Health and safety issues
With any ICT equipment there are always going to be concerns about health and safety. Interactive whiteboards are no different this respect. There have, for example, been concerns voiced in the press recently that the projectors used in conjunction with most whiteboards may damage the eyesight of users.
School whiteboards a danger to eyesight
With any ICT equipment there are always going to be concerns about health and safety. Interactive whiteboards are no different this respect. There have, for example, been concerns voiced in the press recently that the projectors used in conjunction with most whiteboards may damage the eyesight of users.
School whiteboards a danger to eyesight
All suppliers of interactive whiteboards are required to provide health and safety advice regarding the safe use of projectors which complies with requirements under section 6 of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
It is important to be aware of the health and safety implications of using projection equipment, such as interactive whiteboards, in the classroom, particularly if children and teachers might be standing in front of the beam to present to the rest of the class. All projectors, if misused, have the potential to cause eye injury, and hence some simple guidelines should be followed:
It is generally accepted that a maximum of 1500 ANSI lumens is adequate for projection equipment in most classroom environments, except in the most extreme ambient lighting conditions, where it is advised that window blinds are used rather than increasing the brightness of the projector.
When purchasing or using projectors for purposes where there is likely to be a person standing in front of the beam, consideration should be given to the use of a method of brightness reduction, such as a neutral density filter or brightness adjustment facility. These modifications can be removed or adjusted for other purposes such as cinema projections, where there is not an intention that someone will be stood in front of the beam, so allowing the projector to be used to its full image quality potential.
It is recommended that health and safety notices are posted adjacent to interactive whiteboards. Although the content or posting of such notices is not a requirement under law, it should be considered as best practice.
Computer Projectors — Advice from the HSE
Along with the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for regulating the risks to people's health and safety in the workplace. This information is also available on the DfES website.
The HSE offers the following guidelines for the safe use of computer projectors in the classroom:
”Computer projectors, which are used to show presentations or to illuminate interactive whiteboards, can expose the eye to levels above one of the exposure limits by which the HSE takes its guidance. Therefore, although such exposure limits are not statutory, the HSE considers the following advice to be good practice in respect of the use of these projectors by employers in the education sector.
Guidelines
Employers should establish work procedures for teachers/lecturers and pupils/students and give instruction on their adoption so that:
Who is responsible for ICT health and safety responsibility in schools?
LEAs or Governing bodies retain overall responsibility for health and safety management, which also includes ICT health and safety in Schools.
LEAs/Governing bodies may delegate certain tasks to schools including risk assessment, however, it is often the head teacher or classroom teacher who holds the day-to-day responsibility to ensure that ICT equipment is used correctly and safely.
Information relating to the safe operation and use of projection equipment must be provided by the suppliers with all installations, especially in relation to beam viewing by teachers and pupils/students etc.
It is important to be aware of the health and safety implications of using projection equipment, such as interactive whiteboards, in the classroom, particularly if children and teachers might be standing in front of the beam to present to the rest of the class. All projectors, if misused, have the potential to cause eye injury, and hence some simple guidelines should be followed:
- It must be made clear to all users that no one should stare directly into the beam of the projector.
- When entering the beam, users should not look towards the audience for more than a few seconds.
- Users should be encouraged to keep their backs to the projector beam when stood in the beam.
- Children should be supervised at all times during the operation of the projector.
It is generally accepted that a maximum of 1500 ANSI lumens is adequate for projection equipment in most classroom environments, except in the most extreme ambient lighting conditions, where it is advised that window blinds are used rather than increasing the brightness of the projector.
When purchasing or using projectors for purposes where there is likely to be a person standing in front of the beam, consideration should be given to the use of a method of brightness reduction, such as a neutral density filter or brightness adjustment facility. These modifications can be removed or adjusted for other purposes such as cinema projections, where there is not an intention that someone will be stood in front of the beam, so allowing the projector to be used to its full image quality potential.
It is recommended that health and safety notices are posted adjacent to interactive whiteboards. Although the content or posting of such notices is not a requirement under law, it should be considered as best practice.
Computer Projectors — Advice from the HSE
Along with the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for regulating the risks to people's health and safety in the workplace. This information is also available on the DfES website.
The HSE offers the following guidelines for the safe use of computer projectors in the classroom:
”Computer projectors, which are used to show presentations or to illuminate interactive whiteboards, can expose the eye to levels above one of the exposure limits by which the HSE takes its guidance. Therefore, although such exposure limits are not statutory, the HSE considers the following advice to be good practice in respect of the use of these projectors by employers in the education sector.
Guidelines
Employers should establish work procedures for teachers/lecturers and pupils/students and give instruction on their adoption so that:
- Staring directly into the projector beam is avoided at all times.
- Standing facing into the beam is minimised. Users, especially pupils and students, should try to keep their backs to the beam as much as possible. In this regard, the use of a stick or laser pointer to avoid the need for the user to enter the beam is recommended.
- Pupils and students are adequately supervised when they are asked to point out something on the screen.
- Employers should also try to ensure that projectors are located out of the sight line from the screen to the audience; this ensures that, when presenters look at the audience, they do not also have to stare at the projector lamp. The best way to achieve this is by ceiling-mounting rather than floor— or table-mounting the projector.
- In order to minimise the lamp power needed to project a visible presentation, employers should use room blinds to reduce ambient light levels.”
Who is responsible for ICT health and safety responsibility in schools?
LEAs or Governing bodies retain overall responsibility for health and safety management, which also includes ICT health and safety in Schools.
LEAs/Governing bodies may delegate certain tasks to schools including risk assessment, however, it is often the head teacher or classroom teacher who holds the day-to-day responsibility to ensure that ICT equipment is used correctly and safely.
Information relating to the safe operation and use of projection equipment must be provided by the suppliers with all installations, especially in relation to beam viewing by teachers and pupils/students etc.