Let’s look at each one of these points:

Point 1. The employer must make a risk assessment of all workstations which might be used by DSE ‘users’ employed by them. DSE is a risk assessment that reviews the way workstations are set up and how people are using them. The aim is to ensure that the user does not cause themselves any harm by incorrectly using their workstation.

DSE refers to every individual who works in an office environment and includes 5 main areas:

• Desk and chair
• Display screen, base unit, laptop, docking station
• Wrist rest, footrest, keyboard and mouse
• Telephones, document holders, printers and lamps
• The general work environment

Point 2. The employer must reduce risks to the lowest reasonably practicable level.
It is recognised that it is not possible to remove all risks. However, steps need to be taken by the employer to ensure that, where possible, risks are reduced to a minimal level. Ways in which an employer can meet this point include but are not limited to the following:

• Ensuring that all equipment is well maintained and meets industry requirements
• Monitoring the health and safety of employees including monitoring noise levels and the general work environment
• Introducing training sessions in DSE (such as this eLearning program)
• Monitoring employees using DSE equipment and providing support and guidance to improve this usage
• Supply eye tests free of charge to the employee to protect the long-term eyesight of the employee and to identify and resolve issues with eyesight as soon as possible.

Point 3. The daily work routine of ‘users’ must be planned so that DSE work is periodically interrupted by rest breaks or other types of work.

It has long been recognised that taking regular breaks from your workstation is vital for health and well-being; these breaks may be as simple as making a cup of tea, attending a meeting away from your workstation or completing another work-based task (such as filing). These breaks have many benefits, including;

• Resting your eyes on the computer screen
• Moving your body from a fixed position
• There is no legal guidance on how long breaks should be for. This depends on the kind of work that you are doing. The HSE recommend that short breaks are much better than infrequent longer ones. For example, 5-10 minute breaks every hour is preferable to 20 minutes every two hours.

Most jobs provide opportunities to pause from DSE work to do other tasks, such as filing or copying. If there are no such natural changes of activity in your job, your employer should plan for you to have rest breaks. It is best if breaks or changes of activity allow the user to get up from their workstation and move around, or at least stretch and change posture.

Point 4. If they wish it, ‘users’ are entitled to an eye and eye test paid for by their employer. The test must be repeated at regular intervals. If it shows that special spectacles or lenses are needed for DSE work, the employer must cover the cost of this as well.

It is recommended that your eyesight is checked by a qualified optician on at least every 2 years unless symptoms occur or otherwise advised by your optician or medical professional.

During this eyesight test, the optician will decide if you require spectacles for working with computers. Often, they refer to this as Visual Display Unit (VDU) use. If VDU spectacles are required, then your employer is legally required to contribute towards this cost. Please note that your employer will have a policy specifically relating to this contribution and how much this will be.

Point 5. The employer must provide ‘users’ with health and safety training on the use of their workstation and with information on the risks and the measures to control those risks

Employees should be given the opportunity to complete either an eLearning course (like this one) or a classroom-based training course on DSE. This is in an attempt to raise employee awareness of the implications of poor practice relating to workstations and give advice on how to promote best practices.

It is the employer’s responsibility to provide as much support to employees as possible with regard to DSE, but ultimately, they are limited to how much they can enforce best practices. Therefore, a large part of this responsibility sits with DSE users, which is why it is vital that all employees complete a full course so that they can understand and appreciate the repercussions of failure to adhere to best practices.

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Poor screen management causes unnecessary strains on the eyes, which can often lead to headaches and, in some cases, migraines. Migraines often cause nausea and vomiting.

As we know from earlier, you are entitled to a free eye test voucher, but you have a responsibility to adjust your monitor to ensure that it has sufficient light and that the settings are adequate for the user.

Any problems regularly experienced with eyes should immediately be highlighted with an optician or a medical professional.

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In 2003, the DSE regulations were updated to include the changes in technology and improved understanding of risks and how to control them, but the main messages about the steps employers and workers should take to identify and prevent risks altered very little.

The 2003 update reflected the increased use of laptop computers, referred to as “portables”. It made it clear that the regulations applied to portables in prolonged use. However, the DSE regulations were always at odds with “portables” for good ergonomic reasons. By advising against their use for prolonged periods without what amounted to either a full docking station in the office or a portable docking station when travelling about, suddenly the “portable” was rendered not that portable at all. There are no specific mobile devices named in this amendment other than laptops. However, it is implied that mobile devices cover any work-based equipment that is related to technology.

The selling points for these devices are ease of use, fast Internet connectivity and the availability of many different applications (apps). These applications include many that very clearly target a working audience.

With the capability to work anywhere with Wi-Fi or a mobile signal, it is no surprise that employees expect to use their tablets and smartphones for work. The practice is becoming popular enough to have led to the term “bring your own device” to describe it. Some applications (many of which are supported and paid for by employers) enable employees to use their own devices for work, such as securely reading and editing documents, reading and writing e-mails, and viewing contacts and calendars on a secure work account.

Employers also need to consider very carefully whether any risk assessment to portable devices is required within their organisation. They need to consider how and when these devices are being used, which will not be easy given the mobile nature of the workforce. The fact that the equipment is not used for “lengthy or repeated use in the same location” may negate the need to record the assessment.

Employers should ensure employees receive adequate training, including the following things specific to using a portable:

• advice on how to set up and use the equipment in the locations where it is to be used to enable them to assess the risks when starting work in each location
• guidance on setting up and using a docking station and additional precautions if using a portable computer when a docking station is not available
• encouragement and advice on how to report promptly any discomfort that may be associated with their use of portable DSE and where to get further advice and help
• a reminder to take regular breaks
• advice on how to avoid unnecessary manual handling when carrying portable DSE (and associated equipment and/or paperwork) and how to reduce risk from any unavoidable manual handling
• advice on how to minimise risks from theft or mugging.

The risks of using mobile devices

The possible risk factors associated with tablets, smartphones and working on the move are mainly those leading to musculoskeletal problems, visual fatigue and stress. The likelihood of experiencing these is related mainly to the frequency, duration, intensity and pace of spells of continuous use of the equipment, in conjunction with factors such as how much discretion the person has over the extent of their use.

Assessing the devices could be very difficult. One solution could be to limit what employees can do with their tablets if it is provided by work.

Tablet and mobile working is on the increase and is here to stay. Employees like using mobile technology, they are potentially more productive when using it and it frees them from being tied to a specific desk. As working practices continue to evolve, providing a dedicated workstation for each employee is starting to look a little inflexible and rather expensive.

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