COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME

Bruhaspati Samal

Secretary, AIPEU, Gr.-C

Bhubaneswar

While waiting in a clinic, I witnessed the interaction of a gentleman with an ophthalmologist. As I remember, the ophthalmologist, inter alia, asked the questions like – “ Do you work with a computer for longer hours ? Is your monitor 16 to 30 inches away from you ? Is the top of the screen 10 to 20 degree below your eye level and you look downward ? Do you consider occupational / computer glasses with anti-reflective coating ? Is your monitor placed on the side of a window and light sources? Do you blink rapidly at least 10 times a minute while working before the computer ? Are your feet firmly on the ground and hips, knees and arms straight and at right angle ? Do you place your documents on a copy-stand adjacent to the monitor ?  Do you break every 20 minutes and focus 20 ft. away ?”..... etc.  After examining other pathological reports, the ophthalmologist replied the gentleman, “ Though your eyes are organically sound , you have Computer Vision Syndrome.”

What’s that ? – enquired the gentleman.

The ophthalmologist explained, “While working before the computers for longer hours, it is not possible to maintain the natural law of normal vision and one has to focus closely very often compelling the ciliary muscle  which controls the ability of the eye  to change focus,  to work two and half times harder by the computer screen reducing the normal blinking. The result is, dry, itchy, red and burning eyes. This apart, there may be headache, neck pain and shoulder pain. And this spiraling new vision problem is Computer Vision Syndrome or CVS which is growing rapidly consequent upon the I T revolution. The probable causes of this occupational health hazard are excessive use of computers, bad lighting, sustained and diversified mental effort, extremely arduous  physical efforts in an improper workstation design, extremely close work with intense and constant visual attention, continuous exposure to various intensely disagreeable conditions etc. The solution is an ‘ yes ’ to the above questions”.

I became surprised and asked myself, “ Have my colleagues in the Department of Posts any  idea on the above aspects ? Immediately, I started doing Mathematics.

The Department of Posts actively entered into the digital era through counter mechanization installing 102 personal computer-based MPCMs in 22 selected post offices during the year 1990 - 91. The MPCMs were brought to operation by  the existing Postal Assistants with a mere training of working knowledge. On successful operation, without looking back, the Department with a mission for total computerization of operative offices  through Local Area network ( LAN ), Wide Area Network ( WAN ), Metropolitan Area Network (MAN ) and Internet and to provide ‘Anytime - Anywhere’ service started introducing  various e-enabled services day by day. As per the Department’s Annual Report – 2007, up to the end of 2005 – 06, India Post has computerized all 839 Head Post offices, 6184 Sub Post offices, 19 Postal Accounts Offices and 139 Administrative Offices. Just imagine, the number of people working with computers in our Department. The Department is issuing computer security guide lines from time to time. Recently, in August, 2007 the PTC Mysore released its first technology bulletin  the ‘Technotalk’  with a view to familiarize  the postal employees  with the requirements of computerized operations especially focusing on the software issues. 

But unfortunately, the computer awareness programmes  undertaken by the Department are just limited to successful implementation / operation of various modules / packages. The main objectives of the regional PTCs are confined to impart the skills and knowledge required for understanding and operating computer hardware and software systems relevant to the needs of the Department ( Chapter 10, Para – 5 of Annual Report – 2007 ). Is it not the responsibility of the Department to consider what is relevant to staff welfare ? The Department is not providing any such materials / publications / circulars instructing its employees regarding precautions to be taken before starting to work with a computer. The non technical Postal Assistants who are working continuously for more than seven hours a day with all sincerity and devotion  are just given the working knowledge on several modules through short duration training programmes limited to one / two week(s) in the six Postal training Centers and  sixty Work Place Training Centers. The Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs ) don’t include the above queries. Due to ignorance only, they are totally careless towards such health hazard. This is certainly anti-welfare in disguise.

Secondly, the conditions of many post office buildings are highly precarious not having the required schedule of accommodation. The officials are compelled to work in a very cramped situation in the rented buildings without minimum amenities. The post offices are identified without proper workplace design. The computers are installed without standard ground-works required for civil and electrical purposes and amongst the heaps of  dusty canvass bags, old / obsolete furniture and forms. There is hardly any computerized post office which is air conditioned. Many post offices are not having the standard furniture for computers. The Postal Administration is just trying to give a corporate look to the post offices through the slogan of modernization and computerization in pen and paper only. The probable causes of CVS are quite familiar to our post offices. Don’t you guess that thousands of  postal employees will certainly suffer from CVS unless they are properly educated and the condition of the computerized PO building are changed ? Just imagine the future financial impact on these low paid postal employees with sore eyes and cumulative consequences on their families and society as a whole ! In this context, I do remember the message dated 6^th March, 2006 from the Desk of the then Member ( Development ) Sri IMG Khan, presently our Hon’ble DG regarding growth and spread of a healthy physical culture throughout the Department by organizing  sports and cultural activities from grass root level. Hope, the D G (Posts) will realize the concern for CVS.

Thus, it is expected that the Department of Posts will look after the welfare of its employees giving proper education and training  not only for successful operation of various modules  but  also imparting them with the minimum common knowledge and prerequisites to deal with the hardware / software. A change in the computer training syllabus and renovation of computerized post office buildings with adequate lighting arrangement  and space provision, standard and approved quality  furniture are barely necessary.

( The article was written during 2007 and  already published in December – 2007 issue of  Bhartiya Post . Since the problems remain the same till date, I thought it relevant to reproduce )