As tablets are one form of display screen equipment, obviously the DSE Regs 1992, as amended 2004, apply.

HSE commissioned System Concepts to produce a research report which you can download free of charge from www.hse.gov.uk. An ergonomics lecturer at University College, London, Rachel Benedyk, has also done some good work on the risks arising - to students if I recall rightly- using tablets.

Probably the most reader-friendly account of the risks arising from using tablets is 'Bodyspace' by the eminent ergonomist Stephen Pheasant: both the 1996 and the 2003 edition (co-written with Christine Haslegrave) explain the host of biomechanical, physiological and anatomical sources of risks arising from postural strain and repetitive movements of upper limbs that can arise when you use a tablet (or a smartphone for that matter).

My issue is with managers using blackberries to email each other at all hours of the day and night. I am waiting for someone to be off sick with ’texter’s thumb’.

This is an extract from a BBC news item last year with the headline, ”Smartphone users ‘risking health’ with overuse of device”

People are risking their health by working on smartphones, tablets and laptops after they have left the office, according to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
It says people have become "screen slaves" and are often working while commuting or after they get home.
The society said poor posture in these environments could lead to back and neck pain………..
……………………….
The chairwoman of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Dr Helena Johnson, said the findings were of "huge concern".
She said: "While doing a bit of extra work at home may seem like a good short-term fix, if it becomes a regular part of your evening routine then it can lead to problems such as back and neck pain, as well as stress-related illness.
"This is especially the case if you're using hand-held devices and not thinking about your posture. Talk to your employer if you are feeling under pressure………..
Source and detailed news item:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18490433

These issues are not only restricted to smartphones , but a Harvard study, as reported by LA times finds the iPads can be a pain in the neck
http://latimesblogs.lati...ers-ergonomics-ipad.html

The original study article is at:-
http://iospress.metapres...02xv6211041/fulltext.pdf

The conclusion of the study was that:-
The use of media tablet computers is associated with high head and neck flexion postures, especially compared to those for typical desktop computing scenarios. These postures are affected by the type of case used to support the tablets as well as the location of the device (e.g. lap vs table). These data suggest that head and neck posture can be improved through case designs that allow for optimal viewing angles and elevating the device and avoiding lap-level locations. These data are valuable for manufacturers to design future products that promote more neutral postures and increase the comfort of users. Results from these studies will be useful for updating ergonomic computing standards and guidelines, which are imminently needed as companies and health care providers weigh options to implement wide-scale adoption of tablet computers for business operations.


i-pad stand solutions from Posturite:-
http://www.posturite.co....pad-stand-solutions.html


Please note that I have no connection with the supplier, but have researched this topic !

You could'nt make it up! Mind, I note these were managers which is abit of a worry - or maybe not. I assume the answer was marked as wrong?

I just had an interesting thought!

I read alot on my tablet - it makes my arm ache... but so does the hardback book I'm reading!
Would anyone have risked assessed reading a text book?

:) - well it is Friday, I'm phoning my boss and telling him I refuse to read the Nursing Practice Text book I'm using to write a diploma course until he risk assess it. Whilst I wait for the RA I'm going to crack open a beer :)

Perhaps I'm not alone in being baffled by the context of some terms mentioned in this thread. Surely tablets are things prescribed by doctors, blackberries are fruits picked from prickly bushes in early Autumn, Bluetooth was a vicious late 17th/early 18th century pirate (Caribbean area?) and kindle is another term for coaxing a newly-lit fire! :-)

p.s. Apologies for describing a pirate as vicious. As pirates are inherently vicious in their actions and nature, my description was a tautology and akin to describing a corpse as dead!

3g and 4g - something to do with gravity apparently. According to a recent TV documentary too much g causes fighter jet pilots doing certain aerial manoeuvres to become unconscious unless they're wearing specially designed compressive suits! :-)

teh boy at #16 - It's highly believable that you have to use a landline in your locality. There are plenty of places and areas within the UK which have no mobile phone coverage whatsoever. This includes ones where coverage ought to be available as well as ones where it is almost impossible because of mountainous terrain, etc.

p.s. In relation to bowl movements, does your fibre connection happen to be of the cereal variety?!! :-)