I was going to give a summary on Linda’s talk on the aging workforce that she presented at the American Industrial Hygeine Association in Calgary in March but I came across an article on Ergoweb about the dangers of laptops in a vehicle that reminded me I wanted to give some pointers about laptops in a vehicle.
The article referred to a young woman who was killed in Surrey, BC recently when it was believed her laptop, unsecured in the vehicle, struck her in the back of the head (see story). This unfortunate incident serves as a reminder the importance of practicing safety in a vehicle, particularly ones that have become “offices” for a lot of individuals. I have two family members who are training to be field sales people for a local power company so this really hit home for me – as I imagine it does for many others since the use of laptops has increased greatly in the last decade.
Using laptops in a vehicle in these times is something we are all going to have to accept – like the calculator, the portable office on wheels is going to be common place now and well into the future. The key for organizations – and perhaps even engineers designing vehicles of the future – is remembering that safety needs to be addressed. Here are a few things to keep in mind if your employees use a laptop in their vehicle:
- Do not use the laptop when driving – seems like common sense but is it always practiced?
- To avoid glare when using the laptop, park the vehicle in a position to minimize the glare (shady tree or building perhaps).
- Once you are parked and you need to use the laptop, place it directly in front of the body. If you need to raise the height of it, place it on a briefcase or some other flat object.
- To allow more room, try sitting in the passenger seat when utilizing the laptop.
- When driving, make sure the laptop is secured inside a backpack or laptop bag and you are not at risk of the laptop hitting you should you need to stop suddenly or if in an accident. Even a bag laying on the seat or floor is still unsecured. The Ergoweb article suggests using an automobile desk that is secured to the vehicle and the laptop can be clamped into place.
Again, the electronic devices that we use to keep in touch with family or work or improve our enjoyment of life are constantly changing and once they’ve been introduced, it’s hard to let them go. As long as we remember good safety practices and improve the design for use of these devices, they will continue to be a part of our lives.