Whiteboards and Health & Safety

[Guest richard]

I need to find out if there is any info on Whiteboard health and safety issues. Any one know of anything out there that may be of use?

[Geoff]

Quick google threw up:

 

http://www.kirklees-ednet.org.uk/subjects/health/docs/interactwhiteboards.htm

[Netman]

It's not so much the whiteboard as the projector that's the problem..

NGfL says...

 

"Take care to ensure that additional ICT equipment is also used safely in the classroom. For example, if using an interactive whiteboard make sure that pupils are supervised at all times during the projector’s operation. Users should never stare directly into the beam of the projector, and when entering the beam, should not look towards the audience, or class, for more than a few seconds. If possible, users should keep their backs to the beam at all times, and factors such as positioning should also be given careful consideration. It is generally viewed that a maximum of 1500 ANSI lumens is adequate for projection equipment in most classroom environments, except in the most extreme ambient lighting conditions, where it is advised that window blinds are used rather than increasing the brightness of the projector.

 

When purchasing or using projectors for purposes where there is likely to be a person stood in front of the beam, consideration should be given to the use of a method of brightness reduction, such as a neutral density filter or brightness adjustment facility. These modifications can be removed or adjusted for other purposes such as cinema projections, where there is not an intention that someone will be stood in front of the beam, so allowing the projector to be used to its full image quality potential."

 

I have the attached poster displayed alongside every installation... as usual with H&S, as long as you've identified the problem and taken steps to inform users then you should be covered...

computer_projectors.doc

[Guest richard]

Thank you guys thats just what I was looking for.

[ConTheITGuy]

And if you live in Lancashire, don't sit underneath

 

Andy.

[Geoff]

lol

[mac_shinobi]

Things were so much easier in the older days with black boards and not white smart boards. Also I thought they had those rear projected smart boards or something like that ( Maybe im thinking of something else lol )

[ConTheITGuy]

The last day of term, just before Christmas, we "upgraded" one teacher to dry wipe whiteboard! He was not impressed (needless to say, he is not near the top end of the list for an IWB)

 

 

Andy.

[broc]

If you are in a position to influence the choice of equipment, take a look at products similar to ActivPanel from Promethean (I cannot remember the Smartboard equivalent). This is a pressure sensitive TFT panel with a pen which is functionally equivalent to an interactive whiteboard but has a couple of significant health and safety benefits :

 

1) the user of the panel does not have to be between the projector and the board and can be off to one side. This means they don't have the projector beam in their eyes and they can see their audience too.

 

2) If you have 'vertically challenged' staff members quite often they cannot reach the top of the board without using a step, OR the board has to be wall mounted so low that people at the back of the audience cannot see the bottom of the board. One of our science staff had been using two aerobic steps stacked to reach the top of her whiteboard!

 

We also commissioned a couple of purpose built teachers desks from a local furniture manufacturer to accomodate the panel and a laptop, these have a lockable hinged lid to protect the equipment when the member of staff is not in the room. I can provide the details for anyone interested.

[ChrisH]

I would be interested in looking at these.