Work with display screen equipment

Transcription

1 Work with display scree equipmet Health ad Safety (Display Scree Equipmet) Regulatios 1992 as ameded by the Health ad Safety (Miscellaeous Amedmets) Regulatios 2002 Guidace o Regulatios This is a free-to-dowload, web-friedly versio of L26, (2d editio, published 2003). This versio has bee adapted for olie use from HSE s curret prited versio. You ca buy the book at ad most good bookshops. ISBN Price 8.95 This revised publicatio gives comprehesive guidace o work with display screes (visual display uits). It describes how you ca comply with the Health ad Safety (Display Scree Equipmet) Regulatios These regulatios apply to compaies that use computer screes ad similar equipmet. It also gives advice o how to avoid the health risks associated with screebased work, which ca iclude musculoskeletal disorders, visual fatigue ad metal stress. HSE Books Page 1 of 68

2 Crow copyright 2003 First published 1992 Secod editio 2003 Reprited 2003, 2005, 2008 ISBN All rights reserved. No part of this publicatio may be reproduced, stored i a retrieval system, or trasmitted i ay form or by ay meas (electroic, mechaical, photocopyig, recordig or otherwise) without the prior writte permissio of the copyright ower. Applicatios for reproductio should be made i writig to: The Office of Public Sector Iformatio, Iformatio Policy Team, Kew, Richmod, Surrey TW9 4DU or [email protected] This guidace is issued by the Health ad Safety. Followig the guidace is ot compulsory ad you are free to take other actio. But if you do follow the guidace you will ormally be doig eough to comply with the law. Health ad safety ispectors seek to secure compliace with the law ad may refer to this guidace as illustratig good practice. Page 2 of 68

3 Cotets Itroductio 5 Regulatio 1 Citatio, commecemet, iterpretatio ad applicatio 6 Which display scree equipmet is covered? 7 Who is a display scree user or operator? 7 What is a workstatio? 11 Applicatio 11 Applicatio of the DSE Regulatios to special groups of workers 13 Regulatio 2 Aalysis of workstatios to assess ad reduce risks 15 Suitable ad sufficiet aalysis ad risk assessmet 16 The form of the assessmet 17 Shared workstatios 17 Who should do assessmets? 18 Review of assessmet 18 Reducig risks 19 Sources of iformatio ad advice 19 Stadards 19 Regulatio 3 Requiremets for workstatios 20 Applicatio of the Schedule 21 Trasitioal period ad exclusios 23 Regulatio 4 Daily work routie of users 23 Nature ad timig of breaks or chages of activity 24 The employer s duty to pla activities 24 Regulatio 5 Eyes ad eyesight 25 Eye ad eyesight test 26 Visio screeig tests 27 Regularity of provisio of eye ad eyesight tests 28 Corrective appliaces 28 Employers liability for costs 29 Regulatio 6 Provisio of traiig 29 Regulatio 7 Provisio of iformatio 31 Regulatio 8 Exemptio certificates 33 Regulatio 9 Extesio outside Great Britai 34 Schedule Miimum requiremets for workstatios 34 Appedix 1 Guidace o workstatio miimum requiremets 37 Appedix 2 Health effects of DSE work ad priciples of successful prevetio, treatmet ad rehabilitatio 45 Appedix 3 Work with portable DSE 50 Appedix 4 Work with a mouse, trackball or other poitig device 55 Appedix 5 VDU workstatio checklist 59 Work with display scree equipmet Page 3 of 68

4 Appedix 6 Sources of iformatio ad advice 65 Refereces ad further readig 66 Work with display scree equipmet Page 4 of 68

5 Itroductio 1 This book gives detailed ad comprehesive guidace about work with display scree equipmet (ofte kow as VDUs). It describes how to comply with the Health ad Safety (Display Scree Equipmet) Regulatios (referred to here as the DSE Regulatios). It covers both office work ad other eviromets where display scree equipmet (DSE) may be used. It is iteded for people who eed to cosider all the detailed implicatios of the law. For those who just wat basic practical advice o how to comply with the Regulatios whe usig ordiary DSE i offices, a alterative publicatio is our shorter, illustrated book The law o VDUs: A easy guide. 1 2 This book sets out iformatio, explaatio or advice o each mai part of the DSE Regulatios. Throughout the documet, extracts of the DSE Regulatios are prited i italics ad the guidace o them is i plai type. Where the DSE Regulatios are self-explaatory o commet is offered. 3 The mai risks that may arise i work with DSE are musculoskeletal disorders such as back pai or upper limb disorders (sometimes kow as repetitive strai ijury or RSI), visual fatigue, ad metal stress. While the risks to idividual users are ofte low (see paragraph 33), they ca still be sigificat if good practice is ot followed. DSE workers are also so umerous that the amout of ill health associated with such work is sigificat ad tacklig it is importat.that is what the DSE Regulatios set out to achieve. Appedix 2 gives further iformatio o the health risks i DSE work, ad explais how efforts to reduce these risks will lik ito the Health ad Safety Commissio s strategy for occupatioal health. 4 This book gives guidace o the Health ad Safety (Display Scree Equipmet) Regulatios 1992, as ameded by the Health ad Safety (Miscellaeous Amedmets) Regulatios 2002.The DSE Regulatios came ito force i 1993 to implemet a Europea Directive, No. 90/270/EEC of 29 May 1990, o miimum safety ad health requiremets for work with DSE. 5 This book, revised i 2003, takes accout of the recet chages to the DSE Regulatios metioed i paragraph 4. Oly regulatios 3, 5 ad 6 have bee ameded ad the ew versios are reproduced here.the guidace has bee revised i other places, to brig it up to date with chages i techology ad improvemets i kowledge of risks ad how to avoid them. However, the mai messages about actios employers ad workers should take to prevet risks have altered very little. 6 The advice i this book covers the DSE Regulatios oly, ad refereces to a regulatio are, uless otherwise stated, to that part of the DSE Regulatios. Employers should esure that they also comply with geeral duties placed o them by other health ad safety legislatio, such as the Health ad Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (the HSW Act), 2 the Maagemet of Health ad Safety at Work Regulatios 1999, 3 the Workplace (Health, Safety ad Welfare) Regulatios 1992 (as ameded), 4 ad the Provisio ad Use of Work Equipmet Regulatios 1998 (as ameded). 5 There are other HSE guidace books such as Essetials of health ad safety at work 6 that describe the requiremets of this geeral legislatio. 7 Overlaps betwee geeral ad specific legislatio occur where broadly applicable legislatio (such as the Regulatios metioed i paragraph 6) imposes a geeral duty similar to a more specific oe i the DSE Regulatios; examples are give i items ad below. I such cases the legal requiremet is to comply Work with display scree equipmet Page 5 of 68

6 with both the more specific ad the geeral duties. However, this should ot give rise to ay difficulty i practice. For example i display scree work: carryig out the suitable ad sufficiet aalysis of workstatios ad risk assessmet required by regulatio 2 of the DSE Regulatios (see paragraph 37) will also satisfy the requiremet i the Maagemet of Health ad Safety at Work Regulatios for risk assessmet, as far as those workstatios are cocered; esurig that the requiremets for lightig, reflectios ad glare i the schedule to the DSE Regulatios are met (see paragraphs of Appedix 1) will also satisfy the requiremets for suitable ad sufficiet lightig i the Provisio ad Use of Work Equipmet Regulatios ad the Workplace (Health, Safety ad Welfare) Regulatios 1992, 4 as far as the DSE workstatios are cocered. 8 Where DSE is used but such use is ot covered by the DSE Regulatios (because the equipmet is exempt or there is o defied user or operator - see the guidace o regulatio 1), the workers cocered are still protected by the HSW Act 2 ad the other geeral legislatio described i paragraph 6. (Examples are the requiremets for suitable ad sufficiet lightig i the Provisio ad Use of Work Equipmet Regulatios ad the Workplace (Health, Safety ad Welfare) Regulatios 1992, 4 ad the geeral requiremets for risk assessmet ad provisio of traiig ad iformatio i the Maagemet of Health ad Safety at Work Regulatios 1999). 3 Where a display scree is i use but the DSE Regulatios do ot apply, the assessmet of risks ad measures take to cotrol them should take accout of ergoomic factors applicable to DSE work. Regulatio Regulatio 1 Citatio, commecemet, iterpretatio ad applicatio (1) These Regulatios may be cited as the Health ad Safety (Display Scree Equipmet) Regulatios 1992 ad shall come ito force o 1 Jauary (2) I these Regulatios display scree equipmet meas ay alphaumeric or graphic display scree, regardless of the display process ivolved; operator meas a self-employed perso who habitually uses display scree equipmet as a sigificat part of his ormal work; use meas use for or i coectio with work; (d) user meas a employee who habitually uses display scree equipmet as a sigificat part of his ormal work; ad (e) workstatio meas a assembly comprisig (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) display scree equipmet (whether provided with softwaredetermiig the iterface betwee the equipmet ad its operator or user, a keyboard or ay other iput device), ay optioal accessories to the display scree equipmet, ay disk drive, telephoe, modem, priter, documet holder, work chair, work desk, work surface or other item peripheral to the display scree equipmet, ad the immediate work eviromet aroud the display scree equipmet. 1 (1-3) (3) Ay referece i these Regulatios to a umbered regulatio is a referece to the regulatio i these Work with display scree equipmet Page 6 of 68

