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