Back to Basics: Everything You Need to Know About DSE (Display Screen Equipment)

What is DSE?

Display Screen Equipment (DSE) refers to devices or equipment with a graphic display screen, such as computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. These are commonly used in workplaces for various tasks, including data entry, design, and communication.

The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 were established to help improve the safety of all employees who regularly use DSE as a significant part of their normal work.

Who do DSE Regulations apply to?

The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations apply to workers who use DSE daily, for continuous periods of an hour or more

What DSE regulations do I need to follow?

Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992: Employers must assess and reduce risks associated with DSE workstations.

Workstation Assessment: Regular assessments to ensure ergonomic setup, including chair, desk, and screen positioning.

Training and Information: Providing employees with training on the safe use of DSE and information on potential risks.

Eye Tests: Offering free eye tests to DSE users and providing corrective eyewear if needed for their role.

What are common DSE risks?

DSE practices can have an adverse impact on a person’s health, including:

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) – Poor posture and prolonged use can lead to back, neck, and shoulder pain.

Fatigue – Extended periods of DSE use without breaks can lead to physical and mental fatigue, reducing productivity and increasing error rates.

Stress – Poorly designed workstations and high workloads can contribute to increased stress levels, impacting overall well-being.

Eye health – Inadequate lighting and screen glare can cause eye discomfort and headaches.

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) – Continuous repetitive movements can result in conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome.

What should I consider in my DSE Risk Assessments?

Here are the key areas to consider in your DSE assessments

Work surface: Suitable height. Adequate space for flexible arrangement of equipment/documents. Glare-free surface.

Chair: Stable and adjustable (Five castor base). Correct adjustment of the chair is essential.

Leg room: Clearance to allow for postural changes.

Footrest: To be supplied if a user needs one.

Screen: Stable image and readable, adjustable height, glare/reflection-free.

Keyboard: Adjustable, detachable and legible.

Mouse: Ability to adjust the position to suit the user.

Telephone: Ability to adjust the position to suit the user. Hands-free headset may be necessary for heavy usage.

Lighting: Adequate lighting to be provided. Window blinds may be required to minimise glare.

Noise: Distracting noise minimised.

Temperature & Environment: Suitable for working in comfort.

Software: Appropriate to task, adapted to the user, no undisclosed monitoring.

How to control the risk

As an employer, you need to assess the risk of using DSE equipment and consider any specific or tailored needs that individual staff may have. The above checklist is not an exhaustive list, but it covers the key areas to consider when you can carry out an assessment. You can also ask workers to carry out a self-assessment. They would need to be provided with prior training on how to undertake the self-assessment in order to do this.

Do DSE regulations apply when working from home?

The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations can apply to workers who:

Work at home on a permanent or long-term basis.
Work on a hybrid basis – They split their time between their workplace and home.

Your workers may complete a self-assessment providing they have been given suitable training to ensure they understand and ergonomic checklist or a self-assessment tool.

Here is a helpful video on how to set up your workstation at home and in the office

Other helpful DSE Resources:

Back to Basics: DSE

HSE Leaflet on working with DSE

Regularly revisiting and updating DSE policies and practices is crucial for maintaining a healthy and productive work environment. As a health and safety manager, ensuring compliance with DSE regulations and addressing any issues promptly can significantly reduce health risks and improve overall workplace well-being.

How AssessNET’s DSE module can help your business

Key features of our DSE software:

Multiple configurable question sets that can run simultaneously
Fully viewable assessment history and tracking
In depth, easy to understand interactive training on workstation best practices
Concerned are documented and highlighted in the system with supporting images and notes
Automatic reassessment notifications
Easy to read dashboard for reporting and assessing trends

Save time managing, distributing, and reviewing DSE Assessments:

Use standardised and custom DSE Assessment templates.
Assign multiple templates per employee, ensuring employees who work across multiple sites stay up to date.
Easily set up and manage your question sets.
View User accounts all in one place for easy management.
Notify relevant employees to complete their assessments via a click of a button.

Employees can undertake training, complete an exam and highlight concerns:

Use the module to share our simple and easy to digest DSE Assessment Training module.
Educate staff about the optimal way to work, so employees fully understand how to configure their workstation correctly.
Customise the exam to test your employees’ knowledge of safe DSE practices.
Assign actions that trigger automatic email notifications to employees regarding when are assessments due, track their progress, and review outcomes in the assessment report.
Configure question sets that can be personalized for every workstation.
Attach supporting documents, images and notes.

Maintain real-time visibility of the key risks and associated compliance aspects in your business:

Utilise automated emails to prompt and remind employees to re-assess their workstations
Assign actions, track progress, and review outcomes in the assessment report
Access all your DSE assessments and manage associated concerns from a single source
View visually powerful, pre-configured dashboards with valuable insights to help you spot trends in workstation concerns

Want to find out more about AssessNET’s DSE Software? Click here for more information