Health and Safety in the use of Laptops

These guidelines have been reproduced with the permission of IT Services, University of Sussex.

	Safety checks
	Guidelines for visual inspection
	Using your laptop - recommended safety guidelines
	Purchasing considerations
	Health & Safety Executive research paper

Safety checks before connecting to a power supply or network

Laptop computers are defined as an extra low voltage portable appliance, and as such need only visual inspection. Whilst the mains powered adaptor used to recharge the batteries is in a sealed unit and considered low risk, we would recommend that this is tested at least once every 5 years.

Staff should refer to their Health & Safety Advisor for equipment used for work which would fall into their department's regular inspection and Portable Appliance Test.

Guidelines for visual inspection

A visual inspection is the most important maintenance precaution. Around 95% of faults or damage can be found just by looking. The leads or plugs, or sometimes the equipment itself, can become damaged. This may result in an electric shock or can cause fires.

First, identify your equipment and where and how it is used. The things you are looking for on the equipment, the cable and plug (after disconnecting it) are signs of:

	damage, e.g. cuts, abrasion (apart from light scuffing) to the cable covering. Check there are no loose wires;
	damage to the plug, e.g. the casing is cracked or the pins are bent;
	non-standard joints including taped joints in the cable;
	the outer covering (sheath) of the cable not being gripped where it enters the plug or the equipment. Look to see if the coloured insulation of the internal wires is showing;
	equipment that has been used in conditions where it is not suitable, e.g. a wet or dusty workplace;
	damage to the outer cover of the equipment or obvious loose parts or screws;
	overheating (burn marks or staining).

Using your laptop - recommended safety guidelines

	If you are connecting your computer to the mains, please ensure cables are out of the path of other users.
	Do not walk/roam around the the building whilst using your notebook, or carry the notebook whilst it is open.
	Please put your notebook on one of the desks provided.
	Do not balance your notebook on your lap, on piles of books, etc.
	If there is no desk space, please wait for someone to leave.
	It is advised that you carry your laptop in a separate bag from your books in order to reduce the possibility of strain or injury.
	If you use any body-mounted medical device, such as a pacemaker or defibrillator, you should seek advice from your GP before using a wireless transceiver, as this may affect the operation of your device.
	If your laptop has an external antenna, please ensure that this is not in the way of other users.
	Ensure that any external antennae are not close to or touching any exposed parts of the body, especially the face or eyes, while transmitting.
	Students should not use laptop computers in their laps if the base of the computer contains a wireless antenna requiring a clearance greater than 5 cm from the body.
	High gain, wall or mast mount antennas should be more than 30 cm from your body.
	Dipole antennas on base stations should be more than 15 cm from your body.
	The antenna on wireless cards in laptops should be more than 5 cm from your body.

Please note, the level of electromagnetic radiation produced by wireless devices is very low, for example, by comparison to that emitted by computers, cordless phones, microwave ovens and fax machines.

Purchasing considerations

The following guidelines are recommended should you be considering purchasing a laptop or desktop machine and are useful considerations on current usage:

	Overall weight of laptops and their accessories recommended at 3kg or less.
	As large and clear a screen as possible (14" diagonal or more).
	Detachable or height adjustable screen.
	Tilt adjustable keyboard.
	Minimise the use of trackpoint 'nipple' as an input device and replace with touch pad, rollerball or external mouse instead.
	A wrist pad between the keyboard and front edge of the laptop.
	A lightweight carrying case with handle and shoulder straps.
	Friction pads underneath to prevent computer sliding across surfaces when in use.
	Sufficient memory and speed for the applications used.
	'Add-ons' that improve usability and reduce maintenance time, such as removable CD-ROM drives and additional memory.
	'Add-ons' can also reduce the carrying of weighty accessories when not required.

This information was provided courtesy of:        

Jane Major
Health & Safety Advisor
IT Services
University of Sussex

Revised: November 2004