Occupational health and safety
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When using your laptop, you need to minimise the potential safety and health hazards associated with using it.
Here are some of the potential injuries that can occur:
- Occupational overuse syndrome (also known as repetitive strain injury) is a result of sustained unnatural postures and/or prolonged tension on muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues.
- Eye strain can occur after straining to view details on small screens in environments where there is poor lighting, glare or reflection.
- Manual handling strain may happen when carrying laptops for extended periods and/or lifting them out of awkward spaces.
- Strain may aggravate an existing injury.
The Occupational Health and Safety contact office for the department is:
Risk and Continuity Services Internal Audit
Phone: (07) 3235 4447
Fax: (07) 3235 4650
Posture tips
It is important to adopt a good posture when working on a laptop. There are several practices that can be adopted to help to ensure good posture is maintained. They are:
- using an external monitor, mouse and/or keyboard wherever possible
- attaching the laptop to a docking station. This allows the monitor to be adjusted to the correct height for the operator
- setting the keyboard at the correct height rather than the screen. This can be achieved by placing the laptop computer on a desk at a height where the elbows are at 90 degrees and the wrists kept straight
- adopting the best possible posture
- sitting in a comfortable chair at a desk when ever possible
- taking frequent rest breaks (at least every 20 minutes but more often if the setup is not optimal) to allow eyes and muscles to recuperate
- limiting the use of the laptop to a maximum of 2 hours in any session
- considering using a trolley or backpack to carry the laptop.
Image courtesy of EQ Organisational Health Unit
Preventing eye strain
Eye strain and headaches can be caused by the constant viewing of small objects on a small screen, incorrect monitor position, and glare or reflections from lighting sources.
The risk of eye strain can be reduced by ensuring that you:
- work in environments free from glare or reflection
- have adequate lighting
- increase font size for comfortable viewing
- use a standard computer monitor at a docking station where possible
- position the monitor at a comfortable viewing distance
- take frequent rest breaks. An old but valid idea is the 20/20 rule which states 'every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away (approx 6 metres) for 20 seconds'
- regularly blink to lubricate your eyes
- appropriately adjust the monitor colours and/or contrasts and alter the touchpad or mouse settings.
