Continuous work at the computer should not exceed. Breaks working at the computer - the free time of employees, which should be included in the working

A life modern man hard to imagine without a computer.

This is entertainment, and a means of communication, and business, and work.

It is somehow strange to see a threat in such familiar equipment, but it exists.

How long you can sit at a computer directly depends on age, nature of work and knowledge of the basics of health.

How long can you sit at the computer and why is it dangerous

If older people became friends with computers, what can we say about young people and teenagers? It is unlikely that they imagine their existence without monitors, tablets and the virtual world. Moreover, if some people work with computers, then others spend their free time in virtuality all the time, playing or talking for hours. Both take risks.

First of all, electromagnetic radiation is dangerous, which can cause chronic fatigue, headaches, increased nervousness, and a decrease in the body's immune defenses. A person who is constantly exposed to radiation falls into the risk group for oncological diseases. The radiation acts in a rather large radius of one and a half meters from the monitor, so that harm is done to the user himself and to the people around him.

Of course, manufacturers are seriously engaged in screen protection in order to reduce the radiation power from the monitor. But what to do with other parts of the monitor, as well as the system unit? All of them are also sources of radiation.

You should not rely on the safety of laptops either: they radiate, and how! Moreover, laptops are closest to human body, which clearly does not reduce the degree of danger.

Radiation affects children more than adults. Their skull bones are thinner, and the medulla is more conductive. Hence the harm that a computer (or rather, radiation) can cause at the stage of embryonic development, from miscarriage to fetal pathology. How long can a pregnant woman sit at a computer? Do I need to explain...

Increased eye strain is the second major problem associated with computers. Yes, there is no obvious harmful flickering that the first monitors sinned about today, and the load on the eyes is akin to that given by an ordinary TV. But uncontrolled time spent at the monitor is fraught with overstrain of the optic nerve, decreased vision, and the development of myopia - myopia.

The computer is especially dangerous for children who already have visual impairment. It is the eyes that suffer in the first place if a person does not observe the elementary mode of working with the monitor.

The question of how long you can sit at the computer directly relates to the development of varicose veins, scoliosis and osteochondrosis. If an adult or a child sits in front of the monitor for hours, blood circulation in the pelvic organs will be disturbed. The habit of snacking without leaving the workplace or the playing field leads to obesity, potentially dangerous in terms of developing problems with the heart, blood vessels, and the hormonal system.

If a child has a curvature of the spinal column, it is impossible to cope with the problem on their own. It is necessary to treat scoliosis in a complex way: daily gymnastics, massage, constant control of posture, swimming.

You should not discount such an important point as the development of computer addiction, similar to alcohol and drug addiction. It can also appear in an adult, but children are most often affected. Closure, lack of interests and friends in the real world, sociopathy, a shattered nervous system - such is the retribution for the time spent at the monitor. In adults, against the background of complete immersion in the virtual world, insomnia often develops, which interferes with full-fledged work and rest.

How long can you sit at the computer: instructions for adults and children

It is easy to understand that the question of how long you can sit at the computer, and the answer suggests itself: the less, the better. However, there are specific medical recommendations according to which you should plan your work and leisure.

Adult users should be guided by the following rules:

Work at the monitor for no more than two hours in a row;

Do visual gymnastics every half hour;

After two hours of work, be sure to take a break for at least twenty minutes. To break means to get up, walk, do exercises to disperse the blood in the legs and pelvic region;

In total, an adult can spend no more than six hours at a computer per day. Exceeding this limit is fraught with serious health problems.

The norms for children to stay in front of the monitor are even more stringent. How long you can sit at the computer depends primarily on the age of the child. Until he is five years old, he cannot be allowed behind the monitor. In the future, you should adhere to the following recommendations of ophthalmologists:

Children of senior preschool and primary school age up to ten years old can spend at the computer no more than half an hour a day, while one session should not exceed ten minutes;

Children from ten to 14 years old can work for about an hour, taking a mandatory break every twenty minutes;

From the age of 15 to the age of majority, the total time can be increased by another half an hour a day.

If the computer clearly has a detrimental effect on the health of the child, it should be excluded from the life of the student.

How long can you sit at the computer and how to reduce harm

Adults often ignore the recommendation to take an active break from working at the computer, but in vain. Just looking away from the monitor is not enough: in order to minimize harm to your health, you just need to walk, ideally take a short walk in the fresh air.

Visual gymnastics also a very important component of maintaining health. What can be done:

Close your eyes and sit like this for a few minutes;

Make rotational movements of the eyeballs in different directions, then up and down;

Looking out the window, first look at a point in it, and then, without changing the position of the head, look further behind the glass, at an object in the long term. Work with focus close-far several times.

How long you can sit at the computer also depends on how well the workplace is organized. You should adjust the height of the chair and table, the position of the monitor, be sure to provide good, even lighting, and the source should not be near the monitor. Every two hours you need to ventilate the room. By following all these rules, you can really reduce the harm from working with computer equipment.

