If your staff use computers as a significant part of their job, the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 apply to you. They are less onerous than people assume, but they are a legal duty, and they cover home workers as well as people in the office.
Who counts as a DSE user
Broadly, anyone who uses display screen equipment daily, for continuous periods of an hour or more. That takes in most desk-based roles, and it includes employees working from home on a regular basis.
What you have to do
- Carry out a workstation assessment for each DSE user, and act on what it finds
- Make sure workstations meet minimum requirements for the screen, keyboard, desk, chair, lighting and space
- Plan work so there are breaks or changes of activity
- Provide eye tests on request, and pay for basic corrective glasses where they are needed specifically for screen work
- Provide health and safety training and information
What an assessment looks at
The screen: at roughly arm's length, top of the screen near eye level, free of glare. The chair: adjustable in height, with back support, and set up so feet rest flat. The desk: enough space for the screen, keyboard, documents and a comfortable forearm rest. The environment: lighting, noise, temperature and enough legroom.
Keep it proportionate
For most employers a straightforward checklist completed with the member of staff, plus a record of what was changed as a result, is enough. Reassess when someone moves desk, the equipment changes, or they report discomfort.
Where the furniture comes in
Assessments most often turn up the same handful of fixes: a chair that adjusts far enough, a monitor arm to get the screen to the right height, a footrest, or a desk with enough depth. None of it is expensive compared with the cost of someone being signed off.
The HSE publishes free guidance and a workstation checklist on its website, and it is worth reading before you buy anything.
This article is a general summary, not legal advice. Check the current HSE guidance for the detail that applies to your organisation.
