ABSTRACT
The use of computers in education is one area where little consideration has been given to safety issues beyond the obvious matter of electrical safety. Texts produced for teachers about the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in teaching contain few references, if any, to health and safety aspects of this technology. This chapter seeks to address the issue of safety with regard to ICT more fully and will suggest what best practice might be, given the current state of knowledge and law. It will consider employment law, research into ICT-health related problems, statutory requirements such as those of the National Curriculum and what OFSTED might look for in your school. It then seeks to show how this can be effectively incorporated into classroom and other environments where ICT might be used in a school. It is intended that a teacher might use it in the classroom to plan workstations for the benefit of their pupils. It will also be of use to the ICT coordinator, to help construct policy and inform purchasing plans. It also considers the needs of other employees in education who might have some considerable contact with ICT by virtue of their work.
