DSE and Ergonomics
It is the responsibility of the employer to assess display screen equipment stations and reduce the risk to employees’ health and safety by ensuring workstations meet minimum legal requirements.
Your employees are your businesses key asset, so the environment and the postures which they adapt is vital are important to maintain good physical and mental health.
Many businesses overlook the importance of ergonomics and the human factor, and do not understand how spending a lot of time using a computer, keyboard and mouse can sometimes cause discomfort or even injury. According to the HSE the main health issues associated with display screen equipment are musculoskeletal disorders, visual fatigue and mental stress.
If your business requires your workers to use display screen equipment (DSE) daily, as part of their normal work, continuously for an hour or more, employers must do a workstation assessment. A display screen can be any equipment or electrical devices with screen which displays information, such as PCs, laptops, tablets, handhelds and smartphones.
According to the Display Screen Equipment (DSE) legislation 1992 (amended 2002), a DSE assessment is required to reduce the risk of ill health. The HSE provides a useful assessment tool, which can be used to assess the workstation.
Ergonomics, what is it?
Ergonomics is the study of workers efficiency in the work environment. It involves the process of ensuring tasks, equipment, information and the environment fit each worker. This may involve arranging the workplace, furniture and the layout of a workplace to fit the workers needs and health.
What is a DSE assessment?
The DSE legislation applies to the workers workstation in your business, the workstation at the workers home and at another employer’s workstation. To comply with the legislation and the HSE recommendations, an assessment of the workers workstation, equipment and environment needs to be carried out to ensure that it is fit for the individual and is not increasing the risk of ill health.
When ongoing health issues occur, such as back or upper limb pain, a in depth assessment is useful to comply with DSE legislation, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the duties placed by the Management of Health and safety at work regulations 1999.
At York OHS, we can carry out professional DSE assessments, to help your business comply with the regulations. The assessment includes an overview of the medical condition, explaining how it is impacting the worker; making practical recommendations to assist in the management of the health issue.
Get in touch, to see how we can help.