In the room (dungeon we call it) where I work there are 10 monitors (6 crt and 4 flatscreen). From where I sit I can see the screens of all of them (some requre a turn of the head though)
Do all of them [being on] have a marked affect on health/tiredness, or just the one I am sat in front of?
I am thinking of switching off all but the most vital ones while I am on shift. But I don’t want to look like a tinfoil hat nut job when I say it’s to reduce the radiation in the room. It is normal practice here to leave them on, and the first ritual of the day when arriving at work is to switch them all on. So initially switching them off mid-shift will seem unusual to all who enter (or sneak looks at the security camera footage)
The radiation levels from modern monitors are usually well below the level thought to be “dangerous” to humans. The exposure level you get is proportional to the square of the distance from the monitor, so the exposure you get from other monitors in the room drops off dramatically as you move away from them. Unless all of the monitors are 2 feet from your chair, you’re not getting much more radiation exposure than someone just sitting in front of one monitor.
Flat panel monitors don’t emit radiation, at least not the type that you have to worry about.
There are some people who argue that any exposure to radiation is bad for you. While I do understand where they are coming from, the fact is that you are exposed to radiation everywhere. You’d have to seal yourself inside a thickly lined lead room to completely get away from the stuff. A geiger counter placed directly in front of a computer monitor will go nuts, but if you move it back to where your chair is, it clicks at about the background radiation level. There’s not much difference in the amount of radiation you get from your chair in the middle of the computer room and the amount of radiation you get just walking through the woods.
Thanks for the replies guys. They are much apreciated.
putting the radiation issue aside - does the [low] refresh rate on this many monitors have an effect on my level of alertness? I find that even if I am in front of just one monitor, if I turn it off I instantly feel more ‘awake’.
The refresh rate could conceivably give you a headache - correcting the image does leave alot of people feeling iffy. Most monitor manufacturers recommend 75Hz to 85Hz.