The Computer User's Survival Guide: Staying Healthy in a High Tech World
296
The Computer User's Survival Guide: Staying Healthy in a High Tech World
296eBook
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Overview
You probably suspect, on some level, that computers might be hazardous to your health. You might vaguely remember a study that you read years ago about miscarriages being more frequent for data entry operators. Or you might have run into a co-worker wearing splints and talking ominously about Workers' Comp insurance. Or you might notice that when you use a computer too long, you get stiff and your eyes get dry.But who wants to worry about such things? Surely, the people wearing splints must be malingerers who don't want to work? Surely, the people who design keyboards and terminals must be working to change their products if they are unsafe? Surely, so long as you're a good worker and keep your mind on your job, nothing bad will happen to you?The bad news is: You can be hurt by working at a computer. The good news is that many of the same factors that pose a risk to you are within your own control. You can take action on your own to promote your own health -- whether or not your terminal manufacturer, keyboard designer, medical provider, safety trainer, and boss are working diligently to protect you.The Computer User's Survival Guide looks squarely at all the factors that affect your health on the job, including positioning, equipment, work habits, lighting, stress, radiation, and general health.Through this guide you will learn:
- a continuum of neutral postures that you can at utilize at different work tasks
- how radiation drops off with distance and what electrical equipment is responsible for most exposure
- how modern office lighting is better suited to working on paper than on a screen, and what you can do to prevent glare
- simple breathing techniques and stretches to keep your body well oxygenated and relaxed, even when you sit all day
- how reading from a screen puts unique strains on your eyes and what kind of vision breaks will keep you most productive and rested
- what's going on "under the skin" when your hands and arms spend much of the day mousing and typing, and how you can apply that knowledge to prevent overuse injuries The Computer User's Survival Guide is not a book of gloom and doom. It is a guide to protecting yourself against health risks from your computer, while boosting your effectiveness and your enjoyment of work.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781449399672 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | O'Reilly Media, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 10/01/1995 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 296 |
| File size: | 5 MB |
Table of Contents
Dedication; Preface; About the Audience; Who’s Responsible for What?; How to Use This Book; We’d Like to Hear From You; Acknowledgments; The Basics; Chapter 1: Where Do You Begin?; 1.1 Know What You’re Looking For; 1.2 Take a Holistic Approach; 1.3 Start Where You Are; Chapter 2: Get Comfortable; 2.1 Good Posture Is Something You Feel; 2.2 Find What’s Neutral for You; 2.3 Support Your Body; 2.4 Support Your Arms; 2.5 Support Your Feet; 2.6 Move Through the Postures; 2.7 Posture and Laptop Computers; Chapter 3: Customize Your Work Area; 3.1 Make Adjustments; 3.2 Position Your Equipment; 3.3 Arrange Your Work Materials; 3.4 Fit into the General Work Environment; Chapter 4: Be Aware of Your Body; 4.1 Practice Body Awareness; 4.2 Understand Pain; Chapter 5: Breathe; 5.1 Learn How You Breathe; 5.2 Try Different Ways of Breathing; Chapter 6: Take Care of Yourself; 6.1 Exercise; 6.2 Stretches; 6.3 Self-Massage; Repetitive Strain Injury; Chapter 7: RSI Is Real; 7.1 Why Us, Why