Display screen equipment

Your legal responsibility

Display screen equipment (DSE) (which includes any alphanumeric or graphic display screen, regardless of the display process involved) can cause a range of health issues, including aches and pains in users' hands, wrists, arms, neck, shoulders, or back. These are commonly referred to as 'upper limb disorders'. Typically, these conditions are temporary, but in some cases, they can become more serious. Such problems are generally caused by how DSE is used.

If your staff use DSE frequently, you are legally required to ensure the workplace is well designed to minimise associated health risks. You must also provide training so that employees understand how to use their DSE and workstations correctly. This obligation applies equally to employees working from home.

The same requirement does not necessarily apply if staff only use DSE occasionally, but you still have a general duty to protect them from health and safety risks.

Which laws apply?

• The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment Regulations) 1992
• The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992

You must ensure that any workstations that your staff use comply with the requirements specified in the Schedule to these Regulations covering screens, keyboards, desks, chairs, the work environment and software.

Risk assessments

Carry out the 5-step approach to risk assessments, taking into account:

• The whole workstation, including equipment, furniture and the work environment;
• The job being done; and
• Any special needs of individual staff.

Reducing risk

Regular breaks

It's important that employees take regular breaks. The length of breaks depends on the nature of their work. Ideally, the employee should have some discretion over when to take breaks.

Most jobs provide opportunities to take a break from the screen, e.g. to do filing or photocopying. If there are no natural breaks in their jobs, you should plan for them to have rest breaks. Frequent short breaks are better than fewer long ones.

Eye tests

You should provide and pay for an eye and eyesight test if your employees are covered by the regulations (in Scotland, eye tests are free). Employees are also entitled to more tests at regular intervals; the optometrist can recommend when the next test should be. You should only have to pay for eyeglasses if the employee needs special ones.

Health and safety training

You must train employees to use their display screen equipment (DSE) and workstations safely. This training should also include general background information, such as the steps you are taking to comply with the regulations, the actions being taken to reduce risks, and the arrangements for breaks.

Workstations

• Adjust their chairs and DSEs to find the most comfortable position for their work. As a broad guide, their forearms should be approximately horizontal and eyes the same height as the top of the DSE.
• Make sure they have enough space for their work.
• Find the best arrangements for keyboards, screens, mice and documents. A document holder may help avoid awkward neck and eye movements.
• Arrange their desks and DSEs to avoid glare or bright reflections on the screen. This will be easiest if neither the employee nor their screen is directly facing windows or bright lights.
• Adjust curtains or blinds to prevent unwanted light.
• Make sure there is space under their desks to move legs freely, moving any obstacles such as boxes or equipment.
• Avoid excess pressure from the edge of their seats on the backs of legs and knees. A footrest may be helpful, particularly for smaller users.

Keyboards

• Adjust keyboards to get a good keying position. A space in front of the keyboard is sometimes helpful for resting hands and wrists.
• Their wrists should be straight when using the keyboard, they should have a soft touch on the keys and should not overstretch their fingers.

Using a mouse

• Position the mouse within easy reach so it can be used with the wrist straight.
• They should sit upright and close to the desk, so their mouse arm isn't stretched and move their keyboard out of the way if it's not being used.
• Their forearms should be supported by the desk, and they shouldn't grip the mouse too tightly.
• Their fingers should rest fingers lightly on the buttons and they shouldn't press them hard.

Reading the screen

• Adjust brightness and contrast controls on the screen to suit lighting conditions in the room.
• Make sure the screen surface is clean.
• Ensure fonts onscreen are big enough to be read when sitting in a normal, comfortable working position, selecting colours that are easy on the eye.
• Ensure individual characters on the screen are sharply focused and don't flicker or move.

Posture

• Ensure they don't sit in the same position for long periods and that they change posture as often as possible. Repeated stretching to reach things should be avoided. If this happens a lot, the workstation should be rearranged.