Display Screen Equipment (DSE).

Extracts from the Health and Safety (DSE) Regulations 1992. To be used in conjunction with Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 and Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

Note – These regulations are a legal requirement.

Regulation 1 – covers.

What is display screen equipment?

This regulation and associated guidance, defines the types of DSE covered. This includes: -

Conventional displays, LCD, microfiche, process control screens etc.

Who is a DSE user?

A user is described as an employee who habitually uses DSE as a significant part of their normal work. Examples are: - The individual depends on the use of DSE to do the job, The individual normally uses DSE for continuous spells of an hour or more, The individual uses DSE in this way more or less daily.

Regulation 2 – covers.

Risk Assessment. Employers MUST:

  • Carry out a suitable and sufficient analysis of workstations to assess the health and safety risks to users or operators.
  • Review this assessment if there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid.
  • Reduce the risks identified by the assessment to the lowest extent reasonably practicable.

Regulation 4 – covers.

Breaks and changes of activity.

Employers must plan the activities of users so that their work on DSE is periodically interrupted by breaks or changes of activity to reduce their workload at that equipment.

Guidance to the Regulations says that jobs at display screens should be designed to consist of a mix of screen-based and non screen-based work to prevent fatigue and to vary visual and mental demands. It also gives the following advice on breaks:

  • Breaks should be taken before the onset of fatigue, not in order to recuperate and when performance is at a maximum, before productivity reduces – the timing of the break is more important than its length;
  • Breaks of changes of activity should be included in working time – they should reduce the workload at the screen, ie should not result in a higher pace of intensity of work on account of their introduction;
  • Short, frequent breaks, for example a 5-10 minute break after 50-60 minutes continuous screen and/or keyboard work is likely to be better than a 15 minute break every 2 hours;
  • If possible, breaks should be taken away from the screen;
  • Informal breaks, that is time spent not viewing the screen (eg on other tasks), appear from study evidence to be more effective in relieving visual fatigue than formal rest breaks.
  • Whenever practicable, users should be allowed some discretion as to how they carry out tasks; individual control over the nature and pace of work allows optimal distribution of effort over the working day.

Regulation 5 – covers.

Eyes and eyesight.

Employers must provide, ON REQUEST, an appropriate eye and eyesight test for users or those who will shortly become DSE users. All eye and eyesight tests must be:

  • Carried out by a competent person, who is a registered ophthalmic optician.
  • Carried out as soon as practicable after being requested by the user.
  • At no expense to employees.
  • Employers must then offer eye and eyesight tests at regular intervals based upon the advice of the ophthalmic practitioner.

Regulation 6 – covers.

Training.

The employer has to provide training for all users; it is recommended that training should cover:

  • Detection and recognition of hazards;
  • The causes of risks;
  • What the user can do to bring the risks under control;
  • Communication of symptoms and problems to management;
  • Information on the regulations particularly regarding eye tests;
  • The user’s contribution to assessments.

Regulation 7 – covers.

Information.

The employer has to ensure that operators and users are provided with adequate information about:

  • All aspects of health and safety relating to their workstations;
  • Measures taken in compliance with the employer’s duties on risk assessment and workstations.

Maximum daily work time.

As already described, Regulation 4 of the DSE Regulations says that every employer should plan the activities of users and ensure that work is periodically interrupted by breaks or changes of activity (ie filing). The TUC recommends that intensive DSE work should be limited to a maximum of 50% of daily working time. Where the 50% limit is precluded by the nature of the job, the recommendation on rest breaks (see below) must be strictly adhered to and if necessary, extended.

Rest Breaks.

The legal standards and guidance for rest breaks were explained above (Reg. 4). Despite this, many DSE users do not take rest breaks because of the pressure of work. Your workplace Safety Rep should ensure that members are aware of their rights to take rest breaks and challenge employers on maintaining excessive workloads.

In addition, the TUC recommends that frequent, short rest pauses should be taken from DSE work. These pauses should be long enough for the eye muscles to recover from the visual effort of reading the DSE screen. Where possible, users should be allowed to take breaks when they need them. The more intensive the work, the more frequent the breaks needed.

Where this is not possible, or unlikely to happen because of pressure of work, an agreement on DSE work breaks should be drawn up. The TUC recommends a 15-minute break away from equipment after 45 minutes work.

(Note – a break doesn’t mean stop working (coffee, biccies and a chat etc.) it means time away from the DSE working on other tasks. All the regulations are the Law and your employer must carry them out. If you have any further questions etc, please don’t hesitate to ask – Jay )

All the above has been compiled by a UNISON health and safety rep from the TUC publication Hazards at Work - 1999 up-date.