A GOOD WORKSTATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR A PRODUCTIVE AND HEALTHY WORKFORCE

DSE ASSESSMENTS

Assessments will be administered by a fully qualified CIEHF (Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors) DSE Assessor with over 20 years of experience.

Every assessment will go through a comprehensive DSE user workstation ‘check list’ to fully comply with the DSE regulations.

This will cover:

• Furniture
• Keyboards
• Mouse, trackballs etc
• Display Screens
• Software
• Environment

The majority of assessments result in a few minor adjustments to the individuals workstation set up. Preventing, if they follow the guidelines, any DSE related health issues.

Following the assessment any adjustments that are needed to the workstation that can be carried out on the day will be made.

If the staff member is already experiencing issues and these cannot be solved by alterations on the day then recommendations and /or referrals will be made.

A full written report will follow each assessment and each DSE user will be left with their own DSE User - Info Sheet, as a reminder.

WHAT IS DSE?

Display Screen Equipment

Display Screen Equipment

The legal bit:

Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (as amended 2002).

As an employer you need to protect your employees from any risks associated with DSE

The Health & Safety Executives (HSE) definition of DSE:

‘DSE are devices or equipment that have an alphanumeric or graphic display screen and includes display screens, laptops, touch screens and other similar devices.’

The regulations only apply to those employees who work regularly with DSE as a significant part of their normal work ie daily, for continuous periods of an hour or more. These employees are defined as DSE users.

To be compliant under the regulation and employer must:

• analyse workstations to assess and reduce risk
• make sure controls are in place
• provide information and training
• provide eye and eyesight tests on request, and special spectacles if needed
• review the assessment when the user or DSE changes

The financial / statistics bit:

According to the figures from the Office for National Statistics almost 31 million days of work were lost in 2013 due to back, neck and muscle problems, costing the UK economy £14bn a year.

In 2016/17 507,00 workers suffered from work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD’s) -

this covers any injury, damage or disorder of the joints or other tissues in the upper/lower limbs or the back.

Claims:

Largest recent payouts for related RSI - £82000 & £79000 for two typists at the Inland revenue

Increases productivity eg: having the screen height at the correct level for the user will increase the users productivity by 10% Reduces absenteeism

Reduces presenteeism - staff with problems do not always let their Line Mangers know and they ‘just get on with it’ - if they are in pain or discomfort they will not be functioning 100% and unable to concentrate on tasks and productivity drops.

The Moral bit:

Looking after your staffs health & wellbeing.