"Personnel service and personnel management of the enterprise", 2008, N 5

computer norms

When you read the sanitary rules and regulations when organizing a workplace equipped with a computer, you are horrified: how can all this be observed ?! And the source of natural light (that is, the window) should be on the northeast side of the room, and the distances between workplaces should be such that the average employer renting an office will simply go broke on the rent of the "required by the standard" areas. On the other hand, what to do? After all, it is not in vain that all these standards and regulations are approved for state level, come to check their compliance and punish the negligent? So they are still needed. And first of all - for the health of employees who work in your office at computers, and not just for the sake of replenishing the budget with regular fines. So read and remember.

So, for workplaces equipped with computers (PC or PC), the state Sanitary and Epidemiological Rules and Regulations (hereinafter referred to as the Sanitary Rules) have been developed, which are the main document for the operation of a PC. The exact name of this document is "SanPiN 2.2.2 / 2.4.1340-03. Sanitary and epidemiological rules and regulations. Hygienic requirements for personal electronic computers and organization of work." It is approved by the Decree of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor Russian Federation dated 03.06.2003 N 118.

Sanitary rules are valid throughout the territory of the Russian Federation and should be applied by both individual entrepreneurs and legal entities that operate a PC.

The main requirements of the Sanitary Rules are aimed at preventing or reducing harmful and dangerous factors for people when working with computers, which can be divided into the following types:

Electromagnetic and electrostatic fields;

Negative impact on vision arising from the perception and display of information from the display screen;

Insufficient or uneven lighting of the workplace;

Excessive noise and vibration;

Non-compliance of microclimate parameters at workplaces (temperature, relative humidity, air velocity) with current sanitary standards;

Inconsistency of the workplace with the anthropometric data of the employee on the PC;

The monotony of work.

All these factors cause increased fatigue, memory disorder, headache, trophic diseases, eye diseases, sleep disorders, pain in the wrists and fingers, diseases of the spine, central nervous, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, internal organs, etc.

Here is another confirmation that the workplace of the PC user and the computer itself must comply with the requirements of these Sanitary Rules.

Computer regulations

Already during production, each type of PC is subject to sanitary and epidemiological examination in accredited testing laboratories. Therefore, employers who have purchased high-quality and certified equipment should not worry: compliance with all rules and regulations will be checked before it.

It is only important for the employer to remember that the design of the computer must be able to rotate the case in various planes (horizontal, vertical) with fixation in a given position. PC cases should be painted in soft calm colors, that is, the case, keyboard and other blocks and devices of the computer should have a matte surface, shiny details should not be used so as not to create glare. The monitor should be provided with brightness and contrast adjustment (as a rule, all modern monitors have such an opportunity).

Job Requirements

Now let's talk about the basic requirements for PC-equipped workstations. We will not dwell on such conditions, the fulfillment of which the employer cannot independently control (for example, norms for the level of electromagnetic fields, noise, vibration, etc.). Instrumental control over such indicators is carried out by the bodies of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision or accredited testing laboratories (centers).

In turn, employers will be able to ensure that sanitary requirements are met:

to the premises;

to lighting;

To the organization of jobs;

To the organization of medical care for PC users;

To conduct state sanitary and epidemiological supervision and production control.

We will tell about them in more detail.

Requirements for premises

For one user of a computer with a cathode-ray monitor and auxiliary equipment (printer, scanner, etc.), the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room should be at least 6 square meters. m. Without auxiliary devices, the area may be less than 4.5 square meters. m. For users of PCs with LCD monitors, separate standards have not been established. Therefore, we advise their happy owners to adhere to the general established standards and wait for updates to the legislation.

Design environments where PC users work should use diffusely reflective materials to eliminate the glare, glare, and discomfort of light reflections from walls and ceilings.

To create a safe environment when working on a computer, the premises must be equipped with protective grounding (zeroing). Do not place the PC near power cables, high-voltage transformers, technological equipment, which can interfere with the work with the computer.

Workplace lighting requirements

The room in which the workstations equipped with PCs are located must be sufficiently well lit: that is, both natural lighting and artificial lighting are necessary. Window openings should face north and northeast. At the same time, windows must be equipped with adjustable devices (blinds, curtains, etc.).

Reference. Other requirements for lighting are prescribed in the current standards for natural and artificial lighting, approved by the Decree of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation of 04/08/2003 N 34 "On the Enactment of SanPin 2.2.1 / 2.1.1.1278-03".

Artificial lighting in rooms with a PC should be uniform. At workplaces where there is a constant workflow, a combined lighting system is used: that is, a local lighting lamp is added to the general lighting, which must have an opaque reflector with a protective angle of at least 40 °.

The desktop is installed in such a way that the monitor is on its side to the light openings. Then natural light will fall from the left.