Now?; 7.2 Who Pays the Price?; 7.3 Who Is Getting Injured?; 7.4 Prevention Is the Solution; Chapter 8: The Nature of the Beast; 8.1 What It Feels Like; 8.2 The Forms It Takes; 8.3 Tendon Injuries; 8.4 Nerve Injuries; 8.5 Muscle Disorders; 8.6 What Brings It On; 8.7 Why Does It Take So Long to Go Away?; Chapter 9: Your Tools Make a Difference; 9.1 Keyboards; 9.2 Pointing Devices—Mice and Trackballs; 9.3 Software; Chapter 10: Good Hand Technique Reduces Your Risk; 10.1 Relax Your Hands and Arms; 10.2 Use Good Typing Technique; 10.3 Use Good Mouse and Trackball Technique; 10.4 Minimize Clicks and Keystrokes; 10.5 Use Just Enough Force; 10.6 Grip Firmly but Loosely; 10.7 Keep Your Hands Warm; 10.8 Stretch Frequently; Chapter 11: Treating the Injury; 11.1 Seek Professional Care; 11.2 Take Care of Yourself; Chapter 12: The Recovery Process; 12.1 The Initial Impact; 12.2 Getting Your Life Back; 12.3 Coming Out of the Tunnel; 12.4 Legal Concerns; Eyestrain; Chapter 13: Eyestrain Is Common; 13.1 Symptoms Can Be Mild or Severe; 13.2 Eyestrain May Be Related to Other Problems; 13.3 RSI; 13.4 Computer Work Affects the Entire Visual System; 13.5 Solutions Involve the Environment, the Equipment, and You; Chapter 14: Take Care of Your Eyes; 14.1 Check Your Posture First; 14.2 Use Your Eyes Well; 14.3 Get Your Eyes Examined; 14.4 Use the Right Glasses for the Task; 14.5 Make Use of Assistive Technology; Chapter 15: Create a Visually Comfortable Environment; 15.1 Use a Screen with Good Visual Qualities; 15.2 Use Software That’s Easy on Your Eyes; 15.3 Improve Your Office Environment; Chapter 16: Work in the Right Light; 16.1 Light Affects Your Eyes and Your Health; 16.2 Control Glare and Reflections; 16.3 Balance the Lighting Levels; 16.4 What Types of Lights Are Good to Use?; 16.5 What Is Full-Spectrum Lighting?; 16.6 Plan for Energy-Efficient Lighting; Stress; Chapter 17: Are You Stressed?; 17.1 The Signs of Stress; 17.2 The Physiological Stress Response; 17.3 The Consequences of Too Much Stress; 17.4 Stress at Work; 17.5 What Can You Do About It?; 17.6 What Can Your Employer Do About It?; Chapter 18: Breaking the Internal Cycle; 18.1 Stress Begins in the Mind; 18.2 Thought Patterns Can Perpetuate Stress; 18.3 Breathe to Calm the Mind; 18.4 Exercise with Awareness; 18.5 Relax and Recharge Your Senses; 18.6 Replenish your Reserves; 18.7 Don’t Work Too Much; 18.8 Balance Computer Time and Social Time; The Potential Risks of Electromagnetic Fields; Chapter 19: The Radiation Question; 19.1 The Influence of Radiation; 19.2 Radiation in the Office; 19.3 Radiation from Computers; 19.4 The Nature of Low Frequency Fields; 19.5 How Much Exposure is Considered Safe?; Chapter 20: Health Risks We Wonder About; 20.1 Miscarriage; 20.2 Other Reproductive Concerns; 20.3 Cancer; 20.4 Cataracts; 20.5 Stress; 20.6 Skin Rash; 20.7 Electromagnetic Sensitivity; 20.8 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; 20.9 Hearing Discomfort; Chapter 21: Protect Yourself; 21.1 Assess Your Situation; 21.2 Choose Which Precautions to Take; 21.3 Create a Low-Emission Office; Appendixes; Equipment Selection Guide; Ergonomic Principles; Hardware; Software; Speech Recognition Systems; Furniture; Accessories; Resources; Resource Guides; RSI Resources; Government, Legal, and Other Services; Stress Resources; Electromagnetic Sensitivity Resources; EMF Emissions and Environmental Guidelines; Notes; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 11; Chapter 12; Chapter 13; Chapterrrrrr 14; Chapter 15; Chapter 16; Chapter 17; Chapter 18; Chapter 19; Chapter 20; Chapter 21; Suggested Reading; Ergonomics and Occupational Health; Mental and Emotional Health; Visual Health; Physical Health; RSI; Legal Issues; Electromagnetic Radiation; About the Author; Colophon;