Safe Use of ICT in a Business environment
Table of contents
Protecting Health
- Make sure all employees’ adopt the correct posture and have an adequate lower back support. This reduces the risk of tension strain headaches and musculoskeletal problems like neck pain, Chronic back pain and upper limb disorders such as Repetitive Strain Injury. Repetitive Strain Injury can be stopped by using a wrist support along with an ergonomic keyboard, and keeping forearm’s horizontal.
- Make sure all employees’ take regular breaks from their computers. This reduces the danger of eye strain, headaches and discomfort. This can be reduced by making sure eyes are level with the monitor and making sure there is good background lighting and a monitor filter to reduce glare.
- All employees’ should get regular eyesight checks. This reduces the danger of deteriorating eyesight. This can be reduced by making sure that the company pays for regular eyesight checks. The employee must go to the appointment and get the treatments provided.
- Make sure all employees’ have the correct positioning of equipment. This can reduce the danger of eye strain, headaches and discomfort. Make sure the computer monitor is positioned away from the direct sunlight to reduce glare. Make sure the keyboard is not too far away, or too close, so there is no discomfort of the wrists/hands.
Protecting Physical Safety
- Make sure there are no trip hazards, e.g. trailing cables. This can reduce the danger of employees’ tripping and harming themselves. This can be reduced by taping cables to the wall or keeping wires in wire surrounds on the wall.
- Make sure the electrical safety is upheld, e.g. electric checks (PAT), no water by the machines, not overloading sockets. This can reduce the danger of being electrocuted by the computers. This can be reduced by making sure the company has regular electric checks, make sure no employees’ take water near the machines, and make sure the sockets are not
- Make sure there is safety equipment to avoid machinery falling. This can reduce the danger of employees’ getting hurt by falling equipment. This can be reduced by regularly checking the safety equipment and replacing it when needed.
- Make sure employees’ observe the Health and Safety rules. This can reduce the danger of injuries and the company being sued. This can be reduced by telling employees’ the Health and Safety rules and keeping them in sight for everyone to see.
Protecting Files From Loss
- Organising Files. Make sure that the Files are organised e.g. meaningful file/folder names,
- Structuring files. This makes sure that file/folder names are not forgotten and where the file/folder is isn’t forgotten.
- Backup strategies. Files should be backed up and frequently checked to make sure that they have not been tampered with. This makes sure that files are not lost if they are accidentally deleted or lost somehow.
Protecting Files From Unauthorised Access
- Passwords to open files. This makes sure that no-one that is not authorised can open files.
- Passwords to Modify documents/files. This makes sure that no-one that is not authorised can modify files.
- Passwords to protect the contents of the Documents. This makes sure that no-one can delete all the contents of documents, or steal all the contents.
- Choose a strong Password. Choosing a strong password is essential. If a weak password is chosen, then there is next-to-no point having a password because it can be easily hacked. Use numbers, uppercase letters, mixed with lowercase letters, and mixed with symbols. This will make your password strong, and very hard to crack.