Illumination should not create glare on the screen surface and should be no more than 300 lux, and the illumination of the table surface in the area of ​​the working document should be 300 - 500 lux. Of course, it is problematic to measure this value on your own. But if we consider the usual watts, then on average 18 - 25 watts per 1 sq. m of premises. We repeat that these are very approximate calculations, since not only the number of light bulbs plays a role in illuminating the space, but also the color of the walls, the height of the ceiling, the materials used to decorate the room (matte or shiny), and many other factors.

In artificial lighting, it is recommended to use LB-type fluorescent lamps or compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) as a light source. Metal halide lamps are allowed. In local lighting fixtures, conventional incandescent lamps, including halogen ones, can be used.

For rooms where PCs are used, you can also use lamps with mirrored parabolic gratings, which are equipped with electronic ballasts (electronic ballasts). But the use of lamps without diffusers and shielding grilles is not allowed.

To maintain normal illumination parameters of the premises where computers are operated, they clean and wash the glass of window frames and lamps at least twice a year. And, of course, they replace burned-out lamps in a timely manner.

General requirements for the organization of workplaces

PC users

When placing workstations where computers are located, the distance between desktops with monitors (in the direction of the rear surface of one monitor and the screen of another monitor) must be at least 2.0 m, and the distance between the side surfaces of the monitors must be 1.2 m.

If there are sources of harmful production factors in the room with computers, then the workplaces of PC users should be located in isolated cabins with organized air exchange. Workplaces equipped with computers, when performing creative work, must be isolated with partitions 1.5 - 2.0 m high.

The monitor screen should be located at a distance of 600 - 700 mm from the user's eyes, but not closer than 500 mm.

And now - about the design of furniture and its ergonomics for a PC user.

The design of the desktop should provide optimal placement on the working surface of the equipment used. The height of the working surface of the table for adult users should be adjusted within 680 - 800 mm. The modular dimensions of the working surface of the PC table should be considered: width - 800, 1000, 1200, 1400 mm and depth - 800, 1000 mm. The work table must have legroom at least 600 mm high, at least 500 mm wide, at least 450 mm deep at the knees and at least 650 mm at the level of outstretched legs.

The design of the work chair or armchair should ensure that a rational posture of the PC user is maintained so that posture can be changed to prevent fatigue. The type of chair, armchair must be selected taking into account the height of the user, the nature and duration of work with the PC.

The working chair (chair) must have:

The width and depth of the seat surface is at least 400 mm;

Seat surface with rounded front edge;

Height adjustment of the seat surface within 400 - 550 mm and tilt angles forward up to 15 ° and back up to 5 °;

The angle of inclination of the backrest in the vertical plane within +30°;

Height adjustment of the armrests above the seat. The keyboard should be located on the table surface at a distance of 100 - 300 mm from the edge facing the user, or on a special surface separated from the tabletop.

Medical care for PC users

Professional users, that is, persons who work on a computer for more than 50% of their working time, must undergo mandatory preliminary (when applying for a job) and periodic medical examinations according to established order.

Persons who do not have medical contraindications are allowed to work with computers.

From the time of pregnancy, women are transferred to work not related to the use of a PC, or the time of working on a computer is limited for them (no more than 3 hours per work shift), subject to the hygiene requirements established by the Sanitary Rules.

Work with a PC is organized depending on the type and category labor activity.

Types of labor activity are divided into three groups:

Group A - work on reading information from the monitor screen;

Group B - work on entering information;

Group B - creative work in dialogue mode with a PC.

In addition, for the types of labor activity, three categories of severity and intensity of work with a PC were established:

Group A - according to the total number of characters read per shift (but not more than 60,000 characters per shift);

Group B - by the total number of characters read or entered per shift (but not more than 40,000 characters per shift);

Group B - according to the total time of direct work with a PC per shift (but not more than 6 hours per shift).

Therefore, depending on the category of labor activity and the level of load per work shift, when working with a PC, the total time of regulated breaks is set. Table 1 shows recommended scheduled break times.

Table 1

The total time of regulated breaks depending on

on the duration of work, type and category of labor

activities with a PC

To reduce user fatigue, a work shift is organized by alternating work on a PC with other work. If there is no possibility of alternating types of labor activity, then it is recommended to take breaks of 10-15 minutes every 45-60 minutes of work.

The duration of continuous work on the computer without regulated breaks should not exceed 1 hour.

On the night shift (that is, from 10 pm to 6 am), regardless of the category and type of labor activity, the duration of regulated breaks should increase by 30%.

In order to reduce neuro-emotional stress, fatigue of the visual analyzer, to eliminate hypodynamia, it is advisable to perform complexes exercise(see example 1).

1. Close your eyes, strongly straining the eye muscles, at the expense of 1 - 4, then open your eyes, relaxing the muscles of the eyes, look into the distance at the expense of 1 - 6. Repeat 4 - 5 times.

2. Look at the bridge of your nose and hold your gaze at the expense of 1 - 4. Do not bring your eyes to fatigue. Then open your eyes, look into the distance at the expense of 1 - 6. Repeat 4 - 5 times.

