1. Overview
   1. Types of health issues - Musculoskeletal, radiation, psychological/social
   2. Injuries - RSI, tension, isolation
   3. Impact and implications (included in each section)
   4. Tips for healthy computing

2. Musculoskeletal
   1. Posture - back aches, cramps, numbness
   2. Repetitive Stress Injury - sprains, carpal tunnel syndrome
   3. Visual problems - glare, focus/font size, bifocal glasses, dry eyes

3. Radiation
   1. X-rays
   2. Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) radiation

4. Psychological/Social
   1. Stress - headaches, low productivity, low morale
   2. Isolation - particularly for telecommuters

5. Tips for healthier computing
   1. Drink water. Computer users tend to get dehydrated for reasons not directly due to the computer (caffeine, dry air, antihistamines). Even a 2% reduction in body water can affect cognitive skills.
   2. Musculoskeletal
      1. If it hurts, don't do it. Most computer related injuries are cummulative.
      2. Take a break before you feel tired (15 minutes every two hours is a realistic starting point.)
      3. During breaks, get away from the computer. (Going outside for as little as two minutes is better than sitting and reading a book.)
      4. Use a chair with at least five points on the floor.
      5. Set the chair height so that there is no pressure on the backs of your knees. Use a footrest, if needed. The research on backless, or kneeling, chairs is mixed as to their benefit.
      6. Have the keyboard low enough that your upper arm is at more than a 60 degree angle from your forearm. Some people advocate that your forearms should be parallel to the floor.
      7. Do NOT place the keyboard in your lap. If this is more comfortable, then the computer desk or chair needs to be adjusted.
      8. RSI
         1. Get a wrist-rest for the keyboard (and trackball, if used), although proper typing position for the wrists is the best way to avoid RSI.
         2. Don't place the mouse higher than the keyboard.
         3. Do NOT get a wrist brace without consulting a physician. A wrist brace can make a bad RSI situation worse.
         4. Perform hand massages before every typing session. (Use the thumb of one hand to massage the other hand.)
      9. Visual problems
         1. To find sources of glare, turn your monitor off and see if any light is reflected in it.
         2. To reduce glare, place the monitor screen at a right angle to windows with the top of the monitor at eye level. (Most glare filters cause more problems than they solve.)
         3. If bifocals are needed, have two pairs of glasses - one bifocal pair and a special pair for computer use.
         4. Use the correct prescription glasses.
         5. Use incandescent desk lamps instead of flourescent lights when possible (unless you have the high-end, high frequency flourescent lights).
         6. Use fonts large enough to prevent squinting.
         7. Blink.
   3. Radiation
      1. Don't use a monitor with a cracked case.
      2. Arrange monitors so that the rear of one monitor is not near someone else. (Lead aprons don't help with ELF.)
      3. Keep the monitor approximately 24" from you.
   4. Psychological/Social
      1. During breaks, get away from the computer.
      2. Talk to other people face to face - telephone calls and e-mail messages are not substitutes.
      3. Perform (subtle) deep beathing exercises to release stress.

Related Web sites

Office Ergonomics

Proper Seating

Avoiding Computer Vision Syndrome

OSHA's proposed ergonomic standard

CDC's paper about Stress at Work

SORRY, BUT THE FOLLOWING LINK HAS ROTTED.
HREF="http://www.engr.unl.edu/ee/eeshop/rsi.html" - Repetitive Stress Injuries - Description and Avoidance

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about typing injuries

Online book - Stretching and Flexibility by Brad Appleton

A few simple stretches

Stretching exercises from the book ComputerFit by Randall Helm

IBM's computer monitor radiation Web site

Health & safety guidelines from MIT

An alternative view to the health risks of computer usage