Health & Safety

The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1992) lay clear responsibilities upon the Official Fellows (as employers) and the College's employees (all administrative and domestic staff) to do all that is reasonably practicable to ensure a safe working environment. As full compliance with the regulations requires the co-operation of everyone who works or resides on the College's premises, the Governing Body looks to all senior and junior members to assist them in carrying out their obligations.

Specifically, this means that all senior and junior members are expected to:

  1. follow instructions in the safety rules or notices displayed on College property
  2. comply with any code of practice which may apply to their work or workplace
  3. take reasonable care for their own health and safety as well as the health and safety of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions.

It should be noted that fire regulations are now an integral part, albeit a discrete sub-set, of health and safety regulations and that the Governing Body requires all College members to respond promptly to a fire alarm, to the discovery of a fire, or to a fire drill, in the manner prescribed in the various fire notices displayed on College premises and summarised in the Employee Safety Handbook (also on page 79 of the Undergraduate Handbook and page 65 of the Graduate Handbook).

Health and Safety Policy 

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This page is an extract from the Health and Safety Executive document INDG36 revision 1 (Feb 1998).

As an occasional user of display screen equipment (DSE) you should be aware of the following recommendations, and apply them to avoid potential health problems.

If you think you have health problems connected with using VDUs then you should contact the Tutorial Office who will be able to offer further advice or refer you to a suitable medical consultant.

Getting Comfortable

  • Adjust your chair and VDU to find the most comfortable position for your work. As a broad guide, your forearms should be approximately horizontal and your eyes the same height as the top of the VDU.
  • Make sure you have enough work space to take whatever documents or other equipment you need.
  • Try different arrangements of keyboard, screen, mouse and documents to find the best arrangement for you. A document holder may help you avoid awkward neck and eye movements.
  • Arrange your desk and VDU to avoid glare, or bright reflections on the screen. This will be easiest if neither you nor the screen is directly facing windows or bright lights. Adjust curtains or blinds to prevent unwanted light.
  • Make sure the is space under your desk to move your legs freely. Move anty obstacles such as boxes or equipment.
  • Avoid excess pressure from the edge of your seat on the backs of your legs and knees. A footrest may be helpful, particularly for smaller users.

Keying in

  • Adjust your keyboard to get a good keying position. A space in front of the keyboard is sometimes helpful for resting the hands and wrists when not keying.
  • Try to keep your wrists straight when keying. Keep a soft touch on the keys and don't overstretch your fingers. Good keyboard technique is important.

Using a Mouse

  • Position the mouse within easy reach, so it can be used with the wrist straight. Sit upright and close to the desk, so you don't have to work with your mouse arm stretched. Move the keyboard out of the way if it is not being used.
  • Support your forearm on the desk, and don't grip the mouse too tightly.
  • Rest your finger lightly on the buttons and do not press them hard.

Reading the Screen

  • Adjust the brightness and contrast controls on the screen to suit lighting conditions in the room.
  • Make sure the screen surface is clean.
  • In setting up software, choose options giving text that is large enough to read easily on your screen, when you are sitting in a normal, comfortable working position. Select colours that are easy on the eye (avoid red text on a blue background, or vice-versa).
  • Individual characters on the screen should be sharply focused and should not flicker or move. If they do, the VDU may need servicing or adjustment.

Posture and Breaks

  • Don't sit in the same position for long periods. Make sure you change your posture as often as practicable. Some movement is desirable, but avoid repeated stretching to reach things you need (if this happens a lot, rearrange your workstation).
  • Most jobs provide opportunities to take a break from the screen, e.g. to do filing or photocopying. Make use of them. If there are no such natural breaks in your job, your employer should plan for you to have rest breaks. Frequent short breaks are better than fewer long ones.