3. Without turning your head, look to the right and fix your gaze at the count 1 - 4, then look into the distance directly at the count 1 - 6. The exercises are carried out in the same way, but with fixation of the gaze to the left, up and down. Repeat 3-4 times.

4. Move your gaze quickly diagonally: up to the right - down to the left, then straight into the distance at the expense of 1 - 6; then left up - right down and look into the distance at the expense of 1 - 6. Repeat 4 - 5 times.

Example 2. Let's give an example of the correct organization of the workplace when working with the computer of an accountant Sazonova I.P.

1. Room and lighting.

This room has both natural and artificial lighting. The window faces north. The room is equipped with heating appliances and an air conditioning system. Walls and ceilings are painted matte paint. The premises are cleaned daily. The area of ​​the workplace of Sazonova I.P. is 6 sq. m. The table is on the side of the window, the light falls on the left. The window has adjustable shutters. Artificial lighting evenly. In addition, the work table is equipped with a table lamp.

2. Desktop.

On the desktop, a monitor, keyboard, "mouse", as well as documents, books, papers are freely placed. The table is in a row with other tables at a distance of 2 meters, and the distance between the rows is 1.2 m.

3. Chair (chair).

The chair allows not only to maintain the correct posture, taking into account the features of the figure of IP Sazonova, but also to change it to reduce the static tension of the muscles of the cervical-shoulder region and back. The chair is adjustable in height, inclination angles of the seat and backrest, as well as in the distance of the backrest from the front edge of the seat. The surface of the seat, backrest and armrests is semi-soft, with a coating that does not slip, does not electrify and allows air to pass through.

4. Monitor.

The monitor is placed on the table right in front of I.P. Sazonova. at a distance of approximately 600 mm.

5. Keyboard and mouse.

The keyboard and mouse are positioned so that the elbows are parallel to the table surface and at right angles to the shoulder. The wrists are not bent. The keyboard is located 10 - 15 cm from the edge of the table.

In the process of working with a PC, the accountant Sazonova I.P. has scheduled breaks that she uses for gymnastics.

T.I. Cherkashina

Lead HSE Engineer

OOO "Troika-logistiktsentr"

Signed for print

As you know, any worker, in whatever profession and conditions he works, is not a robot or a machine. His work, for physiological reasons, cannot be continuous. The natural needs of the body and fatigue also affect, and the result may well be unsatisfactory results of work. Unfortunately, not all employers understand this. But the labor code guards the interests of workers, not only regulating the duration of mandatory technical or lunch breaks, but also leaving scope for providing additional rest with an 8- or 12-hour working day.

Breaks in accordance with the law are mandatory and recommended

Despite the fact that interruptions in work at first glance may seem like an insignificant circumstance worthy of regulatory regulation of 2–3 articles, in practice the regulatory framework for them is quite massive. The Labor Code allocates half of Chapter 18 to breaks, supplementing with separate articles in the guarantees section for special categories of workers. But besides this, many industry regulations establish special rules for breaks in the work of employees of certain professions (these are the orders of the Ministry of Transport on breaks for vehicle drivers and aircraft dispatchers, and the orders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food on breaks for employees of tobacco, starch, alcohol production and juice production, and etc.).

General, when working at a computer, mandatory - how they are classified

In general, such a set of breaks permitted by law can be classified according to several criteria:

1. Scope of specialties:
   • general - relating to all employees without exception - lunch break, additional breaks established by the employer for personal needs, etc.;
   • specialized - breaks applied to certain categories of employees (nursing mothers, employees of certain professions, working in certain specific conditions, for example, at a computer).
2. According to the degree of obligation for the employer:
   • mandatory - lunch break, most breaks provided to certain categories of employees, breaks for heating, etc .;
   • recommended - additional breaks set by the employer's local NLA.
3. By inclusion in work time(and, accordingly, payment):
   • excluded from the course of working time - lunch break;
   • included in working hours - most other types of breaks.

In the collective agreement and PWTR, the employer must reflect the types of breaks used in the organization and the rules for determining them (it is better if specific time frames are indicated). If the working regime of individual employees in terms of breaks differs from the rest, their conditions may be stipulated in the employment agreement.

Is the lunch break included in the working day?

Lunch break is mandatory for all employees

Lunch rest is a mandatory break for all employees, guaranteed by art. 108 TK. Its main purpose is to rest and eat, but each employee has the right to use this break at his own discretion.

If an employee voluntarily dedicates a lunch break to work, this does not contradict the law. However, this time is not payable.

The Labor Code establishes clear parameters for lunch breaks:

• duration from half an hour to two hours;
• start - no later than 4 hours from the start of work.

However, it should be understood that the specifics of some production processes for objective reasons, does not allow the employer to interrupt them. So, it would be completely unnatural to send a teacher to lunch. kindergarten You can't just leave babies unattended. It is for such cases that Part 2 of Art. 108 makes a reservation: if it is impossible to organize a full-fledged lunch, the meal must be organized by the employer without interrupting the process (in the above example, together with the children). Nevertheless, the presence of such a feature for certain categories of workers is necessarily stipulated in the PWTR.

