Projector health and safety issues
Use of data projectors as part of interactive whiteboard solutions has been subject to best practice guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that established effective guidelines for use and constraints on brightness for safety reasons.
The emergence of ultra short throw projectors presents a positive step forward in the development of technologies that support interactive learning and teaching and at the same time provide a safer classroom environment. The widespread use of interactive technologies to enrich the learning and teaching experience already makes a valuable contribution to the educational process. When used in accordance with the established HSE guidance these technologies can be an effective aid to learning and institutions should actively develop the application of existing interactive whiteboard technologies embedding their use within teaching and learning. For these installations the following guidance is still relevant:
Employers should establish work procedures for teachers/lecturers and pupils/students and give instruction on their adoption so that:
- Staring directly into the projector beam is avoided at all times.
- Standing facing into the beam is minimised. Users, especially pupils and students, should try to keep their backs to the beam as much as possible.
- In this regard, the use of a stick or laser pointer to avoid the need for the user to enter the beam is recommended.
- Pupils and students are adequately supervised when they are asked to point out something on the screen.
- Employers should also try to ensure that projectors are located out of the sight line from the screen to the audience; this ensures that, when presenters look at the audience, they do not also have to stare at the projector lamp. The best way to achieve this is by ceiling-mounting rather than floor or table-mounting the projector.
In order to minimise the lamp power needed to project a visible presentation, employers should use room blinds to reduce ambient light levels.
The new ultra short throw technologies provide schools with an alternative to existing traditional data projector installations and present improvements in safety for end users when utilising this type of projection technology within an interactive whiteboard solution. Also as this technology presents a potential elimination of the risk to injury through exposure to the beam then existing brightness (lumen) constraints that are suggested for traditional data projector installations can be relaxed, providing a brighter and more defined image. This therefore reduces the impact of ambient lighting and provides more flexibility in respect of where to site the equipment within the classroom. There is also an inherent security and safety benefit that can be derived from the installation itself which does not need to be ceiling or boom mounted.
In light of these developments schools in the process of procuring new interactive whiteboard solutions or refreshing their current interactive whiteboard solutions should actively consider ultra short throw projectors as an option.
However it is important to point out that any installation of interactive whiteboard solutions should only be undertaken following an appropriate risk assessment as required under Section 6 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Electrical installations
All electrical installations undertaken, including whiteboards, should follow all local authority guidelines. In most cases these should follow the BS7671 and NICEIC standards. It is important to note that projector power installations that are classed as temporary are subject to PAT testing (Portable Appliance Testing) under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
Information relating to the safe operation and use of projection equipment must be provided by the suppliers with all installations, especially in relation to beam viewing by teachers and pupils.
Board heights
Concerns also exist with respect to the location of interactive whiteboards both from a teacher and a pupil perspective. If the board is too low the teacher may object to the positioning on the grounds of health and safety, conversely if the board is too high then pupils may not be able to reach the top portion of the board. If the latter is true then schools may choose to use a step or some staged area in front of the board which poses a significant trip/fall hazard.
There are currently no specific standards for the install height of an interactive whiteboard however there are several criteria that determine the most effective positioning of board:
- To ensure compliance with health and safety requirements the projector should be mounted no lower than 2.2 metres from the floor.
- The potential for image distortion (keystoning) when viewed from certain angles also determines at which point the interactive whiteboard can be positioned based on point 1.
Schools should therefore undertake an appropriate risk assessment to ensure that the board is positioned at the most appropriate height for intended users.
Further information
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides advice in relation to projector health and safety issues.
The Teachernet website contains information relating to the safe use of projectors.
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