I never gave computer safety and ergonomics much thought until it hit me where it hurts: In my eyes and hands! See, I’m in my 40s, and I spend long days in front of my computer. I suddenly started to notice my eyesight was diminishing and my hands sometimes went numb. Some days I’ve felt like my hands were going to fall off and I’ve had to stop working on the computer altogether.

Pain speaks volumes and mine was like my own personal emergency alarm telling me my hands and eyes are overheated and overused. Add to that the dose of heavy metals, energy consumption, noise and the need for frequent upgrades and it all adds up to a computer with plenty of “issues.” It’s got me thinking a lot about the health impact of these machines that run our lives.

We really need to look closely at our computer and electronics choices both from an environmental and a personal health perspective. In doing so, I believe we can create safer, healthier, and more ecologically responsible workplaces. One way to demonstrate your practice’s commitment to health is through procurement of less toxic, more efficient, ergonomic and safer computer equipment.

Thomas Schramm, President of the GreenMachineShop in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (www.Greenmachineshop.com), is making it a whole lot easier to get up to speed on healthier computing. He’s developed computers and related gizmos built with a minimum of toxic materials, and designed to cut energy use, reduce noise pollution, and diminish electromagnetic fields. He’s also created a free six-day online eco-computing class called, “Secrets of Healthier & Greener Computing.” Sign up for it and receive an email linked to concise, fascinating information on how computers impact health and how to minimize their ill effects.

Schramm is extremely knowledgeable about hazardous components commonly used in computer manufacture, and he’s got tons of data on energy consumption, electromagnetic fields, ergonomics, bromated fire retardants and computer lifetime. He believes these are important healthcare issues, especially for people with chemical sensitivities, and he is urging physicians genuinely concerned for their patients’ wellbeing to start paying attention to them.

A typical brand-name computer is packed with some pretty toxic stuff: mercury, cadmium, lead and bromated fire retardants (BFRs). These are especially pernicious because they are endocrine-disruptors that easily find their way into breast milk. BFRs are widely used in computer housings and circuit motherboards. The most commonly used BFR is TBBPA (Tetrabromobisphenol A). PBDEs (Polybrominated Diphenylethers), another class of harmful compounds, were widely used in older computers. Though less widespread today, they’re still used in certain components of newer computers.

According to Health Care Without Harm (www.noharm.org), these flame retardants persist in the office or home environment, and people are exposed through dust inhalation. You’d be hard-pressed to find a computer that is completely free of PBDEs, but if you specify nontoxic, nonbioaccumulative and nonpersistent chemicals when purchasing new gear, you can cut down on potential exposure quite a bit. Avoidance of chlorinated plastics and toxic materials not only reduces the negative health impact of a computer while in use, it also increases recyclability after the machine has served its purpose. Sample purchasing language can be found at: http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?ID=1108&type=document.

Higher quality eco-friendly computers may cost a bit more, but they’re often built better and they’re worth it if they can minimize negative health effects, extend the life of the equipment by two years or more, or reduce the need for repairs and upgrades.

Then there’s the energy issue. You can probably save yourself some money if you pay more attention to how you use computers in your office. According to GreenMachine’s Mr. Schramm, “Implementing power management features on all computers and office equipment in the US would save an additional 17 billion watts of electricity. That’s about $23 per year per household.” Up to 70% of all computers and related equipment are left on all the time. Equipment energy costs can be reduced by 20% just by turning things off when they’re not in use. Replacing “old school” CRT monitors with new LCD monitors can cut electricity usage from about 150 watts to about 30 watts.

Consider all the computers in your practice, and the potential impact of educating your colleagues and staff to shut off the machines when not in use. We all get very lazy, and we like having our lights, computers, copiers and other equipment on at all times. But it’s really not too burdensome to get in the habit of turning things off. If you need a little kick-start in that direction, try putting stickers on computer monitors to remind yourself and everyone else to put the computers to “sleep” or shut them down when not in use.

What about laptops? Everyone loves them, and they’re getting lighter, faster and more powerful by the minute. Sit in any airport waiting area and you’ll see more people on computers than not. Sure they’re portable, but in many cases, they’re an ergonomic nightmare, not to mention rough on the eyes. If your work demands extensive hours as a laptop jockey, it is wise to invest in a good external LCD monitor and an ergonomic keyboard.

So the next time you think about purchasing computers and electronics, slow down and consider all the health implications. Purchasing a computer made with the minimum amount of toxic materials makes so much sense, especially if it is coupled with optimal energy efficiency and ergonomic design. Machines like this are becoming more widely available, as is information on how to make informed choices.

Janet Brown is Partners Coordinator for Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E), an organization dedicated to creating a national movement for environmental sustainability in health care. www.h2e-online.org