The law also allows the so-called floating lunch break, which means for the employee the opportunity to independently determine the time for meals, depending on the workload and the current situation. However, the time “corridor” for choosing the time of rest is still prescribed either in local legal acts or in the contract.

The law does not contain any reservations regarding the lunch break for part-time employees, as well as those who work in shifts (12 hour shifts, for example). And this means that the former have the right to claim a full-fledged lunch break every day, and for the latter, the employer can schedule two or more breaks with a total duration of no more than the maximum. However, this is not an obligation, but the right of the employer.

Time for personal needs during the day

Additional breaks for personal needs (for example, a coffee break) are set at the discretion of the employer

The Labor Code does not oblige the employer to establish additional (except for lunch and specialized) breaks for the general mass of employees, however, it does not prohibit it. In addition, recommendations on short breaks during the working day for a “smoke break”, “coffee break” or just a respite are given by the methodology for determining labor standards. Yes, and the employers themselves understand the importance of such an organization of working time, not only to maintain a normal level of labor productivity, but also as an incentive to work in the company as a whole.

Additional breaks are regulated in the employer's local regulatory legal acts - PVTR, collective agreement. The time of such breaks is regarded as working, and, accordingly, is paid in the usual way.

The total duration of additional breaks per working day is usually about 10–20 minutes.

Technical (specialized or technological) breaks

The legislative basis for the provision of specialized breaks is Art. 109 TK. Nevertheless, all the existing variety of norms devoted to this topic could hardly fit into the framework of one article.

Straight st. 109 names only one type of specialized breaks - those intended for heating workers in conditions of low temperatures and rest for employees involved in loading or unloading.

However, specializations include:

• breaks for people who constantly work at a computer (according to the norms of SanPin, after each hour of such work, they should be interrupted for 10-15 minutes, taking in general from 50 minutes to an hour and a half to rest for a working day);
• breaks for feeding children (Article 258 of the Labor Code);
• breaks established by industry orders for workers of certain professions - drivers, dispatchers, manufacturers of tobacco and alcohol products, starch and molasses, juices and yeast, postal workers, penitentiary inspections, cadastral service, etc.

Constant work at the computer requires frequent breaks

The duration of rest when working in the cold and in the heat

The rules for establishing breaks associated with temperature deviations in which the employee works from the norm are regulated by SanPin 2.2.4.548–96 and methodological recommendations 2.2.8.0017–10.

General rules for working at low temperatures:

• additional breaks are provided simultaneously with the opportunity to warm up in a specially equipped room;
• the air temperature in the room for heating should be above 21°C, while the legs and arms must be heated additionally - at a temperature of 35°C to 40°C;
• heating time at temperature environment up to 10°C you can work no more than 10 minutes in a row, below 10°C - no more than 5 minutes in a row;
• employees working at low temperatures should be fed a hot lunch, after which they can start work no earlier than 10 minutes from the moment of completion.

If the employer has not ensured that employees working in the cold comply with the above guarantees, they have the legal right to refuse to work.

The work of the team or its individual members in conditions of elevated temperatures also requires the employer to be attentive to compliance with the law. By the way, the air temperature in the room is considered to be elevated if it exceeds the value of 26–28 ° С. Here everything depends on the intensity of labor:

Employees working in the cold are given warm breaks

• work that does not require great physical effort in such conditions should not continuously last more than 5 hours;
• work of medium intensity - no more than 2.5 hours;
• highly labor-intensive work - no more than 10–20 minutes.

How is a break for feeding a baby regulated?

Article 258 of the Labor Code establishes special additional breaks for young mothers. So, the woman who came out of maternity leave until the baby reaches the age of one and a half years, has the right to several breaks daily - every three hours of work. The duration of the breaks depends on the number of children of the corresponding age:

• in the presence of one child, each break lasts at least half an hour;
• if there are two or more children - one hour.

Breaks at the request of a woman can be shifted in time, for example, attached to a lunch break, the end of the working day (shift), etc.

The mother of a baby under one and a half years old is given additional breaks for feeding the child

Breaks for feeding children are paid - they are paid based on the average earnings of the employee.

Special Issues for Granting Work Breaks

Dividing the day into parts

Fragmented (for objective reasons, divided into parts) labor day - the rules for its provision and payment are subject to Art. 149 of the Labor Code - does not involve the provision of a separate lunch break. This nature of labor is prescribed in advance in the labor agreement and is additionally compensated in monetary terms. However, specialized breaks designed for employees of certain professions in the event of a fragmented working day are applied in the usual manner.

Is it possible to work without rest?

The law prohibits employers from ignoring the requirements for mandatory breaks, including reducing them relative to the lower limit of the norm or not establishing them at all. In turn, the employee has the right to continue working during a legal break, but such work is not subject to payment.

