A.7.5.2. General Power safety of devices

As with every electrical device, also the IT-technology’s power supply devices have to conform to general power safety requirements. The possibility to get an electric shock has to be eliminated and the users have to exercise additional methods (grounding, antistatic carpets on the office floors, special equipment at the maintenance places and at technicians’) to reduce the possibility of electric shocks caused by electrostatic discharges. The faults of electrical appliances may cause fires and that is why appropriate fire extinguishers (powder or carbon dioxide extinguishers) are needed. It is prohibited to cover parts that need cooling or to get moisture on devices that are powered.

The most common practise is to familiarise with the safety requirements in the manual before starting to use the device. They consist of information about threats that the device may cause and important knowledge about the refuse emerging from the operations of the product (usually batteries) and how they should be utilized. This is not directly related to job safety, but it is very important from the environmental point of view. Also it is necessary to know how to utilize the device itself after its resources have been used up or it becomes obsolete.

Sometimes the problem with electrical devices is the electromagnetic radiation produced by the devices. The effect of the radiation has been proven in the case of old CRT monitors (it is not favourable to sit behind the monitor). This problem will diminish in few years. A lot of discussion has been created by mobile phones (GSM, UMTS etc.) and by other wireless communication devices (Wi-Fi, WiMax etc.) and their possible influence. So far the low powered devices’ harmful influence on people has not found adequate proof.

Several health risks are involved with computers in case the majority of the day is spent behind them:

During a longer time period problems with eyesight may emerge from constant focusing of the eyes on the screen. In order to avoid the problem, the work time has to be organized properly. If eyesight problems have emerged then the employer has the possibility by the law to compensate for the medical expenses (example: purchasing glasses)

Other effects derived from longer eyesight problems may appear from the simultaneous occurrences of negative conditions and may result after observing rapidly moving pictures (videogames). This may result in dizziness and other coordination disturbances.

Also false and uncomfortable working postures are dangerous, that can result in muscular and structural complaints. The first remedies in such cases are to fix the sitting posture. It is helpful to use modern chairs, leg rests, adjustable working surfaces and other special means; additionally arranging working regime in such way, that there is a need to stand up and move around form time to time.

In order, to ensure the right risk reduction and evaluations of situations there have been developed different evaluation techniques. In Estonia the appropriate instructions have been developed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour Inspectorate. These documents are:

Occupational health and safety requirements for work with display screen equipment

Regulation No. 362 of the Government of the Republic of 15 November 2000

http://www.riigiteataja.ee/ert/act.jsp?id=72421

Healthcare requirements for computer studies and for public use of computers

Regulation No. 57 of the Government of the Republic of 07 June 2001

Ministry of Social Affairs 7. June 2001.  Regulation no 57

What has to be taken into account for work with display screen? Labour Inspectorate 2002

http://www.ti.ee/public/files/Arvuti.pdf

In Western-Europe these techniques are known as Digital Screen Equipment assessment and Portable Appliance Testing, where the technical personnel assesses the conditions of work with display screens and mobile devices and observes the pursue of the regulations.

More general work environment conditions have to be observed by the employer and appropriate audits have to be made constantly. During which the general work safety situation has to be also examined, that is not directly related to IT³:

Every structure, that is designed for working space has to meet the conforming requirements i.e. has to be well maintained, there may not be any possibilities for threats and all the technological systems – power supply, heating, ventilation and running water have to be in good shape

The employer has to ensure the work hygiene at a necessary level i.e. starting from the microclimate of the spaces has to conform to norms and finishing with the prohibition of smoking in all the office areas.

In emergency situations the evacuation routes have to be market with constantly luminous emergency signs, in case the power supply might be interrupted, fire extinguishing systems (hydrants, fireproof walls, automated extinguishers etc.) and first-aid kits have to be functional and complex.

Evacuation plans have to be positioned in visible places. Usually the construction plans determine the clear-cut planning of evacuation routes. The holder of the buildings has to maintain the stairways and doors usable in case of danger. It is inevitable to arrange emergency trainings, to avoid panics and confusions in case of real threat.

All of this is the responsibility of specialised official.

7.1. Which is the best way to defend technical invention to gain economic benefit?

patent X

paper issued in technical journal

hiding and not using

7.2. Copyright of the author is violated when :

small piece of text from a book is citated in some article with citation to the source included

book is copied for sale without permission of the author X

book is analyzed detailly in workshop topic of private university

7.3. Software is divided by usage rights:

commercial software, shareware, freeware X

freeware, mainframe software, commercial software

freeware, commercial software, operating systems

7.4. The Personal Data Protection Law:

Prohibits business organizations to collect personal data and reserv this right only to public sector

Prepares conditions to citizen to pass their personal data to various digital databases

Enacts principles of personal data collection and processing, and rights of collectors and proceeding entities X

7.5. IT agreements differ from other kind of agreements:

that can be signed only by IT department head

by handling IT technical problems, solving issues and deadlines for finishing works

in addition to general stipulations from the Law of Obligations they have exact technical conditions described for proceeding the work X

7.6. Aim of data security in an organization is

archiving all accounting documents in digital form

to guarantee organizations whole information assets availability, integrity and confidentiality X

to create safe environment for computers in an organization, which mean to backup all system and application software and procedures for making backups

7.7 Using CE sign producer declares that product is in accordanced with

health and safety of the users, electromagnetic compatibility and devoted radio spectrum X

health and safety of the individuals and design

electromagnetic compatibility and devoted radio spectrum

7.8.Rate information security risks from higher to lower according to potential risk level in the system: 1) enterprise’s economic information, 2) electricity distribution network management system, 3) population registry

2, 3, 1 X

1, 2, 3

3, 1, 2

3, 2, 1

1 http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/tl/policy/index_en.htm . June 2008.

2 The All-Round IT Professional. Plan Knowledge Area. Irish Computer Society, 2006

3 The All-Round IT Professional. Plan Knowledge Area. Irish Computer Society, 2006

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