7 Regulatio 1 (1-3) Regulatios so umbered; or a umbered paragraph is a referece to the paragraph so umbered i the regulatio i which the referece appears. Guidace Which display scree equipmet is covered? 9 With a few exceptios (see paragraphs 21-26), the defiitio of DSE at regulatio 1(2) covers both covetioal (cathode-ray tube) display screes ad other types such as liquid crystal or plasma displays used i flat-pael screes, touchscrees ad other emergig techologies. Display screes maily used to display lie drawigs, graphs, charts or computer-geerated graphics are icluded, as are screes used i work with televisio or film pictures (this poit has bee clarified i a case heard before the Europea Court of Justice, ECJ case C-11/99). The defiitio is ot limited to typical office situatios or computer screes but also covers, for example o-electroic display systems such as microfiche. DSE used i factories ad other o-office workplaces is icluded (subject to the exceptios i paragraphs 21-26), although i some situatios such as screes used for process cotrol or closed-circuit televisio (CCTV), certai requiremets may ot apply (see paragraphs 55-57). Who is the display scree user or operator? 10 The DSE Regulatios are for the protectio of people - employees ad selfemployed - who habitually use DSE for the purposes of a employer s udertakig as a sigificat part of their ormal work. 11 Regulatio 1(2)(d) defies the employees who are covered as users Regulatios 2 to 7 apply to protect users, whether they are employed to work: at their ow employer s workstatio; at a workstatio at home; or at aother employer s workstatio. Further guidace o homeworkers, teleworkers ad agecy workers is give at paragraphs The protectio afforded by regulatios 2, 3 ad 7 also exteds to selfemployed people who work at a employer s workstatio ad whose use of DSE is such that they would be users if employed. They are defied i regulatio 1(2) as operators for the purposes of the DSE Regulatios. 13 Employers must therefore decide which of their employees are DSE users ad whether they also make use of other users (employed by other employers) or of operators.workers who do ot iput or extract iformatio by meas of DSE eed ot be regarded as users or operators i this cotext - for example may of those egaged i maufacture, sales, maiteace or cleaig of DSE.Whether or ot those ivolved i DSE work are users or operators depeds o the ature ad extet of their use of the equipmet. 1 (1-3) 14 It is worth bearig i mid the reasoig behid these defiitios.the possible risk factors associated with DSE use are maily those leadig to musculoskeletal problems, visual fatigue ad stress (see Appedix 2).The likelihood of experiecig these is related maily to the frequecy, duratio, itesity ad pace of spells of cotiuous use of DSE, allied to other factors, such as the amout of discretio the perso has over the extet ad methods of display scree use.the combiatio of factors which give rise to risks makes it impossible to lay dow hard-ad-fast rules (for example based o set hours usage per day or week) about who should be classified as a user or operator. Work with display scree equipmet Page 7 of 68

8 Guidace 15 Where it is clear that use of DSE is more or less cotiuous o most days, the idividuals cocered should be regarded as users or operators. This will iclude the majority of those whose job maily ivolves, for example DSE based data iput or sales ad order processig.where use is less cotiuous or frequet, other factors coected with the job must be assessed. It will geerally be appropriate to classify the perso cocered as a user or operator if they: ormally use DSE for cotiuous or ear-cotiuous spells of a hour or more at a time; ad use DSE i this way more or less daily; ad have to trasfer iformatio quickly to or from the DSE; ad also eed to apply high levels of attetio ad cocetratio; or are highly depedet o DSE or have little choice about usig it; or eed special traiig or skills to use the DSE. 16 Part-time workers should be assessed usig the same criteria. For example if a employee works oly two days a week but speds most of that time o DSE work, that perso should defiitely be cosidered a user. 17 Not all employers may wish to aalyse each job to decide whether the perso doig it is a user (or operator). It is a optio to simply decide that all staff who have access to DSE will be treated as users. This ca save effort ad allow resources to be cocetrated o idetifyig, prioritisig ad remedyig risks. 1 (1-3) 18 Table 1 gives some examples to illustrate factors i the decisio o who is a user. (This is ot a exhaustive list of display scree jobs.) Table 1 Who is a display scree user? Some examples Defiite display scree users Word processig worker. Employed o full-time documet creatio ad amedmet. A mix of checkig documets o scree, keyboard iput ad formattig. Some chage of posture ivolved i collectig work, operatig priter, etc. Ofte five hours i total o the DSE work itself, with a luch break ad at least two breaks morig ad afteroo. Secretary or typist. Uses DSE (typically a PC ad priter) for word processig of reports, memos, letters from mauscript ad dictatio, combied with . Some variatio i workload ad some degree of cotrol over schedulig throughout the day. Typically aroud two or three hours DSE use daily. Data iput operator. Employed full time o cotiuous processig of ivoices. Predomiatly umeric iput usig umeric key pad. May be subject to a system of keystroke moitorig with associated bous paymets. News sub-editor. Makes use of DSE more or less cotiuously with peak workloads. Some text iput to abridge/précis stories, but maily scaig copy for fact, puctuatio, grammar ad size. Jouralist. Patter of work may be variable but icludes substatial use of DSE. Iformatio collected by field or telephoe iterviews (which may ivolve use of a portable computer) followed by, typically, several hours text iput while workig o a story. Work likely to be characterised by deadlies ad iterruptios. Some days may cotai periods of less itese work but with more prologed keyboard Work with display scree equipmet Page 8 of 68

9 text etry ad compositio. Telesales/customer complaits/accouts equiry/directory equiry operator. Ofte employed i a call cetre, ad makig fairly costat use of DSE while makig or takig telephoe calls to or from customers. Amout of keyboard work may be low, but reliat o DSE to do the job. Microelectroics assembly or testig operative. Uses DSE to view tests or completed compoets. Uses the DSE frequetly for, typically, repetitive operatios throughout the workig shift. A dedicated test pael may be used i place of a stadard keyboard. Televisio editig techicia. Mai work is usig DSE to view ad process video sequeces to prepare them for broadcastig. Security cotrol room operative. Mai work is to moitor a bak of display screes showig the pictures from CCTV cameras, ad operate cotrols to select, zoom i, etc o particular images. Air traffic cotroller. Mai task is moitorig of purpose-desiged screes for air traffic movemets combied with commuicatio with air crew o avigatio, etc. High visual ad metal workload ad cosequeces of errors critical. Shift-work. Fiacial dealer. Uses a dedicated workstatio typically with multiple display screes. Variable ad upredictable workload. Ofte highly stressful situatios with iformatio overload. Ofte log hours. Graphic desiger. Works o multimedia applicatios. Itesive scrutiy of images at high resolutio. Large screes. Page make-up. Multiple iput devices. Colour systems critical. Libraria. Carries out itesive text iput to databases; accessig ad checkig o database records; creatig summaries ad reports; combiig data already o the system with ew material iputted. DSE work either itesive throughout the day o most days, or more itermittet but still formig aroud half of the total workig time. Possible display scree users - depedig o the circumstaces The followig are examples of jobs whose occupats may or may ot be desigated as display scree users, depedig o circumstaces. I reachig a decisio, employers will eed to judge the relative importace of differet aspects of the work, weighig these agaist the factors discussed i paragraph 15 of the mai guidace ad bearig i mid the risks to which the job holder may be exposed. If there is doubt over whether a idividual is a user, carryig out a risk assessmet (see regulatio 2) should help i reachig a decisio. Scietist/techical adviser. Works o DSE for word processig of a few letters/ memos per day; ad moitorig of for a short period, average aroud half a hour i total, o most days. At irregular itervals, uses DSE itesively for data aalysis of research results. Discussio: This scietist s daily use of DSE is relatively brief, o-itese ad he or she would have a good deal of discretio over whe ad how the equipmet was used. Judged agaist this daily use, he or she would ot be classed as a user. However this decisio might be reversed if the periods of use for aalysis of research results were at all frequet, of log duratio ad itesive. Ad icreasigly, DSE is beig used for a wideig rage of tasks (i the laboratory, as Work with display scree equipmet Page 9 of 68

10 i may other workplaces), makig it more likely that the workers cocered will be users. Cliet maager. Workig i a large maagemet accoutig cosultacy. Dedicated DSE o desk. Daily use of to read, prepare ad sed messages. Typically 1.5 to 2 hours daily. Discussio: Whether or ot such maagers are classed as users will deped o the extet ad ature of their use of . For example how cotiuous is use of the scree ad/or keyboard durig each period of use? Is there discretio as to the extet of use of ? How log is the total daily use of , ad how log is the DSE used for aythig else? Bak or buildig society customer support officer. Has shared use of office, desk ad display scree workstatio. DSE used durig iterviews with cliets to iterrogate HQ database to obtai customer details, trasactios, etc ad to prepare fiacial proposals ad estimates. Discussio: Decisio will be iflueced by: what proportio of the idividual worker s time is spet usig the DSE; are there ay prologed ad/or itesive periods of use; ad what are the cosequeces of errors (this factor may be relevat if the job ivolves iputtig fiacial data as well as searchig a database). Airlie check-i clerk. The workload i the job as a whole varies throughout the day, with occasioal peaks of itesive work associated with particular flights. Use of DSE follows a predictable patter; typically, used as part of most trasactios but may ot be a sigificat proportio of total workig time. Discussio: There eeds to be cosideratio of how equipmet is used ad for what purpose. Is the DSE used durig most parts of the check-i process or oly a few of them? Is the workload of trasactios high? What proportio of each trasactio ivolves viewig the scree or keyig i data? To what extet is iteractio with the scree rushed ad itesive? What are the cosequeces of errors? Commuity care worker. Uses a portable computer to make otes durig ad/or followig iterviews or visits i the field. Discussio: Decisios o whether or ot those usig laptops are users eed to be made o the same basis as if they were usig o-portable equipmet. Some of the specific miimum requiremets i the Schedule may ot be applicable to portables i prologed use, as the iheret characteristics of the task (for example the eed for mobility ad portability) may rule them out. However, it is importat that such work is properly assessed, that users are adequately traied, ad that measures are take to cotrol risks. More guidace o portables is give i Appedix 3. Receptioist. Job ivolves frequet use of DSE, for example to check or eter details of each visitor ad/or provide them with iformatio. Discussio: The ature, frequecy ad duratio of periods of DSE work eed to be assessed. Some, perhaps most, receptioists would ot be classed as users if most of their work cosists of face-to-face cotact ad/or phoe calls, with a display scree oly beig used occasioally (see fial part of this table, below). Work with display scree equipmet Page 10 of 67