Extending a break for rest or lunch

Violation of the time frame of the break by the employee is considered as non-compliance with the rules of labor discipline, which means a disciplinary offense. Depending on the duration of the time period during which the employee was absent from work, the severity of the misconduct is determined. In the event of an absence of more than three hours, it can be regarded as absenteeism with the application of the most severe measures of influence (up to and including dismissal). Less serious infractions may be "rewarded" with a reprimand or reprimand.

Responsibility of the employer for violations of the law

For violation of the rights of employees to rest, the legislator bears administrative responsibility

The employer for non-compliance with the law on breaks in work bears administrative responsibility under the general article of the Code of Administrative Offenses - 5.27.

The sanctions of this article provide for a wide range of penalties (it all depends on the severity of the identified violation):

• fines for officials - from one to five thousand rubles, in case of a repeated offense - up to twenty thousand rubles with disqualification;
• fines for companies - from thirty to fifty thousand rubles, for a repeated offense - up to seventy thousand rubles.

Breaks in work are a guarantee of the health of workers and their further fruitful work. Mandatory breaks ensure that only the most basic conditions for the employee are met, while additional breaks can serve as an incentive to work in the company. Understanding this, an experienced leader will definitely use this method as a low-cost opportunity to increase his own authority and the authority of the company in the team.

Working at a computer is as interesting as it is harmful to health. It is associated with staying in one position for a long time. You can often see how office workers turn their heads from side to side to disperse blood flow in the cervical vertebrae. They also try to imperceptibly perform circular movements with their feet, since the blood in them also stagnates and provokes a painful feeling of heaviness. But the static load on the muscle corset is far from the only harmful factor that accompanies such work. Therefore, the Labor Code provides for breaks at.

When is computer work considered harmful?

Office workers spend up to half of their working time behind a monitor. The electromagnetic field in this case constantly exerts its negative impact on the body. First of all, the employee's vision suffers. Therefore, every employer is obliged to create optimal conditions in the workplace.

In order to determine the level of health hazard of electromagnetic radiation, it is necessary to keep records of working hours. Its optimal duration is determined on the basis of one week, according to Art. 91 TK. In particular, it emphasizes that conditions are considered unfavorable in which a computer is used for more than 20 hours within 40 hours.

In this case, working at a computer is recognized as a harmful factor (Article 209 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).

The employee has the right to demand that the employer improve working conditions. However, for this it is necessary to document in the memorandum the fact that he has to spend more than half of his working time at the computer. The employer is obliged to respond in this case.

For example, he can adjust the employee's schedule so that work functions will alternate in it: at the computer and without it. In addition, the employee has the right to demand from the employer an additional technical break, during which the negative effects of electromagnetic radiation can be minimized.

Computer work: optimal mode

The hygienic requirements of SanPiN emphasize that not only the total length of time is important, but also the specifics of the work. All labor functions associated with working on a computer are conditionally divided by specialists into 3 groups. This classification takes into account the nature of the involvement of the employee and the level of intensity of his work.

The classification includes the following data:

A typical example of determining membership in a Group is work on accounting for the formation of personnel units, which requires the reading of employee data. In this case, a person works with a corporate database, and his task is to search for the necessary information on request (by the name of the educational institution and the year of its graduation).

The nature of the employee's activities falls under Group B. That is, a person has a regulated break. But even if it is not installed at the enterprise or for some reason the employer has not fulfilled this requirement, then the following is an indisputable condition for everyone who works at a computer: you can work without a break for no more than 60 minutes.

Employees can independently conduct corporate analytics, which would reflect which category each employee falls under and what break he is entitled to. But the best option would not be to introduce a 15-minute break every hour, but to alternate work functions: with and without a computer.

Breaks that employees are legally entitled to while working at a computer

SanPiN provides for breaks when working at a computer with an 8-hour working day:

1. Group A: two 15-minute breaks (after 2 hours from the start of the shift and for lunch).
2. Group B: hourly 10-minute break.
3. Group B: hourly 15-minute break.

With a 12-hour working day, this regulation is maintained for the first 8 hours of the work shift. The remaining 4 hours are regulated specifically. Regardless of the category of work complexity and belonging to Groups A, B or C, according to SanPiN, breaks when working at a computer should be every hour (at least 15 minutes).

It is also important to take into account that if an employee neglects the 15 minutes of rest allotted to him, then he may not count on compensation for such a labor feat. Failure to use scheduled breaks is a personal matter for the employee. It does not oblige the employer to do anything, who has fulfilled his duties: he has planned the work of the office, taking into account breaks.

If, during the prescribed technical break, an employee spends in a room reserved for smoking, then there is no reason to believe that he will receive physical and psychological relief. Smoking, even in a specially designated place for this, is a negative factor.

In addition, it is strongly not recommended to use this time for personal activities, watching content on the phone, having a snack at the coffee machine, and so on. The SanPiN rules prescribe not to perform other labor functions during this time, even if they are not connected with a computer.

This pause is given to employees precisely for rest and recovery. physical strength. Specialized sites offer special gymnastics, which effectively relieves eye strain and thereby minimizes the negative effects of the electromagnetic field. The most common exercise: shifting your gaze from a close object to a distant one with prolonged focusing on a distant object.

