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(a) The Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco finds and declares that it shall be the public policy of the City and County of San Francisco to provide public and private sector employees who operate video display terminals within the City and County of San Francisco with a safe and healthy work environment.
(b) Investigations conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of video display terminal (VDT) operators in response to complaints of headaches, general malaise, eyestrain and other visual and musculoskeletal problems resulted in recommendations for VDT workstation design, VDT work breaks and pre-placement and periodic visual testing to reduce musculoskeletal and vision complaints among VDT users.
(c) Various world-wide studies have demonstrated elevated musculoskeletal discomforts and disorders in VDT operators as compared with non-VDT workers. Statistics from these studies show a correlation between VDT use and shoulder-neck discomfort/pain, wrist tendonitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Statistics also show a higher number of vision complaints among VDT operators compared to other workers. Research has shown that inadequate workstation adjustment, lack of operator knowledge of adjustments, and long, uninterrupted use of VDTs are associated with musculoskeletal disorders and vision complaints. The consensus of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the World Health Organization and the American National Standards Institute is that adjustable VDT workstations in combination with training and proper adjustment of the workstation and periodic breaks from VDT use during the work day substantially contribute to suitable working postures and reduce vision complaints, thereby providing a safer and healthier work environment for VDT operators.
(d) This Board of Supervisors further declares that, although some employees and manufacturers have recognized and implemented safeguards in equipment and workstation design and work routine in order to better protect the health and well-being of employees who operate VDTs on a regular basis, many VDT operators remain, as yet, unprotected. The Board of Supervisors finds that by providing for adjustable workstations and education and training covering workstation design and adjustment, work routine, and the causes of and treatments for health effects association with VDT use, employers will furnish a safer and healthier work place for VDT operators.
(Added by Ord. 405-90, App. 12/27/90)
For purposes of this Article:
(a) "Department" means the Department of Public Health of the City and County of San Francisco.
(b) "Director" means the Director of the Department of Public Health of the City and County of San Francisco or his or her designee.
(c) "Employer" means any person, partnership, firm, association or corporation, and any agent of such business, located or doing business within the City and County of San Francisco, except state or federal government entities, but including the City and County of San Francisco, who has 15 or more employees for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year. "Employee" as used in this Article means any individual who is required or directed by an employer to engage in any employment within the City and County of San Francisco.
(d) "Operator" means an employee who may be expected because of the employee's duties to use video display terminal equipment four hours or more, inclusive of breaks, per shift.
(e) "Terminal" or "video display terminal (VDT)" means any electronic video screen data presentation machine, commonly denominated as video display terminals (VDT) including but not limited to cathode-ray tubes (CRT). Nothing in this Article may be construed to apply to televisions, cash registers, memory typewriters, oscilloscope screens or fixed console computer aided design drafting (CADD) hardware equipment.
(Added by Ord. 405-90, App. 12/27/90; amended by Ord. 17-91, App. 1/18/91)
(Added by Ord. 405-90, App. 12/27/90; repealed by Ord. 59-03, File No. 030044, App. 4/11/2003)
(a) Within 12 months of the effective date of this Article 23, every employer, when purchasing VDT workstations or equipment, shall provide an operator who may be expected because of the employee's duties to routinely perform repetitive keyboard motions four hours or more, inclusive of breaks, per shift, with user-adjustable workstations and chairs that meet the following minimum standards:
(1) Seating for the workstation shall conform to the provisions of the American National Standard for Human Factors Engineering of Visual Display Terminal Workstations, ANSI/SFS Standard No. 100-1988, Section 8.7 "Seating," or meet the requirements of Subsections (a)(1)(A) through (a)(1)(D) as follows:
(A) Seat pans and backrests of chairs shall be upholstered with moisture absorbing material. The upholstery shall be compressible at a minimum in the range of approximately one-half to one inch.
(B) Seat pans shall be adjustable for height and angle.
(C) Backrests shall be adjustable for height and to a position behind and forward of the vertical position.
(D) Chairs shall be capable of being swivelled by the user.
(2) Arm rests, wrist rests and foot rests shall be provided upon the request of the operator. Wrist rests shall enable the operator to maintain a neutral position of the wrist while at the keyboard, and shall be padded and without sharp edges.
(3) The adjustment mechanism for adjustable chair seat pans shall be operable by the user from a seated position. The adjustment mechanism for adjustable chair backrests shall be easily operable by the user.
(4) The keyboard shall be detachable from the terminal.
(5) The terminal display support shall be adjustable so that the entire primary viewing area of the terminal is between zero and 60 degrees below the horizontal plane passing through the eyes of the operator. The terminal keyboard, in combination with the seating and the worksurface, shall be adjustable so that the operator, while seated in a normal, upright position, is able to operate the keyboard with his or her forearms, wrists and hands in a position approximately parallel to the floor. The height of the worksurface shall be such as to provide adequate clearance under the worksurface to accommodate the operator's legs in a normal upright seated position.
(b) Within 12 months of the effective date of this Article 23, every employer, when purchasing VDT workstations or equipment, shall provide an operator who may be expected because of the employee's duties to use video display terminal equipment four hours or more, inclusive of breaks, per shift, with a workstation that meets the following minimum standards:
(1) Workstations shall be illuminated with lights arranged to avoid visual glare and discomfort. The illumination level shall be within 200 - 500 lux. Task lighting shall be made available upon the request of the operator.
