week 2
A2 Safe working practices in IT support and management
• Safe working practices for the use and care of IT equipment in organisations as covered under the current regulations or other relevant international equivalents, including:
o display screen equipment (DSE), e.g. the adjustment of screen height and angle, Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (as amended 2002), including:
– disorders that can arise from negligence
– precautions to be taken to ensure effective practice
o Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended 2002), including:
– lifting, carrying and lowering, pushing and pulling
– repetitive tasks, stretching, bending, awkward postures
o portable appliance testing (PAT)
The importance of PAT testing is one of significance within any organisation, this is not limited to just IT equipment, it is essentially anything with a plug or connected to the mains power supply.
The role of a PAT tester is to check the safety of the devices, leads and cables within a set defined tolerance. PAT testers use equipment that carries out testing on the following elements, Load, Leakage and Earthing. This information is then recorded and logged with unique identifiers to the equipment along with the next test date.
– the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 – Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
– standards and codes of practice
o effects on the organisation should safe working practices not be followed, e.g. legal action, employee turnover and absence.
• IT support related health and safety hazards, including:
o electrocution and electrostatic discharge (ESD), e.g. from an unprotected power supply
o fire, e.g. from faulty wiring
o ergonomics of workstations that could result in injury or reduced productivity.
• Hazard mitigation methods, including ESD wrist strap, ESD mat, firefighting equipment and training, first-aid training.
Organisations can mitigate risks to their hardware and linked software by using measures to limit or reduce issues. When IT technicians are using hardware it is recommended that they use/wear an ESD strap or use an ESD mat, this will draw any electromagnetic charge that has been built up away from any electrically sensitive materials like CPU's Memory and motherboards.
When dealing with potential fire hazards and issues companies must make specific extinguishers available to employees and visitors in the event of an outbreak of fire.
Below is an illustration taken from "https://cpdonline.co.uk/" that shows the different types of extinguishers that may be used in different settings.
Other areas that IT support may need to have knowledge of is first aid. First aid courses can be taken by employees to provide basic and advance first aid to those that need it. These individuals will learn the correct support over either a 1 day or 3 day course.
Last Updated
2021-04-20 12:38:02
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A2 Safe working practices in IT support and management |
English
Maths
How 2's Coverage
Learning Capture - Teachers allocate time at the end of the session for the group to write down what they think they have learned. The information shared helps the teacher to see which content he may need to revisit and so shapes future planning.
Question and Answer - Verbal discussion with learners to quantify understanding
Product Evidence - Learners to create product evidence to demonstrate understanding
Anonymous Assessment - Learners assess an anonymous piece of work containing deliberate mistakes against given success criteria.
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