11 Defiitely ot display scree users Seior maager. Workig i a large orgaisatio, usig DSE for occasioal moitorig of state of markets or other data, or more frequet but brief equiries. Does ot deped o DSE for most of their work ad ca choose whether or ot to use it persoally. Seior maager. Uses DSE (sometimes a laptop) ifrequetly for short periods, for geeratio/maipulatio of statistics for presetatio at meetigs. Receptioist. If work is maily cocered with customer-public iteractio, with the possibility of usig DSE occasioally for limited purposes, for example obtaiig details of staff telephoe umbers, locatios; or itermittet moitorig of a sigle CCTV scree. Guidace 19 Table 2 shows how the criteria i paragraph 15 relate to the job examples i Table 1. What is a workstatio? 1 (1-3) Regulatio 20 Uder regulatio 1(2)(e), a workstatio exists wherever there is DSE (icludig portable DSE i prologed use, see paragraph 23). For all DSE the workstatio, as defied, is the assembly icludig the scree, keyboard, other parts of the computer ad its accessories (such as the mouse or other iput device), the desk, chair ad the immediate work eviromet. Some of these items are specifically metioed i the DSE Regulatios, but aythig else i the immediate work eviromet is also part of the workstatio. Applicatio (4) Nothig i these Regulatios shall apply to or i relatio to 1 (4) (d) (e) (f) drivers cabs or cotrol cabs for vehicles or machiery; display scree equipmet o board a meas of trasport; display scree equipmet maily iteded for public operatio; portable systems ot i prologed use; calculators, cash registers or ay equipmet havig a small data or measuremet display required for direct use of the equipmet; or widow typewriters. Guidace 1 (4) 21 Where ay of the exclusios i regulatio 1(4) apply, oe of the duties imposed by the DSE Regulatios will apply to or i coectio with the use of the equipmet that is excluded. However, the proviso at paragraph 8 applies here too. Employers should still esure that, so far as is reasoably practicable, the health ad safety of those usig the equipmet are ot put at risk. The geeral duties o employers ad others uder the HSW Act, ad other geeral health ad safety legislatio (see paragraphs 6-8), are still applicable ad particular attetio should be paid to ergoomics i this cotext. Ergoomics 7 is the sciece of makig sure that work tasks, equipmet, iformatio ad the workig eviromet are suitable for every worker, so that work ca be doe safely ad productively. Ergoomic factors relevat to DSE work are discussed further i Appedix 1. Work with display scree equipmet Page 11 of 68

12 Table 2 Decidig who is a user (or operator ) uder the DSE Regulatios. How the criteria i the guidace apply to the job examples i Table 1 Does the jobholder s DSE work ivolve: Job example Cotiuous spells of a hour or more? Daily use of DSE? Fast iformatio trasfer? High attetio ad cocetratio? High depedecy o the DSE? Little choice whether or ot to use the DSE? Special traiig or skills? Decisio Word processig Yes Yes Yes Maybe Yes Yes Yes Secretary Yes Yes Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Yes Data iput operator Yes Yes Yes Maybe Yes Yes Yes News sub-editor Yes Yes Yes Maybe Yes Yes Yes Jouralist Yes Yes Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Yes Telesales/ complaits/ equiries Assembly/ testig operative Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes TV editig techicia Yes Yes Yes Maybe Yes Yes Yes Defiitely users or operators CCTV cotrol room worker Yes Yes Maybe Maybe Yes Yes Maybe Air traffic cotroller Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Fiacial dealer Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Graphic desiger Yes Yes Yes Maybe Yes Yes Yes Libraria Yes Yes Yes Maybe Yes Yes Yes Scietist/ techical advisor Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Yes No Cliet maager Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Yes No Bakig customer support Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe Yes Yes Maybe Airlie check-i clerk Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe Yes Yes Yes Commuity care fieldworker Receptioist (first example) Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe No Maybe Yes Maybe No Maybe Yes Yes Seior maager (first example) No Yes No Maybe Maybe Maybe No Seior maager (secod example) Receptioist (secod example) Maybe No No Maybe Maybe No No No No No No No Maybe No May be users or operators Not users or operators Yes meas this does apply o a typical workig day (ot ecessarily o all days). Maybe meas either this applies to the job o some days but ot others, or that it applies to some such jobs but ot others. I either case, there may be a eed for further thought or ivestigatio to reach a decisio. No meas this ever applies, or there are oly occasioal days i the year whe it applies. Note that Table 2 relates to the specific examples described i Table 1. Decisios o whether a job holder is a user or operator might be differet for other jobs with the same job titles. Work with display scree equipmet Page 12 of 68

13 Guidace 22 The exclusio i regulatio 1(4) is for DSE maily iteded for public operatio, such as cashpoit machies, ad microfiche readers ad computer termials i public libraries, etc. Public operatio meas operatio by ayoe who is ot a employee or a self-employed perso, hece the DSE Regulatios do ot apply to workstatios provided for school pupils or studets. (It is evertheless good practice for studets ad pupils to be traied to set up ad use DSE ad workstatios i a way that miimises the risks. Further guidace for schools/ colleges about health ad safety with iformatio ad commuicatios techology has bee produced by BECTA, see Appedix 6). The exclusio i regulatio 1(4) does ot exted to DSE available for operatio by the public but maily iteded for users or operators. 23 Regulatio 1(4)(d) excludes oly portable DSE that is ot i prologed use. So the DSE Regulatios do apply to portable DSE i prologed use which ca iclude laptop ad hadheld computers, persoal digital assistat devices ad some portable commuicatios devices - but see also paragraph 25. While there are o hard-ad-fast rules o what costitutes prologed use, portable equipmet that is habitually i use by a DSE user for a sigificat part of his or her ormal work, as explaied i paragraph 15, should be regarded as covered by the DSE Regulatios. While some of the specific miimum requiremets i the Schedule may ot be applicable to portables i prologed use, employers should still esure that such work is assessed ad measures take to cotrol risks. Appedix 3 gives further guidace o practical steps to safeguard those usig portables. 24 There is a exclusio i regulatio 1(4)(e) for cash registers. This is iteded to cover equipmet whose fuctio is to calculate/record moey trasactios at a poit of sale. It is the way the equipmet is used, rather tha its physical characteristics, that determies whether it is covered by the exemptio for cash registers. For example poit-of-sale equipmet that is used as a cash register but is also regularly used for other purposes would ot be excluded from the scope of the DSE Regulatios by regulatio 1(4)(e). Examples of such other purposes might iclude the checkig of seatig plas whe sellig ciema tickets, or the callig up ad examiatio of customer details whe processig bak accout trasactios. 25 The exclusio i regulatio 1(4)(e) for small data or measuremet display is there because such displays are usually ot itesively moitored by workers for log cotiuous spells. This exclusio covers, for example much scietific ad medical equipmet, such as cardiac moitors, oscilloscopes, ad istrumets with small displays showig a series of digits. However, with the mergig of iformatio ad commuicatio techologies, small screes are icreasigly used for a wider rage of purposes. Examples are mobile phoes ad persoal orgaisers that ca be used to compose ad edit text, view images or coect to the Iteret. Ay prologed use of such devices for work purposes will be subject to the DSE Regulatios ad the circumstaces of such cases will eed to be idividually assessed. It caot be assumed that such devices, havig much of the fuctioality of full-sized DSE, are excluded because their screes are small. However, mobile phoes that are i prologed use oly for spoke coversatio are excluded uder regulatio 1(4)(e) because their display screes are icidetal to this kid of use. 26 The exclusio i regulatio 1(4)(f) is for widow typewriters havig a small display showig o more tha a few lies of text. Applicatio of the DSE Regulatios to special groups of workers Homeworkers ad teleworkers 1 (4) 27 If a DSE user is employed to work at home, or at other locatios away from Work with display scree equipmet Page 13 of 68

14 Guidace their mai base, the DSE Regulatios apply - whether or ot the workstatio is provided i whole or i part by the employer. There is o evidece that homeworkers/teleworkers are exposed to ay major additioal or uique risks to health ad safety as a cosequece of their DSE work. Ideed, there may be potetial beefits to idividuals ad commuities, for example through provisio of work to disadvataged groups ad deprived areas, ad reduced persoal risk ad evirometal damage from commutig. 28 However, homeworkers/teleworkers may ecouter both the ormal risks associated with DSE work ad some potetially icreased risks that may arise from social isolatio, stress, lack of supervisio, lack of employer commitmet ad difficulties i udertakig risk assessmets. There are some easy steps that should be take to reduce these risks: (d) It is ot always practicable for the employer to sed someoe else to coduct a risk assessmet for homeworkers/teleworkers (particularly i the case of mobile workers). A good solutio is for the employer to trai such workersto udertake their ow risk assessmets. This ca be doe by traiig homeworkers/teleworkers to use a ergoomic checklist, like the oe i Appedix 5. Such traiig could be doe before homeworkig starts or whe the employee cocered is visitig head office, usig office DSE to work through the topics a assessmet should cover. See also item (d) below which poits out there eeds to be a clear uderstadig about who has the resposibility for dealig with ay risks foud. I the case of the homeworker or teleworker s mai workstatio, the procedure set out i paragraph 28 should be used to udertake a full risk assessmet which should be reported to the employer, for example by submittig the completed checklist. I the case of mobile teleworkers workig for very short periods i hotel rooms ad similar places, the full procedure may ot be ecessary. However, such workers should be traied to metally ru through key poits from the checklist, ad take appropriate steps to esure they are comfortable ad ca miimise the risks wherever ad wheever they carry out DSE work. I additio to traiig i risk assessmet, homeworkers/teleworkers will eed extra traiig ad iformatio about health ad safety relatig to DSE use (for example good posture, takig breaks). This is importat for all users, but is especially so for homeworkers/teleworkers, who are ot uder immediate supervisio ad are also uable to pick up good habits by watchig colleagues. Break-moitorig software (see paragraphs 65-67) may be worth cosiderig. Homeworkers/teleworkers will eed clear chais of commuicatio for reportig ad resolvig ay ergoomic defects or warig sigs of health problems. This works best if there is a supportive workplace culture so that users feel ecouraged to report back promptly about ay problems ecoutered, ad users ad maagers are motivated to fid ad implemet solutios. 29 Where homeworkers/teleworkers are usig portable DSE, refer to the guidace i Appedix 3. HSE s guidace Homeworkig 8 deals with geeral risk assessmets of the home eviromet ad the extet to which the employer is resposible for home electrical systems ad equipmet. Agecy workers 1 (4) 30 May temporary workers supplied by employmet agecies/employmet busiesses will use DSE sufficietly to become users (employees) or operators (selfemployed people) ad hece be subject to the DSE Regulatios. Work with display scree equipmet Page 14 of 68

