Classroom whiteboards are a threat to eyesight

Thousands of teachers and students could damage their eyesight by using high-tech whiteboards, according to The Times newspaper.

Around 200,000 of the whiteboards have been installed in classrooms across the UK. When the whiteboard and a projector are connected to a computer, the computer screen can be seen on the board, and touching the board has the same effect as clicking a computer mouse on the screen.

Concerns over the boards' safety prompted an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) three years ago.

The NRPB discovered that a person could damage their retina if they looked into the projector's bright beam from a few metres away for around 20 seconds.

Believing that most children and adults would look away before this occurred, HSE principal specialist inspector (radiation) Steve Walker concluded that there appeared to be little danger to eyesight from looking directly into the beam.

But he added: "There remains a possibility that a viewer's peripheral retina could be overexposed even when he or she is not actually staring at the projector' s apparent source."

Teaching unions have called on the government to issue guidelines with all whiteboards, instructing teachers how to use them safely.