Medical examinations of personnel involved in working with a computer

Until recently (until 2014), a statement of the presence of harmful factors took place based on the results of the study. Now the announcement of the level of harmfulness is charged to the members of the commission, created specifically to assess the working conditions at the enterprise or in production.

At the same time, employers may not treat the need for a special assessment of jobs with a proper degree of responsibility. But the harmful factors of electromagnetic radiation coming from the monitor are not eliminated from this.

This means that the employee, regardless of the performance of certification duties by the management, has the right to demand the organization of the conduct at the expense of the enterprise. This provision is stipulated in Ministerial Regulation No. 15/2 of 2014.

So, an employee who spends more than 50% of his working time at the computer has the right to a medical examination during the work shift. At the same time, the employer is obliged to keep his salary for this period.

The aforementioned Ministerial Regulation states that the inspection must take place at least once every two years. But employees involved in work with a computer, whose age does not reach 21 years old, must pass it every year. And the organization of these annual medical examinations is again the responsibility of the employer, which is emphasized in articles 213 and 185 of the Labor Code.

Failure to fulfill the obligation to organize medical examinations for categories of citizens involved in working with a computer is fraught with the imposition of fines and administrative sanctions.

In addition, if the supervisory authorities establish a violation of the organization of medical examinations, then the provision on fines comes into effect:

• for legal entities: from 10,000 to 20,000 rubles;
• for officials: from 500 to 1000 rubles.

If the violation occurs systematically, then the supervisory authorities monitoring labor protection have the right to suspend professional activity enterprises or institutions up to 90 days.

In this case, the supervisory authority is Rospotrebnadzor.

If computer work is the responsibility of a pregnant woman

Paragraph No. 13/2 of SanPiN states that an employee's pregnancy is a good reason for transferring to another area of ​​work where a computer would not be involved. It is also allowed to minimize the working time of a woman at the computer: 3 hours per shift.

And here there is some contradiction. The fact is that SanPiN limits the admission of pregnant women and nursing mothers to the performance of labor functions associated with potentially hazardous health conditions.

But at the same time, it is stipulated that the restriction is relevant for those works that involve contact with harmful factors. At the same time, the electromagnetic field emitted by computer equipment is physically intangible. Therefore, the employer may regard this restriction as irrelevant.

This is a gross violation of the rights of pregnant women to the protection of working conditions. If an employee is faced with such a fact, then she has the right to apply to Rospotrebnadzor with a complaint against the employer.

Unfortunately, there is also the opposite situation, when a pregnant woman continues to perform her duties, not considering electromagnetic radiation to be something harmful. It is impossible to define such a fact otherwise than as irresponsibility.

First of all, a woman infringes on the legal right of the unborn child to full health and development. In addition, such imprudent and irrational behavior of a pregnant woman exposes the employer. In the event that a pregnant or lactating woman is found to have performed her duties at a computer throughout the working day, the employer will be subject to an administrative penalty or the imposition of penalties.

Employment rules related to the use of computer equipment

When hiring, the number of hours spent at the monitor is specified in the employee's employment contract. In this case, the employee will have to undergo a medical examination if he initially knows that the performance of labor functions at the computer will take more than 50% of the working time.

In modern enterprises, the work of many office workers is associated with a long stay at the computer. In accordance with current regulations, the negative impact of a computer monitor has a significant impact on the body of an employee, which can be regarded as a harmful factor in working conditions. In this case, the duration of the employee's interaction with the computer will be taken into account first of all.

The employer has an obligation to properly organize the workspace of employees who work with computers throughout the day or part of it. Requirements regarding the working conditions of PC users are enshrined in the current legislation. According to them, employees who work at a computer for more than 50% of their working time are considered to be involved in work with harmful conditions.

If during the certification of production areas, these workplaces are determined as having harmful and / or dangerous working conditions, then the employees performing their work on them official duties will be entitled to appropriate compensation. If the evaluation results do not establish the presence of negative facts, then compensation to employees is not provided.

In addition, for persons involved in work with dangerous and / or harmful factors of influence, a mandatory primary medical examination and an annual re-examination are provided. This measure is necessary to confirm their ability to fully perform their duties and prevent the occurrence of occupational diseases.

Classification of the degree of harm from working at a computer in accordance with current legislation

In the main normative act regulating relations between the employer and the employee - the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, there are no norms providing for the possibility of classifying long-term work at the computer as having harmful factors of influence. Because of this, in practice, situations often arise when sanitary and hygienic requirements for the working conditions of employees are neglected.

However, despite this, these requirements are enshrined in a number of other regulations. The Standard Instruction for OT No. Р-45-084-01 fixes the negative factors that can affect the body of employees who work with a computer for a long time:

1. Low level of air ionization;
2. Increased indicators of electromagnetic radiation and static electricity;
3. Increased load on the vision of the worker;
4. Prolonged static physical stress.