15 Guidace 31 Where a DSE worker supplied by a agecy/employmet busiess becomes a employee of the host employer, the duties uder the DSE Regulatios will fall to the host employer. I other situatios where the worker is a employee of the agecy or is self-employed, both the agecy/employmet busiess ad the host (cliet) employer will have duties uder the DSE Regulatios. The followig list clarifies these resposibilities: Host employers should: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) assess risks to agecy workers (whether users or operators) usig their workstatios (regulatio 2); esure all workstatios i their udertakig comply with miimum requiremets (regulatio 3); esure activities are plaed so that agecy worker users ca have breaks from DSE work (regulatio 4); provide traiig to agecy worker users whe their workstatio is beig modified (regulatio 6(2)); provide iformatio to agecy workers (both users ad operators) about risks, risk assessmet ad risk reductio measures; ad additioally to users about breaks, ad traiig whe their workstatio is modified (regulatio 7). Employmet busiesses (agecies) should: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) o request, provide eye tests (ad special corrective appliaces, if required) to agecy worker users who are their employees (regulatio 5); provide health ad safety traiig for such workers (regulatio 6(1) ad 6(1A)); provide iformatio to such workers about eye tests ad traiig (regulatio 7); check that host employers carry out their duties (as described above) to: 1 (4) coduct risk assessmets of the workstatios to be used; esure their workstatios comply with the miimum requiremets; pla for breaks or chages of activity for users; ad provide iformatio to agecy workers, as specified above. Regulatio Regulatio 2 Aalysis of workstatios to assess ad reduce risks (1) Every employer shall perform a suitable ad sufficiet aalysis of those workstatios which (regardless of who has provided them) are used for the purposes of his udertakig by users; or have bee provided by him ad are used for the purposes of his udertakig by operators, for the purpose of assessig the health ad safety risks to which those persos are exposed i cosequece of that use. (2) Ay assessmet made by a employer i pursuace of paragraph (1) shall be reviewed by him if 2 there is reaso to suspect that it is o loger valid; or there has bee a sigificat chage i the matters to which it relates; ad where as a result of ay such review chages to a assessmet are Work with display scree equipmet Page 15 of 68

16 Regulatio required, the employer cocered shall make them. (3) The employer shall reduce the risks idetified i cosequece of a assessmet to the lowest extet reasoably practicable. 2 Guidace (4) The referece i paragraph (3) to a assessmet is a referece to a assessmet made by the employer cocered i pursuace of paragraph (1) ad chaged by him where ecessary i pursuace of paragraph (2). 32 Possible health risks which have bee associated with DSE work are described i Appedix 2. This appedix also sets the risks i the cotext of the Priority Programmes to reduce musculoskeletal disorders ad stress, ad discusses the priciples of successful prevetio, treatmet ad rehabilitatio. 33 The pricipal risks relate to physical (musculoskeletal) problems, visual fatigue ad metal stress. These are ot uique to DSE work or a ievitable cosequece of it, ad ideed there is some evidece that the risk to the idividual user from typical DSE work is low if appropriate precautios are take. However, i DSE work as i other types of work, ill health ca result from poor equipmet or furiture, work orgaisatio, workig eviromet, job desig ad posture, ad from iappropriate workig methods. 34 The risk of musculoskeletal disorders i DSE work ca be icreased by the work-related factors listed above, by home or leisure activities, or by a combiatio of the two. While surveys idicate that oly a small proportio of DSE workers are likely to suffer sigificat ill health, the umber of cases is still far from egligible as DSE workers are so umerous. However, the kow health problems associated with DSE work ca be preveted i the majority of cases by good ergoomic desig of the equipmet, workplace ad job, ad by worker traiig ad cosultatio. 35 Employers will eed to assess the extet to which ay of the above risks arise for DSE workers usig their workstatios who are: users employed by them; users employed by others (for example agecy employed temps ); operators, ie self-employed cotractors who would be classified as users if they were employees (for example self-employed agecy temps, selfemployed jouralists). 36 Idividual workstatios used by ay of these people will eed to be aalysed ad risks assessed. If employers require their employees to use workstatios at home, these too will eed to be assessed (see paragraph 28). If there is doubt whether ay idividual is a user or operator, carryig out a risk assessmet may help i reachig a decisio. Suitable ad sufficiet aalysis ad risk assessmet 37 Risk assessmet should first idetify ay hazards ad the evaluate risks ad their extet. A hazard is somethig with the potetial to cause harm; risk expresses the likelihood that the harm from a particular hazard is realised. The extet of the risk takes ito accout the umber of people who might be exposed to a risk ad the cosequeces for them. Risks to health may arise from a combiatio of factors ad are particularly likely to occur whe the work, workplace ad work eviromet do ot take accout of workers eeds. Therefore, a suitable ad sufficiet aalysis should: 2 be systematic, icludig ivestigatio of o-obvious causes of problems. For Work with display scree equipmet Page 16 of 68

17 Guidace example poor posture may be a respose to scree reflectios or glare, rather tha poor furiture; be appropriate to the likely degree of risk. This will largely deped o the duratio, itesity or difficulty of the work udertake, for example the eed for prologed high cocetratio because of particular performace requiremets; be comprehesive, cosiderig both: (i) (ii) the results of aalysis of the workstatio (equipmet, furiture, software ad eviromet); ad orgaisatioal ad idividual factors, icludig thigs like workloads ad workig patters, provisio of breaks, traiig ad iformatio, ad ay special eeds of idividuals (such as people with a disability); (d) (e) icorporate iformatio provided by both employer ad worker; ad iclude a check for the presece of desirable features as well as makig sure that bad poits have bee elimiated. The form of the assessmet 38 I the simplest ad most obvious cases which ca be easily repeated ad explaied at ay time, a assessmet eed ot be recorded. This might be the case, for example if o sigificat risks are foud ad o idividual user or operator is idetified as beig especially at risk. Assessmets of short-term or temporary workstatios may also ot eed to be recorded, uless risks are sigificat. However, i most other cases assessmets eed to be recorded ad kept readily accessible to esure cotiuity ad accuracy of kowledge amog those who may eed to kow the results (for example where risk reductio measures have yet to be completed). Recorded assessmets eed ot ecessarily be a paper ad pecil record but ca be stored electroically. 39 Iformatio provided by users is a essetial part of a assessmet. The iclusio of such views is likely to result i better iformatio o existig coditios ad provide a feelig of owership over the fidigs. Employees who are actively ivolved i the risk assessmet process are also more likely to report ay problems as they arise. A useful way of obtaiig this iformatio ca be through a ergoomic checklist, which should preferably be completed by users or with their iput. A example of such a checklist is give i Appedix 5. Other approaches are also possible. For example more objective elemets of the aalysis (for example chair adjustability, keyboard characteristics, ature of work, etc) could be assessed geerically i respect of particular types of equipmet - or groups of workers performig the same tasks. Other aspects of workstatios would still eed to be assessed idividually through iformatio collected from users, but this could the be restricted to subjective factors (for example relatig to comfort, adjustability of chairs, particularly where there is hot-deskig, etc). Whatever type of checklist is used, employers should esure workers have received the ecessary traiig before beig asked to complete oe. 40 The form of the assessmet eeds to be appropriate to the ature of the tasks udertake ad the complexity of the workstatio. For may office tasks the assessmet ca be a judgemet based o resposes to the checklist. Where particular risks are apparet however, ad for complex situatios, for example where safety of others is a critical factor, a more detailed assessmet may be appropriate. This could iclude, for example a task aalysis where particular job stresses had bee idetified, recordig of posture, physical measuremet of workstatios, or quatitative surveys of lightig ad glare. 2 Work with display scree equipmet Page 17 of 68

