📚 Guide by Safety Mom · Allstar Enviro Safety — The Computer Workstation Safety course develops workplace supervisory, communication, and office management skills for safety-critical Canadian industries. Delivered online by Safety Mom · Allstar Enviro Safety Calgary.
🔗 Related Safety Mom courses & guides: H2S Alive Calgary · Standard First Aid Calgary · Oil Sands Safety Certs · Instructor: Arliss Levine, CRSP, CHSC
COURSE OVERVIEW
This online Computer Workstation Safety reviews the safe use of computers, and offers practical solutions to many potential problems. Computers can be found in all areas of a facility. From the office to the loading dock, most of today’s business is conducted with the help of computers. And just like any other type of equipment, employees need to know what potential problems may be involved in working with computers and how to use them safely. Areas covered in the course include organization of work materials, maintaining neutral positions, positioning the back and torso, avoiding and relieving eyestrain, avoiding and relieving muscle strain, tension and stress reducing exercises, and more. Using a powerful combination of audio, full-motion video, text and colorful graphics, this course provides the most cost-effective safety and regulatory compliance training available today. The course is divided into a number of logical sections so information is easily understood… and retained.
COURSE TOPICS
This online Computer Workstation Safety course covers the following topics:
- Arranging your work area
- Using neutral positions
- Reducing eyestrain
- Stretching and “relaxation” techniques
- And more
ONLINE COURSE DURATION
Approximately 30 minutes
PASS MARK
Testing conducted throughout this online course is designed to reinforce the information presented. A mark of 80% must be achieved in order to pass this course. The course is able to be taken three times in efforts to achieve the pass mark. Printable resources are available in the form of a comprehensive student manual. The manual is a valuable resource for future use and knowledge retention.
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
Upon successful completion of this online course, a certificate of completion will be available for download and printing.
COURSE PREVIEW
Additional Safety Knowledge
Musculoskeletal Injuries in Alberta Workplaces
Musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) account for approximately 40% of Alberta’s lost-time workplace injuries. Back injuries alone are the single largest category. Common causes include manual material handling, repetitive motion, awkward postures, sustained static positions, and forceful exertions. WCB Alberta claim costs for MSIs run into the hundreds of millions annually.
Safe Lifting Principles
- Assess the load before lifting — if it looks too heavy, use mechanical assistance or team lift.
- Alberta OHS advises single-person lifts should not exceed 23 kg (50 lb) as a general benchmark, though the NIOSH Lifting Equation accounts for many variables.
- Keep the load close to the body — every 25 cm from the spine roughly doubles compressive force on lumbar discs.
- Bend at the hips and knees, not the waist. Maintain the natural curve of the lumbar spine.
- Avoid twisting while lifting — turn the whole body by moving the feet.
- Plan the lift path: is it clear? Where are you setting the load?
Cold Stress and Hearing Conservation
Alberta workers face specific environmental hazards. Cold stress: hypothermia can develop above freezing in wet or windy conditions. Layered clothing, warm-up breaks, hot drinks, and monitoring for early symptoms (shivering, confusion) are required. Hearing loss: Alberta OHS 8-hour exposure limit is 85 dBA. Hearing protection required above 85 dBA; hearing conservation program (baseline audiogram, annual monitoring, education) required above 85 dBA sustained exposure. Once noise-induced hearing loss occurs, it is permanent.
Computer Workstation Safety — Recognising Early Symptoms
Report discomfort early — the earlier an MSI is caught, the more likely full recovery. Early warning signs: pain, tingling, numbness, weakness, reduced range of motion, joint stiffness. Do not “work through the pain.” Alberta workers have the right to report workplace injuries to WCB and to seek modified work during recovery.
Content reviewed by Arliss Levine, CRSP, CHSC — lead safety instructor at Safety Mom · Allstar Enviro Safety Calgary, an Energy Safety Canada Authorized Training Provider.