In addition, prolonged sitting in a sitting position often leads to venous insufficiency, spinal curvature, visual impairment and chronic stress. However, most of these problems can be avoided with proper organization of the workspace. Therefore, the requirements regarding the equipment of workplaces of PC users include providing the right furniture, creating comfortable microclimatic conditions and the necessary level of lighting.

Among the regulations governing sanitary and hygienic working conditions with computers, in addition to the above Model Instructions:

• SanPiN 2.2.2./2.4. 1340-03;
• Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 302n;
• Order No. 426-FZ.

As for the norms Labor Code RF, then it contains rules regarding the duration of work shifts and mandatory breaks for rest (Article 108 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). If at the enterprise, during the assessment process, these work sites were identified as having harmful impact factors, then, according to Article 117 of the Labor Code, employees working on them are entitled to receive additional days of annual rest, in the amount of at least seven. The employer has the right to increase the duration of additional leave by fixing this rule in the local acts of the enterprise. Recall from additional rest is not allowed, as well as its replacement with monetary compensation. The only exception is the channel calculation upon dismissal of an employee.

Sanitary standards for working at a computer

As noted above, the rules for organizing a workspace for working at a computer are enshrined in the Sanitary Rules, which regulate the procedure for carrying out labor activities using a PC and computers. At the same time, each computer in the company must undergo a mandatory assessment of harmfulness, the results of which are reflected in the certificate of conformity. If the employer purchases this equipment in company stores, then it is tested in the laboratory there, so you should not worry about its compliance with safety requirements.

When choosing a technique, it must be taken into account that it must be able to change the position of the screen, so that the employee can change its position along the horizontal and vertical axes. The case of the system unit should be made in soothing colors without shiny elements, since in the process of work they reflect glare, which cause increased load for sight. In order to reduce eye fatigue, the monitor should have contrast and brightness adjustment so that the employee can set the intensity of light transmission and color that is comfortable for him.

According to the current rules, the employer is obliged to organize the employee's workplace based on the requirements for:

• the premises;
• lighting;
• Furniture and more.

Requirements for premises for working with a computer

Today it is not uncommon to find working premises with an area of ​​​​only 10-12 square meters. m, which employs five to six people at a time. However, such working conditions are considered a gross violation of the rules established by SanPiN, according to which the necessary working space for an employee who works with a computer for more than 50% of working time depends on the type of monitor he uses:

1. Based on an electro-ray tube - the working area for one worker must be at least 6 square meters. m;
2. Plasma or LCD monitor - allows you to reduce this figure to 4.5 sq.m.

According to current recommendations, windows in such rooms are best located on the northern and northeastern parts. And if the production area does not have natural lighting, then the head of the company must provide employees with artificial lighting in the required amount. According to the requirements of legislative norms, for this it is necessary to carry out special calculations, which in practice is extremely rare.

Employees' desktops are placed in such a way that the distance between them is not less than 2 m, and between the side parts of the monitors - from 1.2 m. SanPiN also contains requirements regarding the degree of vibration, the intensity of sound and electromagnetic effects, as well as the microclimate in the room.

Workplace lighting

SanPiN pays special attention to the rules for lighting the premises in which workers using computers work. This is due to the fact that the degree of visual fatigue directly depends on the intensity of illumination.

According to the requirements of the Sanitary Rules, natural light sources are best located on the north, northeast side of the room. Artificial lighting is recommended to be organized using fluorescent lamps in the form of lines (solid or intermittent). They should be installed on the side of the working surface, and with a circular placement of workplaces - localized, above the table, closer to the operator. The level of local lighting on the working surface should be in the range of 300-500 lux.

When choosing computer desks for workspace equipment, a number of aspects must be taken into account:

• The design of the furniture must correspond to the specifics of the work and the number of additional equipment required for its implementation;
• The width of the table must be at least 800 mm and not more than 1400 mm;
• Depth - from 800 to 1000 mm;
• Height - 725 mm.

It is not recommended to use an ordinary office chair when equipping workplaces for PC users, since it does not have the necessary ergonomic properties. The right furniture provides the necessary support for the back and allows you to reduce the load from this area, as well as the neck and shoulder area. It is better if the chair will have a lifting mechanism that allows you to adjust its height.

According to clause 9.3 and clause 10.5 of SanPiN, for computer users who work with them for more than half of their working time, it is also necessary to provide a special footrest, up to 15 cm high and 30 cm wide.

In addition, this rule contains requirements regarding the organization of the workspace in the implementation creative activity associated with significant mental stress and prolonged concentration. It is better to isolate such areas with the help of opaque partitions from one and a half to two meters high.

Breaks at work

In order to prevent increased fatigue of employees working with computers, clause 1.3 of Appendix No. 7 to SanPiN recommends, when developing work shifts, to alternate activities using a PC and without it. If the work involves constant contact with computer equipment, then it is necessary to organize breaks in the work of employees for 10-15 minutes during each hour. According to part 1 of article 109 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, these breaks are part of working time, and during night shifts, the duration of rest increases by 30%.