18 Guidace Shared workstatios 41 Where oe workstatio is used by more tha oe worker, whether simultaeously or i shifts, it should be aalysed ad assessed i relatio to all those covered by the DSE Regulatios. For example if a very tall ad a very short worker are sharig a workstatio, the assessor should check the chair has a wide eough rage of adjustmet to accommodate both of them, ad that a footrest is available whe required. Who should do assessmets? 42 Assessmets ca be made by health ad safety persoel, or other i-house staff, if they have (or are traied for) the abilities required (see paragraph 43). It may be ecessary to call i outside expertise where, for example DSE or associated compoets are faulty i desig or use, where workstatio desig is complex, or where critical tasks are beig performed. Whe i-house persoel are traied to act as assessors, suitable checks should be made afterwards that assessors have uderstood the iformatio give to them ad have reached a adequate level of competece. (Oe way to do this would be for the traier to check a sample of the assessor s work.) 43 Those resposible for the assessmet should be familiar with the mai requiremets of the DSE Regulatios ad should have the ability to: (d) (e) idetify hazards (icludig less obvious oes) ad assess risks from the workstatio ad the kid of DSE work beig doe; for example by completig a checklist or reviewig oe completed by the worker; draw upo additioal sources of iformatio o risk as appropriate; draw valid ad reliable coclusios from assessmets ad idetify steps to reduce risks; make a clear record of the assessmet ad commuicate the fidigs to those who eed to take appropriate actio, ad to the worker cocered; recogise their ow limitatios as to assessmet so that further expertise ca be called o if ecessary. 44 The iclusio of the views of idividual users about their workstatios is a essetial part of the assessmet (as oted i paragraph 39). Employees safety represetatives should also be ecouraged to play a full part i the assessmet process. I particular they should be ecouraged to report ay problems i DSE work that come to their attetio. Review of assessmet 45 The assessmet or relevat parts of it should be reviewed i the light of chages to the DSE worker populatio, or chages i idividual capability, or where there has bee some sigificat chage to the workstatio such as: 2 (d) (e) (f) (g) a major chage to software used; a major chage to ay of the equipmet (scree, keyboard, iput devices, etc); a major chage i workstatio furiture; a substatial icrease i the amout of time required to be spet usig DSE; a substatial chage i other task requiremets (for example greater speed or accuracy); if the workstatio is relocated (eve if all equipmet ad furiture stays the same); if major features of the work eviromet, such as the lightig, are sigificatly modified. Work with display scree equipmet Page 18 of 68

19 Guidace 46 Reassessmets should be doe i the same way as the origial assessmet, cosultig workers ad safety represetatives, ad should be doe as soo as reasoably practicable after the eed for oe is idetified. 47 Ecouragig users to report ay ill health that may be due to their DSE work is a useful check that risk assessmet ad reductio measures are workig properly. Reports of ill health may idicate that reassessmet is required. Idividuals vary i their willigess to report ill health ad it is importat for employers to explai the beefits of early reportig of ay symptoms. The eed to report ad the orgaisatioal arragemets for makig a report should be covered i traiig. Reducig risks 48 The assessmet will highlight ay particular areas which may give reaso for cocer, ad these will require further evaluatio ad corrective actio as appropriate. Risks idetified i the assessmet must be remedied as quickly as possible. For typical applicatios of DSE, such as computers i offices, remedial actio is ofte straightforward, for example: Postural problems may be overcome by simple adjustmets to the workstatio such as repositioig equipmet or adjustig the chair. Postural problems ca also idicate a eed to reiforce the user s traiig (for example o correct had positio, posture, how to adjust equipmet). New equipmet such as a footrest or documet holder may be required i some cases. Visual problems may also be tackled by straightforward meas such as repositioig the scree or usig blids to avoid glare, placig the scree at a more comfortable viewig distace from the user, or by esurig the scree is kept clea. I some cases, ew equipmet such as widow blids or more appropriate lightig may be eeded (see also guidace o regulatio 5, o eyes ad eyesight). Fatigue ad stress may be alleviated by correctig obvious defects i the workstatio as idicated i items ad above, ad esurig the software is appropriate to the task. I additio, as i other kids of work, good desig of the task will be importat. Wherever possible, the task should provide users with a degree of persoal cotrol over the pace ad ature of their tasks (see guidace o regulatio 4). Proper provisio must be made for traiig ad iformatio, ot oly o health ad safety risks but also o the use of software. Further advice o software is give i paragraphs of Appedix It is importat to take a systematic approach to risk reductio ad recogise the limitatios of the basic assessmet. Observed problems may reflect the iteractio of several factors or may have causes that are ot obvious. For example backache may tur out to have bee caused by the worker sittig i a abormal positio i order to miimise the effects of reflectios o the scree. If the factors uderlyig a problem appear to be complex, or if simple remedial measures do ot have the desired effect, it will geerally be ecessary to obtai expert advice o corrective actio. Sources of iformatio ad advice 2 50 The referece sectio at the back of the book cotais a list of relevat HSE guidace documets, for example o lightig ad seatig, ad other publicatios. Further advice o health problems that may be coected with display scree work may be available from i-house safety or occupatioal health departmets where applicable or, if ecessary, from the Employmet Medical Advisory Service (see Appedix 6). Expert advice may be obtaied from idepedet specialists Work with display scree equipmet Page 19 of 68

20 Guidace i relevat professioal disciplies such as ergoomics or lightig desig. The referece sectio icludes some useful publicatios from relevat professioal bodies. Stadards 2 51 Ergoomic specificatios for use of DSE are cotaied i various iteratioal, Europea ad British stadards. Further iformatio is give i Appedix 1. Compliace with relevat parts of these stadards is ot a legal requiremet. Such compliace will geerally ot oly satisfy but also go beyod the requiremets of the DSE Regulatios, because the stadards aim to ehace performace as well as health ad safety. Regulatio 3 Regulatio 3 Requiremets for workstatios Every employer shall esure that ay workstatio which may be used for the purposes of his udertakig meets the requiremets laid dow i the Schedule to these Regulatios, to the extet specified i paragraph 1 thereof. Schedule Schedule Extet to which employers must esure that workstatios meet the requiremets laid dow i this Schedule 1 A employer shall esure that a workstatio meets the requiremets laid dow i this Schedule to the extet that those requiremets relate to a compoet which is preset i the workstatio cocered; those requiremets have effect with a view to securig the health, safety ad welfare of persos at work; ad the iheret characteristics of a give task make compliace with those requiremets appropriate as respects the workstatio cocered. Guidace 52 Regulatio 3 refers to the Schedule to the DSE Regulatios which sets out miimum requiremets for display scree workstatios, coverig the equipmet, the workig eviromet, ad the iterface (for example software) betwee the computer ad the user or operator. Figure 1 summarises the mai requiremets. Appedix 1 cotais more iformatio o those parts of the Schedule which may eed iterpretatio. 53 Regulatio 3 was ameded i 2002 to take accout of a judgmet i the Europea Court of Justice (joied cases C-74 ad 129/95); the ameded regulatio is show above. The judgmet ruled that articles 4 ad 5 of the Display Scree Equipmet Directive (90/270/EEC) impose obligatios i respect of all DSE workstatios, ot just those used by workers as defied i the Directive. Regulatio 3 has therefore bee altered to remove refereces to use by users or operators (which are the defied terms i the DSE Regulatios equivalet to workers i the Directive). I amedig regulatio 3, the opportuity has also bee take to simplify it by removig obsolete refereces to a trasitioal period for modificatio of older equipmet (see paragraph 58). 3 ad Schedule 54 Employers should therefore modify all DSE workstatios they possess that do ot already comply. However, modificatio is oly required to the extet described by paragraph 1 of the Schedule, as explaied i paragraph 55. Work with display scree equipmet Page 20 of 68

21 Figure 1 Subjects dealt with i the Schedule Adequate lightig Adequate cotrast, o glare or distractig reflectios Distractig oise miimised Leg room ad clearaces to allow postural chages Widow coverig if eeded to miimise glare Software: appropriate to task, adapted to user, providig feedback o system status, o udisclosed moitorig Scree: stable image, adjustable, readable, glare/reflectio-free Keyboard: usable, adjustable, detachable, legible Work surface: with space for flexible arragemet of equipmet ad documets; glare-free Chair: stable ad adjustable Footrest if user eeds oe Guidace Applicatio of the Schedule 55 By virtue of paragraph 1 of the Schedule, the miimum requiremets set out i paragraphs 2-4 of the Schedule apply oly i so far as: 3 ad Schedule the compoets cocered (for example documet holder, chair or desk) are preset at the workstatio. Where a particular item is metioed Work with display scree equipmet Page 21 of 68

22 Guidace i the Schedule, this should ot be iterpreted as a requiremet that all workstatios should have oe, uless risk assessmet uder regulatio 2 suggests the item is ecessary; they relate to worker health, safety ad welfare. For the purposes of these Regulatios, it is oly ecessary to comply with the detailed requiremets i paragraphs 2, 3 ad 4 of the Schedule if this would secure the health, safety or welfare of people at work. The requiremets i the Schedule do ot exted to the efficiecy of use of DSE, workstatios or software. However, these matters are covered, i additio to worker health ad safety, i stadards such as BS EN ISO (see Appedix 1). Compliace with stadards is ot a legal requiremet (see paragraph 3 of Appedix 1), but followig the stadards, where they are appropriate, should ehace efficiecy as well as esurig that the relevat health ad safety requiremets of the Schedule are satisfied. the iheret requiremets or characteristics of the task make compliace appropriate. It is ot a requiremet to comply with all the detailed requiremets i paragraphs 2, 3 ad 4 of the Schedule if doig so would mea the task for which the workstatio is used could ot be carried out successfully. Some examples are give i paragraph 57. Note that it is the demads of the task, rather tha the capabilities of ay particular equipmet, that are the decidig factor here. 56 I practice, the detailed requiremets i paragraphs 2-4 of the Schedule are most likely to be fully applicable i typical office situatios, for example where DSE is used for tasks such as data etry, or word processig. I more specialised applicatios, compliace with particular requiremets i the Schedule may be iappropriate where there would be o beefit to health ad safety (or adverse effects o it). Where DSE is used to cotrol machiery, processes or vehicle traffic, it is clearly essetial to cosider the implicatios of ay desig chages for the rest of the workforce ad the public, as well as the health ad safety of the scree user. 57 The followig examples illustrate how these factors ca operate i practice. They each iclude a referece to the relevat part of paragraph 1 of the Schedule: 3 ad Schedule (d) (e) (f) Where, as i some cotrol-room applicatios, a scree is used from a stadig positio ad without referece to documets, a work surface ad chair may be uecessary (Schedule 1). Some idividuals who suffer from certai back complaits may beefit from a chair with a fixed back rest or a special chair without a back rest (Schedule 1). Wheelchair users work from a chair that may ot comply with the requiremets i paragraph 2(e) of the Schedule. They may have special requiremets for work surface (for example height); i practice some wheelchair users may eed a purpose-built workstatio (or oe with height adjustability) but others may prefer to use existig work surfaces. Clearly the eeds of the idividual here should have priority over rigid compliace with paragraph 2 of the Schedule (Schedule 1). Where a user may eed to rapidly locate ad operate emergecy cotrols, placig them o a detachable keyboard may be iappropriate (Schedule 1 ad ). Where there are baks of screes, as i process cotrol or air traffic cotrol, idividually tiltig ad swivellig screes may be udesirable as the screes may eed to be aliged with oe aother ad/or be aliged for easy viewig from the operator s seat. Detachable keyboards may also be udesirable if a particular keyboard eeds to be associated with a particular scree ad/or istrumetatio i a multi-scree array (Schedule 1 ad ). A brightess cotrol may be iappropriate for process cotrol screes used to display alarm sigals: turig dow the brightess could cause a alarm to be Work with display scree equipmet Page 22 of 68

