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Computers Partners
Over the past week "Computer Vision Syndrome" has been in the news. The latest story in "The Frederick News-Post" titled "Prolonged computer use can lead to vision problems".
The article states that more than 88 million people who use computers for more than 4 hours per day suffer from computer vision syndrome, that's about a quarter of the total population of the U.S.
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates state the enormous cost for workman's comp, to the economy, and employers: In 2002, employers reported a total of 487,900 lost workdays due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), representing nearly 50% of all lost work days. On top of these productivity costs, employers have paid approximately $20 billion annually in direct worker's compensation costs. Indirect costs, like lower productivity at work, etc. add another $60 billion, for a total of $80 billion dollars.
The articles quotes Dr. Frishman, an optometrist from Frederick, Maryland, that the top of the monitor should be at the same level when you stretch your arms out. That would mean that I had to dig my monitor into my desk. The correct location of the monitor is: top of screen at or just below eye level, not shoulder/arm level.
Use a TCO'03 compliant monitor. Not only are they more environmentally friendly than other monitors, TCO'03 also requires compliance with ergonomic standards: contrast, resolution, brightness, adjustability, etc. Make sure that the LCD monitor you use has a "Class 1" rated LCD panel built in. If the literature that comes with the monitor doesn't explicitly say "Class 1" it probably is not.
The area behind the monitor should be lit, too. If it is all dark around your monitor (or TV for that matter), the eye has to constantly adjust between bright and dark. Use a light colored keyboard.
Dark, black keyboards create eye strain for the same reason. Ideally, the area on your desk where the computer is should be in "lighter" colors.
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