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OFFICE HAZARDS

A person who works in an office would not be exposed to as many hazards as someone who works in a factory. However, unlike a factory worker, an office worker must sit for long periods. Using the correct posture is very important.

 

When office workers used typewriters, calculators and pens and pencils to do jobs, it was fairly easy to arrange things on the desk so that the worker could sit properly. When computers are involved it is not so easy.

 

The office worker must:

• look at the screen;
• look at the documents you must read from;
• use the keyboard;
• look at the keyboard (if necessary);
• use a mouse;
• use a telephone; and
• sit using the correct posture.

To help you sit using the correct posture, your employer should provide:

• A desk that is big enough to reach all of the things you need without over-reaching or twisting. If you use a computer, the desk should be at least 90cm deep, to enable you to look at the screen from a comfortable distance;
• A chair that provides good back support and which can be easily adjusted to a correct working height. (This usually means adjusting the height of the chair so that your elbows are the same height as the home row of keys on the keyboard.);
• A footstool, if your feet cannot rest comfortably on the floor when the chair is at the proper height.