| | Health and Safety : Regulations | 
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The safe use of computers in the workplace is governed in the UK by :
These regulations apply to any employee who regularly uses a computer for a significant part of his job. It is the responsibility of both the employer and the employee to ensure that the regulations are obeyed. The most important rules set out by these regulations are that an employer must :
1.
| Inform employees about their rights under the regulations. |
2.
| Assess each computer workstation to identify any potential risks to health or safety and
inform employees about these risks. |
3.
| Ensure that each workstation meets minimum ergonomic (positioning) requirements. |
4.
| Provide appropriate training in the safe use of computer equipment. |
5.
| Plan work to provide regular breaks or changes in activity. |
6.
| Offer free sight tests to computer users at regular intervals and provide special
corrective spectacles if they are required for computer work. The employer does not have to
provide spectacles for everyday use. |
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Parts of other laws also apply to computer equipment and its use in the workplace. For example, the 1989 Consumer Protection Act demands that electrical equipment must be adequately earthed and insulated and that proper instructions are provided for the use of the equipment.
GCSE ICT Companion 04 - (C) P Meakin 2004