Work Place Assessment

Redrow Homes

Work Place Assessment

Self-Assessment Questionnaire

Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS

Name: / Date:
Job title:
Division:

Introduction

The purpose of this VDU questionnaire is to establish the compliance of your workstation with the current Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992. In order to assess your workstation we would like to ask for your cooperation in completing this questionnaire. If you are not sure about any aspect of the questionnaire, contact your Health & Safety Manager or the Health & Safety Team at St. David’s Park. Checklists are included in Appendix 1 to help with the assessment.

Information on the correct use of VDU’s can be found in the H&S pages of Redroweb.

We would suggest that you read the questionnaire first then after a single working day complete the questions as accurately as possible. This period should allow you adequate reflection on your working environment and workstation. Upon completion we would like you to fill in the table located on page 8. Where you have answered ‘no’ to a question, please place a cross under the question letter appropriate to that question.

Should you have any queries regarding the questionnaire please contact the Health and Safety Team. Completed documents should be returned to:

Health and Safety Team

St. David’s Park

PLEASE CIRCLE THE APPROPRIATE ANSWER IN EACH CASE

1. / Display Screen
a) / Is the screen perceived as being flicker free?
(individuals have different perceptions of flicker and it may be necessary to change the display for certain users) / Yes/No
b) / Are the brightness and contrast easily adjustable? / Yes/No
c) / Does the screen swivel and tilt independently of any other equipment? / Yes/No
d) / Does the screen have an independent base or an adjustable table? / Yes/No
e) / Is the screen free of reflection and glare? / Yes/No
f) / Are the characters on the screen well defined and clearly formed? / Yes/No
g) / Is there adequate spacing between characters and lines? / Yes/No
h) / Are the characters of adequate size? / Yes/No
2. / Keyboard
a) / Does the keyboard tilt?Yes/No / Yes/No
b) / Is the keyboard separate from other components? / Yes/No
c) / Is sufficient space available in front of your keyboard to allow support for your hands or arms? / Yes/No
d) / Does the keyboard have a matt, non-reflective surface? / Yes/No
e) / Does the arrangement and characteristics of the keyboard make it easy to use? / Yes/No
f) / Are the symbols on the keys clearly visible from the working position? / Yes/No

1 of 11

3. / Work Desk /Surface
a) / Is the work surface large enough to allow a flexible arrangement of equipment, including any ancillary equipment such as printers or telephones? / Yes/No
b) / Is a document holder provided? / Yes/No
c) / Are you able to adjust the document holder in order to minimise uncomfortable head movements? / Yes/No
d) / Is there adequate space for you to find a comfortable position? / Yes/No
e) / Is your work surface free from glare? / Yes/No
4. /

Work Chair

a) / Is your work chair stable and does it incorporate 5 castors? / Yes/No
b) / Is the seat adjustable in height? / Yes/No
c) / Is the seat back adjustable in height and tilt? / Yes/No
d) / Is a footrest available for any user who requires it? / Yes/No
e) / Does your chair allow easy freedom of movement and leave you able to find a comfortable position? / Yes/No
5. / Environment
a) / Is the workstation large enough to provide sufficient space and allow for changes of position and movement by the operator? / Yes/No
b) / Is your workstation positioned such as to reduce any risk of glare from windows and artificial lighting etc? / Yes/No
c) / Are the windows provided with a suitable system of adjusting the amount of daylight that falls on workstations, i.e. blinds or screens etc? / Yes/No
d) / Is the noise emitted by the equipment suitably controlled so as not to distract attention or disturb normal speech? / Yes/No
e) / Is the heat and humidity adequate for your work needs? / Yes/No
f) / Is the level of lighting in the room satisfactory? / Yes/No
g) / Is the quality/location of the artificial lighting adequate for your work needs? / Yes/No
h) / Are the electrical cables located in a safe position? / Yes/No
6. / Software
Is the software that you use suitable for carrying out your work? / Yes/No
7. / Nature of the Job
a) / How much time is spent by you on the VDU? (hours per day) / ______
b) / Is the work on the VDU interspersed with other activities? / Yes/No
c) / How much concentration does the work require?1 2 3
(1 = minimum, 2 = moderate, 3 = maximum) / 1 2 3
d) / How critical is the concentration of the user?1 2 3
(1 = not critical, 2 = moderately, 3 = very) / 1 2 3
e) / Can work be carried out at your own pace? / Yes/No
8. / Posture and Furniture
a) / Is sufficient adjustment of seat, backrest, keyboard and screen available to you?Yes/No / Yes/No
b) / Are your shoulders, upper limbs and neck free from aches, pains or numbness when working at a VDU? / Yes/No
c) / Are your hands and fingers free from pins and needles and/or tingling when working at a VDU? / Yes/No
d) / Are your joints unrestricted and free to move? / Yes/No
e) / Are your fingers, hands and wrists free to move without causing discomfort? / Yes/No
f) / Have you rearranged the workstation or adjusted the furniture to suit your own needs? / Yes/No

