Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
Working safely with display screen equipment
As an employer, you must protect your workers from the health risks of working with display screen equipment (DSE), such as PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations apply to workers who use DSE daily, for an hour or more at a time. We describe these workers as ‘DSE users’. The regulations don’t apply to workers who use DSE infrequently or only use it for a short time.
How to protect workers’ health
The law applies if users are, for example:
at a fixed workstation
mobile workers
home workers
hot-desking (workers should carry out a basic risk assessment if they change desks regularly)
Employers must:
do a DSE workstation assessment
reduce risks, including making sure workers take breaks from DSE work or do something different
provide an eye test if a worker asks for one
provide training and information for workers
Incorrect use of DSE or poorly designed workstations or work environments can lead to musculoskeletal disorders such as pain in necks, shoulders, backs, arms, wrists and hands (sometimes known as Repetitive Strain Injury or RSI) as well as fatigue and eye strain. The causes may not always be obvious.
The assessment should also encompass the general environment and includes lighting, reflections, glare, temperature, humidity and noise. All of these elements can impact how the equipment is used, and the risks to users.