23 Guidace (g) (h) (i) (j) missed (Schedule 1 ad ). Screes that are ecessarily close to other work equipmet (for example i a fixed assembly such as a cotrol room pael) that eeds to be well-illumiated will eed carefully positioed local lightig. It may the be iappropriate for the scree to tilt ad swivel as this could give rise to strog reflectios o the scree (Schedule 1). Where microfiche is used to keep records of origial documets, scree characters may ot be well-defied or clearly formed if the origial was i poor coditio or was badly photographed (Schedule 1). Radar screes used i air traffic cotrol may have characters which have blurred tails ad hece might be cosidered to be ot well-defied ad clearly formed; however, log-persistece phosphors are deliberately used i such screes i order to idicate the directio of movemet of the aircraft (Schedule 1). Screes formig part of a simulator for traiig the crews of vehicles (ships, trais or aircraft) may have special features that do ot comply with the Schedule but are ecessary if the simulator is to accurately mimic the features of the (exempt) DSE o the vehicle (Schedule 1). Trasitioal period ad exclusios 58 Regulatio 3 origially cotaied trasitioal provisios which allowed employers more time to modify workstatios that were already i service before Jauary However, this trasitioal period expired o 31 December 1996 ad hece is o loger relevat. Employers are ow required to esure that all workstatios, whether or ot they are ew, comply with the Schedule where it is relevat. 59 Where the Schedule does ot apply because its requiremets are ot applicable (uder paragraph 1), employers must still comply with other provisios of the DSE Regulatios as well as with the HSW Act to esure that risks to users ad operators are reduced to the lowest extet reasoably practicable. So: 3 ad Schedule if assessmet of a existig workstatio shows there is a risk to users or operators, the employer should take immediate steps to reduce the risk; or where paragraph 1 or of the Schedule is applicable ad the miimum requiremets i paragraphs 2, 3 ad 4 of the Schedule are therefore ot beig followed, the employer must esure that the health ad safety of users ad operators are adequately safeguarded by whatever other meas are appropriate, reasoably practicable ad ecessary. Regulatio 4 Guidace 4 Regulatio 4 Daily work routie of users Every employer shall so pla the activities of users at work i his udertakig that their daily work o display scree equipmet is periodically iterrupted by such breaks or chages of activity as reduce their workload at that equipmet. 60 I may tasks, atural breaks or pauses occur as a cosequece of the iheret orgaisatio of the work. Wheever possible, jobs usig DSE should be desiged to cosist of a mix of scree-based ad o-scree-based work to prevet fatigue ad to vary visual ad metal demads. Where the job uavoidably cotais spells of itesive DSE work (whether usig the keyboard or iput device, readig the scree, or a mixture of the two), these should be broke up by periods of o-itesive, o-dse work. Where work caot be so orgaised, for example i jobs requirig oly data or text etry or scree moitorig requirig sustaied attetio ad cocetratio, deliberate breaks or pauses must be itroduced. Work with display scree equipmet Page 23 of 68

24 Guidace Nature ad timig of breaks or chages of activity 61 Where the DSE work ivolves itesive use of the keyboard, mouse or other iput device, ay activity that would demad broadly similar use of the arms or hads should be avoided durig breaks. Similarly, if the DSE work is visually demadig ay activities durig breaks should be of a differet visual ature. Breaks must also allow users to vary their posture. Exercise routies (for example body stretches, blikig the eyes ad focusig o distat objects) ca be helpful ad could be covered i traiig programmes. Such stretchig movemets or exercises ca help to combat egative effects (such as reduced blood flow) arisig from the sedetary ature of most DSE work. Brief stretchig exercises ca be doe wheever ecessary, ot just i formal breaks. 62 It is ot appropriate to lay dow requiremets for breaks which apply to all types of work; it is the ature ad mix of demads made by the job which determie the legth of break ecessary to prevet fatigue. But some geeral guidace ca be give: (d) (e) (f) Breaks or chages of activity should be icluded i workig time. They should reduce the workload at the scree, ie should ot result i a higher pace or itesity of work o accout of their itroductio. Breaks should be take whe performace ad productivity are still at a maximum, before the user starts gettig tired. This is better tha takig a break to recover from fatigue. Appropriate timig of the break is more importat tha its legth. Short, frequet breaks are more satisfactory tha occasioal, loger breaks: for example a 5-10 miute break after miutes cotiuous scree ad/ or keyboard work is likely to be better tha a miute break every 2 hours. Wherever practicable, users should be allowed some discretio as to whe to take breaks ad how they carry out tasks; idividual cotrol over the ature ad pace of work allows optimal distributio of effort over the workig day. Chages of activity (time spet doig other tasks ot usig the DSE) appear from study evidece to be more effective tha formal rest breaks i relievig visual fatigue. If possible, breaks should be take away from the DSE workstatio, ad allow the user to stad up, move about ad/or chage posture. The employer s duty to pla activities 63 The employer s duty uder regulatio 4 to pla the activities of users ca be satisfied by arragig tasks ad providig iformatio/traiig so that users are able to beefit from breaks or chages of activity; ad ecouragig them to do so. The duty to pla does ot imply a eed for the employer to draw up a precise ad detailed timetable for periods of DSE work ad breaks. That would oly be ecessary i a few cases It is geerally best for users to be give some discretio over whe to take breaks. I such cases the employer s duty to pla activities may be satisfied by allowig a adequate degree of flexibility for the user to orgaise their ow work. However, users give total discretio may forgo breaks i favour of a shorter workig day, ad thus may suffer fatigue. Employers should esure that users are give adequate iformatio ad traiig o the eed for breaks (see paragraphs ). To gai maximum beefit from breaks, users should be discouraged from usig the computer durig breaks for ay purpose (icludig their ow, for example to surf the Iteret). Where users do ot take proper breaks despite beig traied, it may be ecessary for employers to lay dow miimum requiremets for breaks while still allowig users some flexibility. Work with display scree equipmet Page 24 of 68

25 Guidace 65 A umber of break-moitorig software tools are marketed as aids to esure users take regular breaks. They are by o meas essetial but may be worth cosiderig i some situatios. If they are used, the employer still has a resposibility to esure that work activities are properly plaed ad that the use of the aid does i fact result i appropriate breaks beig take. 66 Such software packages vary i the facilities they offer. The most basic simply remid the user to take a break at preset itervals, regardless of how much they have used the computer. These may provide a simple solutio where computer use is fairly costat throughout the work period. More sophisticated packages moitor the umber of keystrokes ad/or degree of mouse activity ad display a remider whe the user reaches a preset threshold (for example umber of keystrokes, or keyig rate). These may be especially appropriate where computer use is variable but with some itesive use periods. Care may eed to be take i settig the thresholds for such packages ad it is worth bearig i mid that they are uable to detect itesive scree readig which may require a time-related remider. 67 Employers cotemplatig purchase of break-moitorig software should be aware that some features ca add to the frustratio ad stress experieced by users ad so are udesirable. For example the software should ot lock the user out of the DSE without givig adequate warig, to allow the user time to reach a suitable poit to take a break. Remiders are geerally better tha beig forced to stop. It is best for the user to have some scope to cofigure the software, so that it prompts them to take breaks at itervals which take ito accout their idividual eeds The employer s duty is to pla activities so that breaks or chages of activity are take by users durig their ormal work. There are a few situatios, for example where users workig i a cotrol room are hadlig a uforesee emergecy, where other health ad safety cosideratios may occasioally dictate that ormal breaks are ot take. Regulatio Regulatio 5 Eyes ad eyesight (1) Where a perso is a user i the udertakig i which he is employed; or is to become a user i a udertakig i which he is, or is to become, employed, the employer who carries o the udertakig shall, if requested by that perso, esure that a appropriate eye ad eyesight test is carried out o him by a competet perso withi the time specified i paragraph (2). (2) The time referred to i paragraph (1) is i the case of a perso metioed i paragraph (1), as soo as practicable after the request; ad i the case of a perso metioed i paragraph (1), before he becomes a user. 5 (3) At regular itervals after a employee has bee provided (whether before or after becomig a employee) with a eye ad eyesight test i accordace with paragraphs (1) ad (2), his employer shall, subject to paragraph (6), esure that he is provided with a further eye ad eyesight test of a appropriate ature, ay such test to be carried out by a competet perso. Work with display scree equipmet Page 25 of 68