1 of 11

9. /

Visual Factors

a) / Is your vision (regardless of whether you wear spectacles or contact lenses) satisfactory? / Yes/No
b) / Is your display screen easy to read? / Yes/No
c) / Are you able to re-focus from the screen to source documents? / Yes/No
d) / Are you free from eye discomfort, focusing difficulties and headaches when working at a VDU? / Yes/No
e) / Is your display screen free from reflection and glare?Yes/No
(bear in mind that reflections from windows move during the course of the day) / Yes/No
f) / Is the screen and ancillary equipment maintained in clean condition? / Yes/No
g) / Do you have access to suitable cleaning materials for your VDU or workstation? / Yes/No
h) / Is your workstation free from any badly positioned or badly balanced equipment? / Yes/No
10. / Training
Your training should have covered the following aspects of work with Display Screen Equipment. The following questions are designed to assess the effectiveness of this training in your own particular instance.
Are you aware of the symptoms and effects and understand the risks of the following hazards:
a) / Muscular skeletal disordersYes/No / Yes/No
b) / Eye strain and eyesight disorders / Yes/No
c) / Glare and incorrect lighting contrast / Yes/No
d) / Improper seating and chair comfort / Yes/No
e) / Other possible effects such as:
epilepsy / Yes/No
skin disorder / Yes/No
radiation / Yes/No
effects on pregnant women / Yes/No
Are you aware of and understand the following measures of the reduction of risk?
f) / Comfortable posture / Yes/No
g) / How to arrange workstation components / Yes/No
h) / The importance of change in posture / Yes/No
i) / How to adjust your seating / Yes/No
j) / How to obtain a footrest / Yes/No
k) / How to avoid glare / Yes/No
l) / How to clean equipment / Yes/No
m) / The purpose and use of rest breaks from the screen / Yes/No
n) / How to adjust the brightness and contrast controls / Yes/No
o) / Are you aware that sources of light such as the windows can cause reflections or glare on the screen? / Yes/No
p) / Are you aware that blinds can be used to reduce the amount of glare and reflections on the screen? / Yes/No

1 of 11

Display Screen Assessment Questionnaire Survey

Once you have completed the questionnaire, fill in the table below by placing a cross under the appropriate question and letter where you have answered ‘no’.

1. Display Screen / 2. Keyboard / 3. Work Desk / 4. Work Chair / 5. Environment / 6. Software
Letter / a / b / c / d / e / f / g / h / a / b / c / d / e / f / a / b / c / d / e / a / b / c / d / e / a / b / c / d / e / f / g / h / a
‘No’ answer
7. Nature of Job / 8. Posture/Furniture / 9. Visual Factors / 10. Training
Letter / a / b / c / d / e / f / a / b / c / d / e / f / a / b / c / d / e / f / g / h / a / b / c / d / e / f / g / h / i / j / k / l / m / n / o / p
‘No’ answer

Thank you for your co-operation, by assisting us we can help you to maintain the highest possible level of comfort and safety.

1 of 11

Appendix 1

Display Screen Assessment Checklist

What to Look For:

1. Adequate lighting.
   
2. Adequate contrast, check that there is no glare or distracting reflections.
   
3. Check that the office is not too noisy.
   
4. Check adequate legroom and clearance to allow posture changes.
   
5. Window covering.
   
6. Software – check that it is appropriate to the task, adaptable to the user.
   
7. Screens – check that it has stable image, adjustable, readable and free from glare/reflections.
   
8. Keyboards – check that they are usable, adjustable, detachable and legible.
   
9. Work surfaces or desks – check that there is sufficient room to work and to re-arrange your equipment as deemed necessary. Make sure that they are free from glare.
   
10. Work chairs – check that the chair is adjustable for height and tilt and that they have at least 5 castors for stability.
    
11. Footrests – is one needed to provide a comfortable position?

How To Maintain An Ergonomic Posture When Seated At A VDU:

1. Make sure that the seat is adjustable and that you know how to adjust it.
   
2. Make sure that the chair has good lumbar support.
   
3. Make sure that the seat can be adjusted for your height and that you know how to adjust it.
   
4. Do you feel excess pressure on the underside of your thighs and back of the knees – if you do, then change your posture by sitting upright and do not lean forward. If you are leaning forward it may be because you have difficulty reading the screen. It is recommended that you change your posture at frequent intervals or get up and walk around the room for a couple of minutes.
   
5. Do you use a footrest, if not, request one.
   
6. Check that there is sufficient space under your desk for postural changes.
   
7. Make sure that your forearms are horizontal – this will avoid unnecessary pressure being exerted on the wrists and hands.
   
8. Check that you have minimal extension, flexing or deviation of the wrists when keying this will avoid unnecessary pressure being exerted on the wrists and hands.
   
9. Check that your screen height and the angle of the screen allows for a comfortable head position.
   
10. Check that there is sufficient space in front of your keyboard to support the hands/wrists during pauses in keying.

1 of 11