The CSIT (occasional) Health & Safety Bulletin, Apr 06

I'd like to bring the following items from the last CSIT OHS meeting
http://cs.anu.edu.au/ohs/minutes/Apr06 to your attention.


1. Occupational Strains Prevention:

1.1 Office/Workstation Checks 

Our current OSLO Antoinette Bosman and myself did a pass checking DCS
occupants' office/workstation setup and giving advice on work habits etc
om am Thurs Apr 13, covering about 60% of the offices.  We hold such
checks annually.

For those that missed out and would like a check done, please arrange
this individually with Antoinette. Also, you are reminded that
OOS-preventing devices (e.g. footstools, workstation stands, gel wrist
pads for mouses and keyboards) are available to be ordered.


1.2 OOS-preventing software.

You are also reminded that on Linux, the xwrits program be used can to
monitor activity and enforce rests. See man xwrits. 

On one of the office checks, I discovered that our very own Paul Thomas
has written his own version, called xp. This has the advantage that it
only requires you to have a break when your activity level has been high
over a sustained period.

If you want to configure and install it, see ~pault/src/xp. The README
has more information. To try it, run:
	xrdb -merge ~pault/.Xresources; ~pault/bin/xp 
(the Xresources file sets a warning for a rest after 180s of activity;
you may want to copy this and modify it accordingly). There is also a
KDE version ~pault/bin/kxp. Please give any feedback to Paul or myself.	
 

2. Process of Reporting of & Fixing (potentially hazardous) Building Problems

If you notice a problem (item in need of repair in the building), please
be advised that the process is as follows. Report the problem to the DCS
Office, who will pass on the request to F&S. Note that currently there
is no viable tracking method for requests to F&S.  If the DCS Office
thinks the issue important, they will follow it up. If you however do
not see the problem rectified in reasonable time, follow it up with the
DCS Office.


Peter Strazdins		DCS Safety Co-ordinator	
			http://cs.anu.edu.au/ohs/