(2) Glare shall be eliminated through methods that include but are not limited to shielding windows with shades, curtains or blinds, positioning the terminal so that the terminal screen is at a right angle to the window producing the glare, fitting video display screens with anti-glare screens and providing keyboards with tops finished in a manner so as to minimize reflection.
(3) A document holder adjustable for placement angle and height shall be provided upon the request of the operator when a document holder is appropriate for the performance of the operator's duties.
(4) Video display screens shall be clean, clear, and free of perceptible flicker to the operator.
(5) Direct noise from impact printers shall be reduced to improve ease of communication by placing covers over the printers or by isolating the printers from the rest of the work environment.
(c) As used in this Article, "routinely perform repetitive keyboard motions" shall not be interpreted to include only brief, intermittent keyboard motions that are ancillary to the employee's performance of other work tasks.
(d) Within 30 months of the effective date of this Article 23, every employer shall (1) upgrade existing VDT workstations and equipment that the employer provides to any operator, as defined in Section 1304(a), as necessary to comply with the minimum standards specified in Section 1304(a)(1) through (a)(5); and (2) upgrade existing VDT workstations and equipment that the employer provides to any operator, as defined in Section 1304(b), as necessary to comply with the minimum standards specified in Section 1304(b)(1) through (b)(5); provided, however, that the upgrading required by Sections 1304(a) and (b) combined shall not require the employer to expend more than $250 per upgraded VDT workstation.
(e) Within 48 months of the effective date of this Article 23, for any existing equipment, every employer shall (1) upgrade or replace VDT workstations and equipment that the employer provides to any operator, as defined in Section 1304(a), as necessary to comply with the minimum standards specified in Section 1304(a)(1) through (a)(5); and (2) upgrade or replace VDT workstations and equipment that the employer provides to any operator, as defined in Section 1304(b), as necessary to comply with the minimum standards specified in Section 1304(b)(1) through (b)(5).
(Added by Ord. 405-90, App. 12/27/90; amended by Ord. 17-91, App. 1/18/91)
(a) Within 24 months of the effective date of this ordinance, every employer shall provide an operator who may be expected because of the employee's duties to routinely perform repetitive keyboard motions four hours or more, inclusive of breaks, per shift, with a minimum of a 15- minute, aggregate alternative work break during or immediately after every two hours of routinely performing repetitive keyboard motions, except where reasonable alternative work cannot be practicably provided.
(b) The term "alternative work break" as used in this section includes, but is not limited to, performance of work other than operation of a VDT, a rest break from work, a lunch break, or any combination of the above. However, nothing in this section shall be construed to in any way modify, increase or decrease any requirement for rest breaks or lunch breaks from work provided for by any federal or state law or regulation, or to require alternative work breaks inconsistent with the terms of any pertinent collective bargaining agreements or other employment contracts, in effect.
(Added by Ord. 405-90, App. 12/27/90; amended by Ord. 17-91, App. 1/18/91)
(Added by Ord. 405-90, App. 12/27/90; repealed by Ord. 59-03, File No. 030044, App. 4/11/2003)
The Director shall adopt regulations setting forth an employer's duties to furnish operators and their supervisors with information and training about health and safety concerns associated with the use of video display terminals. The regulations shall be consistent with the following guidelines.
(a) The information and training furnished to operators shall at a minimum include:
(1) Known and suspected health effects and symptoms or health concerns which published scientific research has found to be associated with VDT work, including musculoskeletal strain, cumulative trauma disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome, vision effects, possible reproductive effects and psychological stress;
(2) Known and suspected causes of VDT-related health effects including poorly designed work stations, long periods of physical immobility, poorly adjusted furniture, awkward postures, poor visual correction, inappropriate levels of lighting, excessive glare, and excessive or continuous keyboard activity;
(3) Protective measures which may be taken to reduce or alleviate health effects and symptoms including:
(A) Ergonomic principles regarding appropriate positioning of furniture, accessories (such as foot rests, document holders and wrist rests) and displays and the importance of maximum flexibility in workstation design;
(B) The importance of regular breaks from VDT work in alleviating musculoskeletal and visual strain;
(C) Mechanisms for reducing glare and excessive levels of room illumination, including indirect or shielded overhead lighting, window shades or blinds, proper placement of terminals in relation to glare sources, and glare screens;
(D) Instruction in adjusting display for maximum contrast and resolution;
(E) The role of vision examinations in identifying visual problems that may be exacerbated or precipitated by VDT use and determining the need for special visual correction for VDT work;
(F) Hands-on instruction in making appropriate adjustments to table, chair, display and accessories;
(G) Eye and body exercises helpful in alleviating musculoskeletal and visual strain.
(4) A review of the latest scientific research in radiation emissions associated with VDT use, including a summary of research and published standards for non-ionizing radiation emissions and remedies for reducing potential radiation exposure such as use of non-radiation producing display technology.
(b) The information and training shall describe the contents of this ordinance and the employee's rights under it.
(c) Employers shall provide the information to current operators and supervisors within six months of the effective date of the Director's regulations.
(d) Beginning six months after the effective date of the Director's regulations, employers shall provide new operators with the information and training within the first 30 days of employment.
(e) Employers shall provide the information to operators and supervisors on an annual basis.
(f) Employers shall maintain records identifying those operators provided with information and training under this ordinance.
(Added by Ord. 405-90, App. 12/27/90)
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