Occupational health issues concerning Internet use in the workplace

The Internet is now an established part of day-to-day working practices in a variety of different companies and organizations. There is little doubt that the use of the Internet is generally an advantage in the workplace. However, there are some potential occupational health issues that need to be addressed and that employers should be aware of. Obviously, there are basic health issues surrounding excessive use of any kind of visual display unit while seated for long periods (e.g. headaches, eye strains, chronic backache, etc.). These are well-known and are covered in national health and safety policies. However, two areas that have been little investigated concern ‘Internet addiction’ and electronic harassment. These are briefly overviewed.