Occupational health hazards of IT professionals As a typical computer user, you “walk” several miles each day on your fingertips !!

1. Occupational Health Hazards of
IT Professionals
PRESENTED BY:-
Dr. Kiran Kamble

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

3. A dangerous occupation…….

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

7. Page 7
Repetitive Strain
Injuries (RSI)

8. What is RSI?
 Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
 occur from repeated physical movements doing damage to
tendons, nerves, muscles, and other soft tissues in upper
extremity (hands, arms, or shoulders)
 associated with repetitive tasks and awkward positions.
 is an overuse syndrome
 Symptoms:
 soreness or burning in the hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, or
elbow.
 Stiffness & discomfort,
 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
Muscles Tendons Nerves
Other soft
tissues
RSI

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

11. RSI Facts and figures
• OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health
Administration) estimates over 7 million RSI cases
occur every year in USA.
• It is estimated that 15-20% of computers users
throughout the world may have RSI .

12. Indian Scenario
• 75% of computers users in India report
pain/numbness in upper extremity ( Giri 2010).
• 55% of computer users got affected with RSI within
a year of their first job ( Sharma 2006).

14. Free Powerpoint Templates Page 14
 (CTS) is caused when median nerve that
controls the functioning of the hands and
fingers become compressed inside a “ Capal
Tunnel”.
Median Nerve
Compressed

15. • Carpal tunnel is a space in the wrist where
the median nerve and nine tendons pass
from the forearm into the hand

16. Symptoms of CTS injury
• pain in the wrist
• numbness
• tingling and burning sensations
• wasting of the muscles at the base
of the wrist
• swelling of the wrist and hand
• loss of ability to grasp items,
impaired thumb and finger
dexterity.

17. Reasons for CTS injury
 Long hours in the keyboard, especially those that type
more than four hours
 Inadequate rest and breaks
 Poor posture including placement of hands on the
keyboard and proper height of the keyboard
 Poor diet (lack of vitamins & minerals)

19. CTS Treatment
• Rest, rest and more rest
• Use of a wrist brace or splint
• Medications like ibuprofen, diclofenac
• Keep hands warm, take breaks,
exercise your hands and arms
• Surgery should be last option, if
everything else fails

20. Eyes Strain
• Eyes strain is the most frequent complaint of
computer users causing soreness, irritation,
blurred vision, redness and dryness of the eyes.
• A group of eye and vision-related problems-
Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)
• According to the National Institute of Occupational
Safety and Health, computer vision syndrome
affects around 90% of the people who spend three
hours or more a day at a computer.

21. Symptoms of CVS
 Blurred vision or double vision (diplopia)
 Itchy dry eyes and discomfort
 Headache
 Redness in the eyes
 Eye fatigue

22. Reasons for CVS
 Bad monitor resolution, flickering, or glare at the monitor
 Poor lighting conditions in the computer room
 Improper distance between eye and screen
 Staring at computer screen for a long period of time.

23. CVS Treatment
 Take breaks when you feel strained
 20/20/20 rule
 Blink/refocus eyes regularly
 Avoid glare
 Adjust monitor’s brightness and contrast
 Keep screen clear from dust
 The screen should be kept 18-30 inches from ones
eyes or about an arm’s length.
 Use the zooming function to improve readability

24. Page 24
Stress and Depression
• According to a study done by National Institute of
Occupational Safety and Health, Computer
operators experience more stress than any other
occupational group.

25. Stress and Depression
 British psychologists (Leeds University ) have found a
linkage between excessive computer use and depression.
Prevention
• Limiting computer use, especially on the Internet,
during non-work hours
• Exercise
• Breathing methods, meditation or yoga
• Consult doctor if you experience symptoms such as
extended tiredness and disinterest in things you
normally enjoy

26. Insomnia
• Many IT workers work on computer late till the
evening.
• Staring at an illuminated screen before bedtime
can limit the body’s production of melatonin
hormone.
• Can lead to memory problems, irritability and
depression.

27. Preventive
Strategies

28.  ERGO=“work”
 NOMICS= “rules” or “laws”
 Ergonomics literally means
“the laws of work”

29.  OSHA defines ergonomics as the science
of
“designing the job to fit the worker, instead
of forcing the worker to fit the job.”

30. ERGONOMICS IN EVERDAY
APPLICATIONS

31. WORKSTATION
Picture 1 Picture 2

32. 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.
The required adjustability to achieve an
ergonomically correct computer
workstation

33. 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.

35. VIDEO

36. Exercises for the office
 One of the biggest injury risk factors is static posture.
 Try to spend at least 5 minutes every hour away from your computer.
 Remember to ONLY stretch to the point of mild tension.
 Try to incorporate the stretches into your daily routine.
Hand Exercises
 Tightly clench your hand into a fist and release, fanning out the fingers. Repeat
3 times

37. Back and Shoulder Exercises
 Stand up straight, place your right hand on your left shoulder and move
your head back gently. Do the same thing for the right shoulder

38. Head and Neck Exercises
 Move head sideways from left to right and back to left
 Move head backwards and then forward

39. Computer and Desk Stretches …
 Sitting at a computer for long periods often cause neck and shoulder
stiffness and occasionally lower back pain. Do these stretches every
hour or so throughout the day or whenever you feel still. Also be sure to
get up and walk around the office whenever you think of it. You’ll feel
better.

40. Conclusion
“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself,
art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth
becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.”
― Herophilus
Lets keep our health, to enjoy our wealth

41. Key References
 Giri P A (2010), “Computer related health problems among occupational
computer users: A cross-sectional study”, Australasian Medical Journal
 Sharma A K, Khera S and Khandekar J (2006), “Occupational health
problems and role of ergonomics in information technology
professionals in national capital region”, Indian Journal of Community
Medicine
 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) official website
https://www.osha.gov
 The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
official website http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/

42. Thank you