What is the risk of long-term work in front of the monitor?

Computer work has become common and is performed by many people for at least 4 hours a day, and often even two or three times longer. The main risks associated with it are long-term observation of the monitor and maintaining a sitting position. Despite the rapid technological progress improving the comfort of working with the monitor, it is worth realizing that the list of nuisances and potential threats to vision is still long.

There are a numberof ailments of the organ of vision associated with the observation of a monitor or sometimes several monitors for many hours. The most common are ocular ailments, i.e. tearing, burning and visual ailments, i.e. deteriorating sharpness or double vision of the image on the screen. Another type of disorder that may be the result of long-term work with the monitor in a sitting position are, for example, musculoskeletal ailments, headaches and dizziness or stomach disorders. The effects of the load on the organ of vision when working with a computer also transfer to the sphere outside work: one can observe, for example, reduced visual acuity when looking into the distance or when reading (e.g. newspapers, books), but also confusion, rearranging words in the read text, numbers in tables. Increasingly, the so-called Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), i.e. a complex set of problems affecting the eyes and vision, is also being diagnosed. It is caused by working at the monitor, constant staring at the screen and manifests itself, among other things, by impaired tear secretion and a feeling of dry eyes.

Research conducted on a group of almost 500 people in Warsaw and Katowice indicated that most often ailments from the organ of vision occur in the form of eye pain, visual acuity disorders and a feeling of dryness or burning under the eyelids. The incidence of individual complaints was higher in women than in men and was 50.7% and 32.6% of the number of people studied, respectively, in the case of eye pain. Visual acuity disorders were felt by 38.3% and 21.2%, respectively, and a feeling of dryness or burning under the eyelids – 46.5% and 24.2%. The occurrence of the analyzed ailments was statistically significant, depending on the incorrect intensity of lighting.

Older monitors, such as CRTs, may have had a negative impact on workers due to electric and magnetic fields, soft X-rays, ultraviolet and infrared radiation. However, in the case of LCD or LED monitors, the level of impact is trace, practically difficult to measure. In the case of liquid crystal and LED monitors, only electrostatic radiation may be a nuisance, which causes the attraction of charged dust particles and pollen, which may be the reason for allergic reactions of users. It is most intense within 15 minutes after turning on the monitor. Therefore, after its launch, it is worth not to stay directly at the monitor for several minutes, as well as remember to ventilate the room frequently.

From the point of view of preventing the load on the organ of vision, it is also important to properly set the parameters of the monitor, especially image resolution, brightness, contrast and font size. The image should be clear and legible, with a font size of at least 11 − 12 points, with a simple (so-called sans-serif) typeface. At the same time, it is necessary to find the golden mean: both too dark and too bright and contrasting image can tire the eyes.

Intensive visual work at workstations with monitors (e.g. dispatchers, controllers) is a significant element burdening the employee. It can cause eye fatigue, lower work efficiency, and in the long run also a deterioration in visual acuity.

To ensure proper working conditions, it is important to have both adequate lighting of the workplace (natural and artificial) and its spatial organization (setting the monitor in relation to light sources and the employee). In the prevention of eye ailments, the employee’s awareness of the possibility of adjusting the settings of monitor parameters, the organization of working time and breaks for vision (combined with eye gymnastics) is of great importance.

Source: CIOP and PIB materials

Source: https://www.seka.pl/dlugotrwala-praca-przed-monitorem/

Region Gdański NSZZ „Solidarność”

Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.

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