COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME

Computer Vision Syndrome, also referred to as digital eyestrain, includes a group of vision-related problems that result from prolonged computer, tablet, e-reader and smartphone use.

Maybe your job requires hours of work at a computer. Maybe you like to spend your free time surfing the internet. Whatever the reason, your body is feeling the effects of spending too much time logged on — dry eyes, tired eyes, headaches, neck pain, blurred vision. 

Six Steps to Reduce CVS:

1. Keep blinking. It washes your eyes in naturally therapeutic tears.

2. Get the right light - Good lighting isn’t just flattering – it’s healthy for your eyes. So, keep bright lighting overhead to a minimum. Keep your desk lamp shining on your desk, not you. Try to keep window light off to the side, rather than in front or behind you. Use blinds and get a glare screen. Position the computer screen to reduce reflections from windows or overhead lights.

3. Remember 20-20-20 - Every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds looking at something 20 feet away, minimum.

4. Wear those computer glasses - Your doctor can prescribe a pair of eyeglasses just for viewing the computer screen well. If necessary, wear the appropriate corrective lenses while at the computer.

5. Monitor your monitor - Keep it at least 20 inches from your eyes. Center should be about 4 to 6 inches below your eyes. Also, make sure it’s big enough and with just the right brightness and contrast.  Adjust the screen so you look at it slightly downward and are about 24 to 28 inches away. Adjust the screen settings to where they are comfortable — contract polarity, resolution, flicker, etc.

6. Talk to your doctor - During your eye exam, your eye doctor can check for more than just computer vision problems. He will look for signs of health conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. It’s an important part of your overall health routine.

FALL PROTECTION AT WORK

Fall protection is the backup system planned for a worker, who could lose his or her balance at height, in order to control or eliminate the risk of falling.

All fall protection products fit into four functional categories:

1. Fall Arrest
2. Positioning
3. Suspension
4. Retrieval

Fall Arrest
A fall arrest system is required if any risk exists that a worker may fall from an elevated position, as a general rule, the fall arrest system should be used anytime a working height of six feet or more is reached. Working height is the distance from the walking/working surface to a grade or lower level. A fall arrest system will only come into service should a fall occur. A full-body harness with a shock-absorbing lanyard or a retractable lifeline is the only product recommended. A full-body harness distributes the forces throughout the body, and the shock-absorbing lanyard decreases the total fall arresting forces.


Positioning
This system holds the worker in place while keeping his/her hands free to work. Whenever the worker leans back, the system is activated. However, the personal positioning system is not specifically designed for fall arrest purposes.


Suspension
This equipment lowers and supports the worker while allowing a hands-free work environment, and is widely used in window washing and painting industries. This suspension system components are not designed to arrest a free fall, a backup fall arrest system should be used in conjunction with the suspension system.
















Retrieval
Pre-planning for retrieval in the event of a fall should be taken into consideration when developing a proactive fall management program.

5 STEPS TO RISK ASSESSMENT

 1. Identify the hazards
Take a walk through your workplace to identify hazards. You will want to observe employees completing their daily tasks in order to identify additional risks and to see if there could be an easier way for them to complete tasks. It’s important to talk to your employees colleagues while conducting your assessment because they are the ones who will have the best feedback regarding issues that may not be as obvious to you.

2. Decide who could be harmed and in what way

Establish groups that are affected by the risks and hazards you identified in your search. To see the bigger picture, understand that there are groups outside of your workplace that might be harmed if corrective action is not taken. Record the ways that they could be harmed if the hazard or risk is not corrected and review the list with your employees or colleagues to see if there is anything else they have to add.

3. Establish Control Measures

Risk is a part of everyday life and you are not expected to eliminate all risks. What you must do is make sure you know about the main risks and the things you need to do to manage them responsibly. Generally, you need to do everything 'reasonably practicable'. This means balancing the level of risk against the measures needed to control the real risk in terms of money, time or trouble. Look at what you're already doing, and the control measures you already have in place. Ask yourself:

• Can I get rid of the hazard altogether?
• If not, how can I control the risks so that harm is unlikely?

4. Record the findings of your assessment and inform those at risk of the controls

Make a record of your significant findings - the hazards, how people might be harmed by them and what you have in place to control the risks. Any record produced should be simple and focused on controls. Report your findings and proposed solutions to all employees. It might also be a good time to provide some additional training regarding any changes to procedures, updates to your health and safety policy and to provide a “refresher” session to employees to remind them that they have their responsibilities in ensuring a safe workplace.

5. Review the Risk Assessment on a regular basis

Few workplaces stay the same. Sooner or later, you will bring in new equipment, substances and procedures that could lead to new hazards. So it makes sense to review what you are doing on an ongoing basis, look at your risk assessment again and ask yourself:

• Have there been any significant changes?
• Are there improvements you still need to make?
• Have your workers spotted a problem?
• Have you learnt anything from accidents or near misses?

Make sure your risk assessment stays up to date.