26 Regulatio (4) Where a user experieces visual difficulties which may reasoably be cosidered to be caused by work o display scree equipmet, his employer shall esure that he is provided at his request with a appropriate eye ad eyesight test, ay such test to be carried out by a competet perso as soo as practicable after beig requested as aforesaid. (5) Every employer shall esure that each user employed by him is provided with special corrective appliaces appropriate for the work beig doe by the user cocered where ormal corrective appliaces caot be used; ad the result of ay eye ad eyesight test which the user has bee give i accordace with this regulatio shows such provisio to be ecessary. 5 Guidace (6) Nothig i paragraph (3) shall require a employer to provide ay employee with a eye ad eyesight test agaist that employee s will. 69 I 2002 regulatios 5(1) ad 5(2) were replaced ad regulatio 5(3) was ameded to improve clarity ad remove ay doubt over what is required. The ameded versio is show above. 70 The purpose of providig eye tests for DSE users is to ehace comfort ad efficiecy by idetifyig ad correctig visio defects, thus helpig to prevet temporary eyestrai ad fatigue. There is o reliable evidece that work with DSE causes ay permaet damage to eyes or eyesight, but it may make users with pre-existig visio defects more aware of them. This (ad/or poor workig coditios) may give some users temporary visual fatigue or headaches. Ucorrected visio defects ca make work at display screes more tirig or stressful tha it should be, ad correctig defects ca improve comfort, job satisfactio ad performace. (Note that some DSE work may also require specific visual capabilities such as colour discrimiatio.) Eye ad eyesight test 71 Regulatios 5(1) ad 5(2) require employers to provide users who so request it with a appropriate eye ad eyesight test. I Great Britai a appropriate eye ad eyesight test meas a sight test as defied i the Opticias Act legislatio.* The test icludes a test of visio ad a examiatio of the eye. For the purpose of the DSE Regulatios, the test should take accout of the ature of the user s work, icludig the distace at which the scree is viewed. DSE users are ot obliged to have such tests performed. Where users choose to exercise their etitlemet, employers should offer a examiatio by a registered ophthalmic opticia, or a registered medical practitioer with suitable qualificatios (referred to as optometrist ad doctor respectively i the rest of the guidace). (All registered medical practitioers, icludig those i compay occupatioal health departmets, are etitled to carry out sight tests but ormally oly those with a ophthalmic qualificatio do so.) 72 Regulatio 5(1) gives employers a duty to esure the provisio of appropriate eye ad eyesight tests o request: to their employees who are already users; ad 5 * Sectio 36(2) of the Opticias Act 1989 defies testig sight as testig sight with the object of determiig whether there is ay ad, if so, what defect of sight ad of correctig, remedyig or relievig ay such defect of a aatomical or physiological ature by meas of a optical appliace prescribed o the basis of the determiatio. Further iformatio is give i the Sight Testig Examiatio ad Prescriptio (No 2) Regulatios 1989/1230, which require a doctor or opticia to perform specified examiatios to detect ijury, disease or abormality whe carryig out a eye test. Work with display scree equipmet Page 26 of 68

27 Guidace to people who are beig recruited to be a user (icludig existig employees beig trasferred to work that will make them a user). 73 Regulatio 5(2) sets out whe tests have to be provided to differet categories of people: Where a existig user requests a test for the first time, the employer should arrage for a test to be carried out as soo as practicable. Where the test is requested by a employee who is ot yet a user but is to become oe, the employer should arrage for a test to be carried out before the perso cocered becomes a user. Employers must provide eye ad eyesight tests o request to ay perso beig recruited as a user. This duty arises oly whe it is certai that ay such perso is to become both a user ad a employee. Employers do ot have to provide eye ad eyesight tests to applicats for jobs, though employers may do so if they wish. Where a test is requested by a perso beig recruited to be a user, if the test is ot provided before the perso takes up the job it must be provided before the ew employee udertakes sufficiet DSE work to make them a user. Employers may ot refuse to provide a test o the grouds that a ew recruit has recetly had oe provided i ay previous period of employmet. (However, it may ot be of practical beefit to such a user to request a test, if their ew tasks ad work eviromet are to be similar to those before the chage of job.) 74 The College of Optometrists has produced a statemet of good practice for optometrists o DSE matters, published i the guidace for professioal coduct o their website (see Appedix 6). Amog other thigs, it makes clear that the purpose of the eye test by a optometrist or doctor uder regulatio 5 is to decide whether the user has ay defect of sight which requires correctio whe workig with a display scree. It follows that whe they have a eye test, users eed to be able to describe their display scree ad workig eviromet (particularly the distace at which they view the scree). As the College poits out, the optometrist may eed to make a report to the employer, copied to the employee, statig clearly whether or ot a corrective appliace is eeded specifically for display scree work ad whe re-examiatio should take place. Ay prescriptio, or other cofidetial cliical iformatio from the eye test, ca oly be provided to the employer with the employee s coset. 75 Employers should tell users they employ about the arragemets they have made to provide eye tests to those who wat them (there is a requiremet to provide this iformatio uder regulatio 7; see paragraph 96 of the mai guidace). Visio screeig tests 76 Visio screeig tests are ot a eye ad eyesight test ad hece do ot satisfy the DSE Regulatios, but some employers may wish to offer them as a extra. Visio screeig is a meas of idetifyig idividuals with defective visio; however, screeig is ot desiged to fid those eye defects, such as ijury or disease, that may ot at first affect visio. Where compaies offer this facility, some users may be cotet with a visio screeig test to check their eed for a full sight test. However, employers must also provide the full eye ad eyesight test specified i paragraph 71 to those users who either choose at the outset to exercise their etitlemet to the full test, or choose to do so after havig had visio screeig Where visio screeig is offered, the screeig istrumet or other test method used should be capable of testig visio at the distaces appropriate to the user s display scree work, icludig the itermediate distace at which Work with display scree equipmet Page 27 of 68

28 Guidace screes are viewed (ormally cm). Where test results idicate that visio is defective at the relevat distaces, the user should be iformed ad referred to a optometrist or doctor for a full sight test. 78 Those coductig eyesight screeig tests should have basic kowledge of the eye ad its fuctio ad be competet i operatio of the istrumet ad/or tests. Both the test results ad the eed for further referral should be assessed by those with medical, ophthalmic, ursig or paramedical skills. Regularity of provisio of eye ad eyesight tests 79 Regulatio 5 requires that eye ad eyesight tests are provided: (d) as soo as practicable after display scree users have made a request; for recruits or employees who are to become users, ad have made a request. I such cases the test must be carried out before the employee becomes a user; for users at regular itervals after the first test, provided that they wat the tests. Employers should be guided by the cliical judgemet of the optometrist or doctor o the frequecy of repeat testig. The frequecy of repeat testig eeded will vary betwee idividuals, accordig to factors such as age. Employers are ot resposible for ay correctios for visio defects or examiatios for eye complaits which are ot related to display scree work which may become ecessary withi the period. These are the resposibility of the idividual cocered; for users experiecig visual difficulties which may reasoably be cosidered to be related to the display scree work, for example visual symptoms such as eyestrai or focusig difficulties. 80 Where a eye test by a optometrist suggests that a user is sufferig eye ijury or disease, the user will be referred to his or her registered medical practitioer for further examiatio. This examiatio is free of charge uder the Natioal Health Service. Corrective appliaces 81 Special corrective appliaces (ormally spectacles) provided to meet the requiremets of the DSE Regulatios will be those appliaces prescribed to correct visio defects at the viewig distace or distaces used specifically for the display scree work cocered. Normal corrective appliaces are spectacles prescribed for ay other purpose. It should be oted that experiece has show that i most workig populatios oly a miority (usually less tha 10%) will eed special corrective appliaces for display scree work. Those who eed special corrective appliaces may iclude users who already wear spectacles or cotact leses, or others who have ucorrected visio defects. 82 It is good practice to brig other thigs that eed to be viewed for the work ito the same visual plae as the scree wherever possible, for example by usig a documet holder. Hece i may cases where a user requires special glasses to carry out their DSE work, a sigle les prescriptio will be appropriate. However, there may be some circumstaces where bifocal or varifocal leses may seem ecessary. These may iclude situatios where the user is required to mix their DSE tasks with other tasks (for example dealig with people) which require a differet viewig distace. If the user would repeatedly have to chage from oe pair of spectacles to aother to cope with this, a pair with multiple-focus leses might be a solutio However, cautio is ecessary i reachig a decisio. There ca be side- Work with display scree equipmet Page 28 of 68

29 Guidace effects associated with the use of multi-focal prescriptios for DSE work. The smaller size of each les sectio ca lead to the user havig to make repeated adjustmets to their eck/head positio, or adoptig a awkward positio i order to look through the appropriate part of the les. These disadvatages could prove to be more problematic tha swappig spectacles, for istace by iducig eck pai. The decisio o which is the most suitable solutio is best take i discussio with the optometrist; this will require iformatio beig provided about the ature of the work ad the workstatio ad workplace layout. 84 Ati-glare screes, ad so-called VDU spectacles ad other devices that purport to protect agaist radiatio, are ot special corrective appliaces (see paragraphs of Appedix 1 for advice o radiatio). Employers liability for costs 85 The provisio of eye ad eyesight tests ad of special corrective appliaces uder the DSE Regulatios is at the expese of the user s employer. This is the case eve if the user works o other employers workstatios. 86 The duty o employers is to provide a test where a user requests oe. It is up to the employer to decide how to do this, whether by arragig for all their users to visit a particular optometrist or doctor omiated by the employer; by allowig users to make their ow arragemets with optometrists ad reimbursig the costs afterwards; by a voucher scheme; or ay other meas. 87 Normal corrective appliaces are at the user s ow expese, but users eedig special corrective appliaces will be prescribed a special pair of spectacles for display scree work. Employers liability for the cost of these is restricted to paymet of the cost of a basic appliace, ie of a type ad quality adequate for the user s work. Where bifocal or varifocal spectacles are prescribed as special corrective appliaces (see cautio at paragraph 83) the employer is required to meet the costs associated with providig a basic frame ad the prescribed leses. 88 If, however, users are permitted by their employers to choose spectacles to correct eye or visio defects for purposes which iclude the user s work but go wider tha that, employers eed cotribute oly the costs attributable to the requiremets of the job If users wish to choose more costly appliaces (for example with desiger frames, or leses with optioal treatmets ot ecessary for the work), the employer is ot obliged to pay for these. I these circumstaces employers may either provide a basic appliace as above, or may opt to cotribute a portio of the total cost of a luxury appliace equal to the cost of a basic appliace. Regulatio Regulatio 6 Provisio of traiig (1) Where a perso is a user i the udertakig i which he is employed; or is to become a user i the udertakig i which he is, or is to become, employed, 6 the employer who carries o the udertakig shall esure that he is provided with adequate health ad safety traiig i the use of ay workstatio upo which he may be required to work. Work with display scree equipmet Page 29 of 68

