whole of the area under the upper lid is in view in the mirror. A light can then be shone into the mirror to illuminate the area by reflection.

A slit-lamp microscope can be used by having the patient place his or her chin on the microscope's chin-rest, attaching the fornixscope, and then directing the microscope's beam at the mirror. Photographs can be taken through the microscope simply by focusing the camera on the view in the mirror.

Mirrors prevent game accidents A system of mirrors enabling the

number of accidents caused by deer crossing the road - in Western Germany alone about 70 000 annually to be reduced has been developed by Messrs Robert Bosch GmbH of Stuttgart. The facets of the reflectors, which are coated with vaporised aluminium, are attached to the guide posts along the side of the road in such a manner that they deflect direct headlight beams into the countryside along the road in wide angle flashes of light. This prevents the animals, which shun light, from getting on to the road when a vehicle is approaching. Successful tests have already been carried out on selected stretches of road.

Work tables A new range of precision work

tables has been introduced by South London Electrical Equipment Co Ltd for the precision engineering industries. The company claim that "by continuous research and development over many years these benches are based on an ergonomic design with operator comfort as a main criteria but enhanced by modem appearance and fittings". The tables are primarily designed for use in laboratories, clean rooms, and clean production facilities or any industry where a high degree of cleanliness is desired. They are constructed only out of non shedding materials with easy-clean surfaces. The surface is specially finished in a hard plastic and easily replaceable in case of accidental

Work table

damage. Designed either as an individual work table or to be part of an overall bench run they are available in standard metric lengths 1"0 m, 1"25 m, 1"5 m and 1"8 m. Ancillary equipment can also be fitted. Further details from the company at Lanier Works, Hither Green Lane, London SE13 6QD (Tel: 01 318 3021 ).

Rotary drawing board The Rotorbord 52 portable rotary

draughting machine embodies an adjustable spacer unit for drawing parallel lines fast and accurately. The spacer unit, calibrated on the micrometer principle, obviates the need for scaling off lines any multiple of equal distances apart. Designed to be used at any desk or table, the user

Rotary drawing board

can sit in comfort with all his draughting implements housed on the Rotobord itself: The rotating table is claimed to eliminate eye strain caused from working in shadows. Further information from Rotobord Ltd, Stanmore Industrial Estate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire (Tel: (07462) 4883).

Fatal farm accidents The number of fatal accidents in

agriculture in Great Britain caused by electrocution fell from 11 in 1976 to six in 1977. While this is an encouraging reduction a disturbing feature of the 1977 fatalities is that five of them occurred as a result of accidental contact with overhead power lines, the same number as the previous year. Two of the overhead power line fatalities arose from contact with tipper lorries, two from contact by hand-held metal irrigation pipes which were longer than the height of the wires from the ground, and one from when a tractor-mounted irrigation tower snagged an overhead conductor.

In one of the cases involving a tipper lorry, a worker was discharging poultry feed from the lorry into a holding bin nine years ago, when part of the lorry struck an overhead cable. He received an electric shock. His death in 1977

was attributed to injuries he had received when he sustained the shock. Tile other tipper lorry incident involved a 15-year-old boy who raised the lorry body without apparently realising that a 33 000 volt overhead cable was close enough for the lorry to reach it.

In both incidents involving irrigation pipes they were raised to a vertical position, in one case by a worker who was unloading them, and in the other by a young boy who thought that he had heard a mouse inside a pipe and picked it up to investigate. Other boys present at the scene of the second incident, and who helped to lift the pipe, also suffered burns and shock in varying degrees.

In the case involving a tractor- mounted irrigation tower, when the fatal accident occurred protective fuses were blown at the transformer. This probably avoided a double tragedy because a second person, seeing the tractor still moving, ran across the field and switched off the motor without realising that the vehicle was still in contact with the power lines.

Familiarity with surroundings can lead to a lack of concern for the dangers which exist from overhead power lines. Special care is clearly necessary when working with machinery and equipment such as irrigation pipes close to overhead lines. Some electricity conductors may appear to be further from the ground than they actually are, particularly when the land is sloping. A notice should be fitted to any tall mobile farm machine or tipping vehicle, in a place wbere an operator can readily see it, warning him of the danger of overhead power lines. A similar notice which might read "Keep Welt Clear of All Power Lines" should be put on the gate of any field traversed by supply lines. Such notices and a leaflet are readily available from the Electricity Council, 30 Millbank, London SW1P 4RD.

Learning aid uses synthetic speech spelling and pronunciation

An innovative talking learning aid called Speak & Spell that helps children learn how to spell and pronounce over 200 basic vocabulary words has been introduced by Texas Instruments. The first 200 words for Speak & Spell have been selected on the basis of studies that indicated they are most needed by children in the 7 12 age group mainly because these words do not follow 'the rules', but have to be memorised.

In its main mode of operation,

254 Applied Ergonomics December 1978