Beat those work hazards

1:36pm Monday 9th June 2008

Occupational hazards (the people, places and things you encounter at work that have the ability to harm your physical and emotional wellbeing) are on the rise, especially as we're spending more time at work than ever before.

Here's the top four work hazards according to Sharpe Magazine and how to beat them: Always being on call - To avoid dwelling on a project all evening, take a few minutes at the end of your working day to decompress. A simple act such as listening to your favourite song on your commute home can signal it's time to make the transition to home life. Try to make definite commitments two or three times a week.When you know you'll be leaving the office at a certain time, it will make you get more done during the day. Also switch off your BlackBerry and e-mail in the evening and at the weekend.

Always being up against it': Not enough hours in the day to get all your work done? You need an efficiency audit. Approach each task in order of priority to ensure you get all tasks done on time and with less stress.

According to research, the constant distractions from phone and e-mail are equivalent to the loss of a good night's sleep.So, only check messages and make calls on the hour only.

Your eyes are glued to a screen: In the past, we moved around the office much more to carry out different tasks; now almost all of our work is done on a computer screen.

Light can bounce off your computer screen, putting additional strain on your eyes. Switch off overhead lights and use a desk lamp, and position your screen so that windows are to the side instead of in front of or behind it.

Research shows we blink half as much as usual - just six to eight times a minute instead of 15 or so - when we're looking at a computer screen, which can dry out our eyes. Make an effort to blink every so often and look away from the screen every 10 to 15 minutes.

You may think moving your computer closer to you is easier on your eyes, but it's better for them if you keep your distance. And tilt your screen so it is 25 degrees lower than eye level - a recent Danish study found this can also reduce vision fatigue.

Your desk is a health hazard: Dr Charles Gerba , professor of microbiology at Arizona State University, has conducted research on cleanliness of office desks that revealed that the typical desk is one of the dirtiest places in the office building, containing 400 times the bacteria of a public toilet seat.

Not only that, but your keyboard could be harbouring millions of bacteria, according to a new UK study for Which? Computing.

Be sure to run a disinfectant wipe over your desk, phone, mouse and keyboard once a week.

If you frequently dine at your desk lay down a few paper towels to catch crumbs.