1. Computer Related
Health Hazards
PRESENTED BY:-
VISHAL CHATURANI
BSc engg.
d,ayalbagh
educational
institue

2. Topics Covered
• Repetitive Strain Injuries
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Eye Strains
• Internet Addiction
• Stress and Depression
• Ergonomics
Page 2

3. Repetitive
Strain Injuries
(RSI)
Page 3

4. Others names for RSI
• Work related upper limb disorder(WHO)
• Occupational overuse syndrome(NZ)
• Cumulative trauma disorder(USA)
• Computer related injuries(CSI)

5. RSI Facts and figures
• OSHA estimates over 7000,000 RSI’s occur every
year.
• 15-20% of computers users throughout the world
may have estimated RSI .
• 3 out of 5 office workers in Sweden have
symptoms of RSI.
• Every day 6 people in uk have to leave their job
due to RSI

6. DID YOU KNOW?
• 75% of Indian computers users report
pain/numbness
• Over 30 young Indians IT/ITES professionals have
lost their jobs because of advanced RSI
• 55% of Indian computer users got injured within a
year of starting their first job

7. A dangerous occupation: This is also dangerous:
As a typical computer user, you “walk”
several miles each day on your fingertips
(250 keystrokes / min) * (2 in / keystroke) * 4 hours = 2 miles

8. What is RSI?
 Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
 is pain or nerve problems in upper extremity (hands, arms, or shoulders)
 can also include neck and back
 is a soft tissue disease (muscles and nerves)
 is an overuse syndrome
 Symptoms:
 tightness, discomfort, stiffness,
 soreness or burning in the hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, or
elbow.
 pain that wakes you up at night; tingling, coldness or numbness
in the hands,
 and loss of strength and coordination in the hands

9. Repetition Of Tasks
Too Much Stress
Other soft
Muscles Tendons Nerves
tissues
RSI

12.  (CTS) is caused when median nerves that
controls the functioning of the hands and
fingers become compressed inside a “tunnel”
made up of the wrist bones, or carpals.
Median Nerve
Compressed
Free Powerpoint Templates Page 12

13. Symptoms of CTS injury
• Pain and discomfort
• Numbness and coldness in the
hands
• Loss of strength and/or joint
movement
• Swelling and stiffness in the hands
• The need to massage your
hands, wrists and arms
• Heaviness & even disturbs sleep.

14. Reasons for CTS injury
 Long hours in the keyboard, especially those that type more
than four hours
 Lack of circulation in the muscles that prevents nutrients and
oxygen to reach the tissues
 Inadequate rest and breaks
 Poor posture including the sitting, placement of hands on the
keyboard and proper height of the keyboard
 Poor diet (lack of vitamins)

16. CTS Treatment
• Rest, rest and more rest
• Use of a wrist brace or splint
• Take medication like ibuprofen
• Take vitamins
• Keep hands warm, take
breaks, exercise your hands and arms
• Use your knowledge of ergonomics
• Surgery should be your last retreat if
everything else fails

17. Eye Strains
• Eye strain is the single largest complaint of
computer users causing
soreness, irritation, blurred vision, redness
and dryness of the eyes.
Page 17

18. Reasons for this injury
 Bad monitor resolution, flickering, or glare at the monitor
 Poor lighting conditions in the computer room
 distance between eye and screen readability of the screen
 Electromagnetic radiation emitted by the CRT (UVA)
 Staring at anything for a long period of time.
 Loss of negative ions in the atmosphere due to
electrostatic charges on the face of the CRT

19. Symptoms of Eye Strains
 Impaired vision, double vision and blurred vision
 Difficulty in looking at one point for a period of time
 Itchy dry eyes and discomfort while looking at the VDT
 Headaches
 Eye fatigue that can have serious
impact later in life
 watering and other sensations
are eye problems associated with
computer maneuverings

20. Eye Strain Treatment
 Use your knowledge of ergonomics
 Take breaks when you feel strained
 Use your laptop when possible because the monitor emits less
radiation
 Use a monitor that holds a steady image without flickering.
 Use the zooming function to improve readability
 The screen should be kept 18-30 inches from ones eyes or about
an arm’s length.

21. Internet Addiction
• Use Internet every day without days off
• Loosing track of time while surfing the Net.
• Denial of high usage.
• 51% of Internet addicts suffer severe job impairment
• 58% get addicted within the first 12 months of Internet
usage
• Web addicts display similar brain changes to those
addicted to drugs or alcohol.

23. Discomgoogolatio
n
• It is defined as feeling of distress or anxiety when unable to gain
immediate information access.
• Derived from “discombobulate” which means illusion and
”Google”
• The internet users suffer from distress or anxiety when unable
to get connected to the Internet.
• They felt frustrated and
confused whilst unable to get
online.
• Some had higher stress levels.

24.  Use internet only when necessary.
 Try to have account on only one of the social
networking sites.
 Indulge in other hobbies.
 Take care of time while chatting.
 If still suffered by online mania ,
consult psychologist.
 There is even an anti-facebook
blog called sickfacebook.com to
discuss issues.

25. Stress and Depression
• Computer operators experience more stress than
any other occupational group the National
Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has
studied
Page 25

26. Other Computer Related Health
Hazards
 Back problems (pain) caused from the efforts of the muscle
to hold your posture for long periods of time
 Skin rashes that are caused from the static fields in front of
the screen causing ions and pollutants in the air to become
positively charged and attach themselves to your negatively
charged skin (especially in low humidity)
 Abnormal reproductive outcomes due to electromagnetic
radiation's affects on biological functions and biochemical
processes inside our cells
 Cancer and leukemia (?)
 Skin aging (?)

27. Advantages of RSI

28. ERGONOMICS
 Derived from the Greek words ergon(work) and
nomos(natural laws). Combined, it means THE LAWS
OF WORK.

29. ERGONOMICS IN EVERDAY
APPLICATIONS

30. WORKSTATION

31. The required adjustability to achieve an
ergonomically correct computer
workstation
1. The top of your monitor should be at eye level,
and directly centered in front of you. It should
be about an arm's length in front of you.
2. Your desk surface should be at roughly belly
button level. When your arms are placed on the
desk, your elbows should be at a ~90 degree
angle, just below the desk surface. The armrests of
your chair should be at nearly the same level as the
desk surface to support your elbows.

32. 3. Your feet should be flat on the floor with your
knees at a ~90 degree angle. Your seat should not
be pressing into the back of your knees; if
necessary, tilt it slightly forward to alleviate any
knee pressure. Sit fully back in your chair, with
your back and shoulders straight and supported
by the back of the chair.
4. When typing, your wrists should be in line with
your forearms and not bent up, down, or to the side.
Your keyboard should be directly centered in front of
you. Other frequently used items should be
nearby, within arm's reach.

34. RSI
May be worse than you think
Prevent
It before it causes permanent
DAMAGE

35. THANK
YOU