Health And Safety

In the next few days I have to write a HealthAndSafety Plan for construction work on my present architectural project.

Do programmers have to consider HealthAndSafety? -- MartinNoutch

Not as part of the design, in most systems. I guess the closest, in the sense of 'absolutely essential but people neglect it then regret it' is Security. However, (on topic, but a bit of a non-sequitur) Health and safety is very much part of our lives. For most programmers, this amounts to learning decent desk posture and getting a mouse and keyboard that arent downright dangerous. I am in a building with 250 software engineers. About 10% are currently seeing a physiotherapist to sort out the damage their career is doing them, and many more have had a consult. One person I know has had to give up entirely, and another can no longer use a mouse.

The message is - Don't wait - get yourself comfortable now. Working uncomfortably should really be as stigmatised as smoking, but some people still think working on a desk crowded with docs and kit is cool, when (longer term) its just stupid... -- BrianEwins

Health and safety issues can have an affect on software design. An example that springs to mind is flashing screens and epilepsy. Presumably ergonomic requirements and user interfaces also include consideration of health and safety issues.

More specific issues arise where the software is controlling something that is inherently dangerous (TheracTwentyFive is one example). In this case HealthAndSafety issues are considered as part of system design, and may be the source of specific SoftwareSafetyRequirements?. (In the case of a radiation therapy machine a possible requirement might be to delay activation of beam until positive confirmation that the nurse is outside of the contamination area has been received)

What about making HealthAndSafety a WikiBadge? --MartinNoutch

CategoryErgonomics