Are computers bad for your health?

Computers have been in the workplace now for over 40 years now. If you think about it, nearly every organisation you can think of relies on their IT to a certain extent and  cannot think of one company I have worked with that didn't have a computer in the office.

On average how long do we spend on our computers? Let's take a look at my job as an example. I  worked for an IT Support company in London, on average I used to spend at least 9 hours a day in front of a pc with very little change to get up and stretch my legs (anyone working in IT will sympathise with this) so I can speak from 1st hand experience of the effects working with computers has.  

Eyes.

I think for myself, the eyes have been hit worst. Before I worked with pcs my eyes used to be razor sharp, but in the 5 years I have worked in IT I have noticed a big deterioration in my eyesight. Some of this can be accounted for my age as I have now turned 30 but taking into account what my eyes were like before, a lot of it can be put down to my work.

 

I wonder if there is a statistic available that details the average amount of office workers that have to wear glasses? either way I believe that your eyes are one of the most affected areas in an office environment.

The HSE website gives guidelines on display screen equipment to use in the office. I have added a link to their site below.

Back.

Is sitting down all day bad for your back? I am not so sure. the only time I ever had a back injury was when I used to lift railway sleepers! (but I asked for that to be honest) I can honestly say that I have never experienced back problems related to my office job, but obviously there are a lot of people out there that have. I think a lot of it has to do with the type of desk you work at and the seat you use, if you sit on a wooden chair all day then expect to get a sore back, get an ergonomic chair and it will make all the difference.

Neck.

Again this has a lot to do with the position that you work in. My neck hurts if I work with my chair set to high and I have to look down at the screen. If you have a bad neck then make sure that you line of sight is level with your monitor.

RSI.

The definition of RSI is "a diagnosis used for hand and arm pain that is believed to be caused by chronic misuse of these body parts". RSI is one of the biggest health problems to office workers but is there really much we can do about it? I believe that ergonomic keywords and mice can only help you so much and RSI to a degree is something we just have to expect at some point.

Lack of Exercise.

Many office workers spend at least 8 hours a day sitting in front of a machine which means that although your mind is getting exercise, your body isn't. How many office workers genuinely get enough exercise after a day at the office? In the fast world we live in a lot of us don't make enough time to exercise, and from all the examples listed, this one will ultimately have the biggest effect on our health.

Summarise.

Looking back I should have called this hub "is working with computers bad for your health? " because it's not the machines causing us damage, it's using them.

Regular breaks and regular exercise, together with the correct office environment will keep us going. At the end of the nay we are naturally hunter gatherers and sitting at a desk all day isn't natural, we just have to make the best of it.

Resources.

IT Support London based company I used to work for. I loved my work but glad I have gone back to something more manual.

HSE website. Detailing health and safety at work.