Virtual Office Activity, Part B.

Personal Electrnic Devices in the workplace can distract you and others from the task you need to do. This distraction can cause injury to you or others by objects around you being knocked down or over, or in the case of headphones, could cause hearing problems. Personal electrical devices can also cause electrical interferance with workplace electricals. These risks can be minimized by creating a policy about when personal electronic devices can and can't be used in the workplace. Regarding headphones (used to block out background noise), use the type that cover the whole ear for better ourside noise reduction, rather than earbuds that just sit inside the ear, as you will still hear a lot of other noises.

Operators are often required to perform tasks that can cause eye strain, fatigue, and staying in the same position for long periods of time. This can cause pain and injury to the back, neck, eyes, arms, hands, legs and feet. Some ways to try preventing injury can be; check your work station before starting for the day to make sure your chair, desk, computer monitor and everything else you need is in the right position for you; put up signs at work stations so employees remember to take their breaks at appropriate times and take the time to do stretches; dong a variety of tasks (so your body position moves throughout the day); make sure training is provided regarding equipment use, appropriate stretching and breaks.

In an office environment, the chair you use at work is one of the most essential and used pieces of equipment and if it is not in the correct position for you, it can cause injury to your back, neck, legs or arms by being either unstable or too high, too low, too far forward or too far back. To reduce the risk of injury; make sure employees are shown how to adjust their chairs appropriately for their personal safety and comfort.

Storage systems are a neccesity in the office workplace, so choosing the right one for your area is important, as is positioning. Don't overfill storage or filing cabinets as they may tip over due to the excess weight. Standing or trying to balance on storage shelves is a huge risk of injury, risking the entire storage unit falling/colapsing on top of you and possibly harming others. Leaving doors open on storage units can cause people to trip over, injure their leg, foot, etc. Choose a storage system that will fit well into your workspace and will be the most safe and practical. Position it so it will not be in anyones way (obstruct their walkway).

It is very important to have the correct lighting in your workplace. Inappropriate lighting can cause problems with your eyes, can leave you feeling tired and drained and possibly cause headaches. Lighting is most likely to cause problems if it is; flickering, too bright, too dull or reflecting off of your monitor. The employer needs to make sure that your work area has the right amount of lighting, appropraite coverings for natural light and that the light isn't glaring or reflecting into your eyes or onto your computer monitor.

Electrical equipment needs to well maintained, including being tested for faults. If a fault is found, let your supervisor know and the equpment should be removed and labelled so it isn't used again. Keeping electricals clear of liquid is very important, as it can cause electrocution if spilt on anything electrical and may damage equipment. Power sockets are not to be overloaded with connection plugs, as they could overheat, spark and become a fire hazard. Also make sure there is adequate ventalation for your you electricals to operate effectively or they might also overheat.