30 Regulatio 6 Guidace (1A) I the case of a perso metioed i sub-paragraph of paragraph (1) the traiig shall be provided before he becomes a user. (2) Every employer shall esure that each user at work i his udertakig is provided with adequate health ad safety traiig wheever the orgaisatio of ay workstatio i that udertakig upo which he may be required to work is substatially modified. 90 Like regulatio 5, regulatio 6 was ameded i 2002 to remove ambiguities. The ameded versio is show above. Employers duties uder it are substatially uchaged, but the regulatio ow sets out more clearly whe traiig should be provided. Newly recruited users, ad existig employees whose duties are chagig i a way that will make them become users, should be give traiig before they start doig the work that will make them a user. 91 Employers should esure that all users (whether they make use of the employer s workstatios or are required to use other workstatios) have bee provided with adequate ad suitable health ad safety traiig, i additio to the traiig received i order to do the work itself. It is good practice for this traiig to be give before users take part i risk assessmets. 92 I practice, there may be cosiderable overlap betwee geeral traiig requiremets ad specific health ad safety oes (for example the developmet of keyboard skills) ad they are best doe together. They will the reiforce each other ad facilitate efficiet ad effective use of the equipmet as well as avoidace of risk. The purpose of traiig is to icrease the user s competece to use workstatio equipmet safely ad reduce the risk to their or ayoe else s health. I cosiderig the extet of ay traiig which will be ecessary i a particular case, the employer eeds to make up ay shortfalls betwee the user s existig competece ad that ecessary to use the equipmet i a safe ad healthy way. The developmet of specific statemets of what the user eeds to do ad how well they eed to do it (ie statemets of competece) will assist the employer to determie the extet of ay shortfall. 93 Traiig will eed to be adapted to the requiremets of the particular DSE tasks, be adapted to users skills ad capabilities ad be refreshed or updated as the hardware, software, workstatio, eviromet or job are modified. (A workstatio should be regarded as havig bee substatially modified for the purposes of regulatio 6(2) if there has bee a sigificat chage to it, as set out i paragraph 45.) Where people have bee abset from work for log periods, cosider if special traiig or retraiig is eeded as part of their rehabilitatio, particularly if they have suffered from visual, musculoskeletal or stress-related ill health. Orgaisatios should develop systems for idetifyig the occasios whe ay of these eeds for traiig arise. 94 Health ad safety traiig should be aimed at reducig or miimisig the three risk areas outlied i paragraph 33 of the mai guidace ad i Appedix 2, with referece to the part played by the idividual user. To do this, six iterrelated aspects of traiig should be covered: 6 The user s role i correct ad timely detectio ad recogitio of hazards ad risks. This should cover both the absece of desirable features (for example seat height adjustmet) ad the presece of udesirable oes (for example scree reflectios ad glare), together with iformatio o health risks ad what to look out for as early warig of problems. A simple explaatio of the causes of risk ad the mechaisms by which harm may be brought about, for example poor posture leadig to static loadig o the musculoskeletal system ad evetual fatigue ad discomfort. Work with display scree equipmet Page 30 of 68

31 Guidace User-iitiated actios ad procedures which will brig risks uder cotrol. Traiig should cover the followig: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) the desirability of comfortable posture ad the importace of frequetly chagig positio; correct use of adjustmet mechaisms o equipmet, particularly furiture, so that stress ad fatigue ca be miimised; the use ad arragemet of workstatio compoets to facilitate good posture, prevet overreachig ad avoid glare ad reflectios o the scree; the eed for regular cleaig of screes ad other equipmet, ad ispectios to pick up defects requirig maiteace; the eed to take advatage of breaks ad chages of activity. (d) (e) (f) Orgaisatioal arragemets by which users ad their supervisors ca alert maagemet to ill health symptoms or problems with workstatios. Iformatio o these Regulatios, particularly as regards eyesight, rest pauses, ad the thigs described i Appedix 1. The user s cotributio to assessmets New users ca be give such traiig at the same time as they are traied o how to use the equipmet. The iformatio required to be provided uder regulatio 7 will reiforce the traiig ad could usefully be i the form of posters or cards with pictorial remiders of some of the essetial poits. Figure 2 provides a example. Regulatio Regulatio 7 Provisio of iformatio (1) Every employer shall esure that operators ad users at work i his udertakig are provided with adequate iformatio about all aspects of health ad safety relatig to their workstatios; ad such measures take by him i compliace with his duties uder regulatios 2 ad 3 as relate to them ad their work. (2) Every employer shall esure that users at work i his udertakig are provided with adequate iformatio about such measures take by him i compliace with his duties uder regulatios 4 ad 6(2) as relate to them ad their work. 7 Guidace 7 (3) Every employer shall esure that users employed by him are provided with adequate iformatio about such measures take by him i compliace with his duties uder regulatios 5 ad 6(1) as relate to them ad their work. 96 Uder regulatio 7 of the DSE Regulatios specific iformatio should be provided as i Table The iformatio should amog other thigs iclude remiders of the measures take to reduce the risks such as the system for reportig problems, the availability of adjustable widow coverig ad furiture, ad of how to make use of them. Providig iformatio will help to cosolidate traiig provided to ew users ad act as a remider to those traied previously. Work with display scree equipmet Page 31 of 68

32 Figure 2 Seatig ad posture for typical office tasks Seat back adjustable Good lumbar support Seat height adjustable No excess pressure o uderside of thighs ad backs of kees Foot support if eeded Space for postural chage, o obstacles uder desk Forearms approximately horizotal Wrists ot excessively bet (up, dow or sideways) Scree height ad agle to allow comfortable head positio Space i frot of keyboard to support hads/wrists durig pauses i keyig 98 The required iformatio ca be provided to staff i ay of a umber of ways, icludig puttig it i prited form i a memo, wallchart or i health ad safety istructios; makig it available o a computer disk, electroic bulleti board or other IT-based system, provided that all staff are suitably traied ad ca access the iformatio; or by verbal briefigs. It ca be useful to first cosult staff to help decide the best method. Work with display scree equipmet Page 32 of 68

33 99 There is also a geeral requiremet uder the Maagemet of Health ad Safety at Work Regulatios for employers to provide iformatio o risks to health ad safety to all their ow employees, as well as to employers of other employees o site, to visitig employees, ad to the self-employed. 100 Iformatio give to users ad operators should also be provided to safety represetatives. Table 3 Iformatio the employer has to provide to users ad operators Does employer have to provide iformatio o: Category of perso workig with DSE i the employer s udertakig Risks from display scree equipmet ad workstatios? Risk assessmet ad measures to reduce the risks (regulatios 2 ad 3)? Breaks ad activity chages (regulatio 4)? Eye ad eyesight tests (regulatio 5)? Iitial traiig (regulatio 6(1))? Traiig whe workstatio modified (regulatio 6(2))? Users (employees) employed by the employers ow udertakig Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Users (employees) o site but employed by aother employer Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Operators (self-employed people) Yes Yes No No No No Regulatio Regulatio 8 Exemptio certificates (1) The Secretary of State for Defece may, i the iterests of atioal security, exempt ay of the home forces, ay visitig force or ay headquarters from ay of the requiremets imposed by these Regulatios. (2) Ay exemptio such as is specified i paragraph (1) may be grated subject to coditios ad to a limit of time ad may be revoked by the Secretary of State for Defece by a further certificate i writig at ay time. (3) I this regulatio 8 the home forces has the same meaig as i sectio 12(1) of the Visitig Forces Act 1952 ; headquarters has the same meaig as i article 3(2) of the Visitig Forces ad Iteratioal Headquarters (Applicatio of Law) Order 1965 ; ad visitig force has the same meaig as it does for the purposes of Work with display scree equipmet Page 33 of 68

34 Regulatio ay provisio of Part 1 of the Visitig Forces Act c.7. SI 1965/1536, to which there are amedmets ot relevat to these Regulatios. Regulatio 9 Regulatio 9 Extesio outside Great Britai These Regulatios shall, subject to regulatio 1(4), apply to ad i relatio to the premises ad activities outside Great Britai to which sectios 1 to 59 ad 80 to 82 of the Health ad Safety at Work etc Act 1974 apply by virtue of the Health ad Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (Applicatio outside Great Britai) Order 1989 as they apply withi Great Britai. SI 1989/840. Schedule Schedule Miimum requiremets for workstatios (Which sets out the miimum requiremets for workstatios which are cotaied i the Aex to Coucil Directive 90/270/EEC o the miimum safety ad health requiremets for work with display scree equipmet.) Extet to which employers must esure that workstatios meet the requiremets laid dow i this Schedule 1 A employer shall esure that a workstatio meets the requiremets laid dow i this Schedule to the extet that those requiremets relate to a compoet which is preset i the workstatio cocered; those requiremets have effect with a view to securig the health, safety ad welfare of persos at work; ad the iheret characteristics of a give task make compliace with those requiremets appropriate as respects the workstatio cocered. Equipmet 2 Geeral commet The use as such of the equipmet must ot be a source of risk for operators or users. Display scree The characters o the scree shall be well-defied ad clearly formed, of adequate size ad with adequate spacig betwee the characters ad lies. The image o the scree should be stable, with o flickerig or other forms of istability. The brightess ad the cotrast betwee the characters ad the OJ No L156, , p.14. Work with display scree equipmet Page 34 of 68

35 Schedule backgroud shall be easily adjustable by the operator or user, ad also be easily adjustable to ambiet coditios. The scree must swivel ad tilt easily ad freely to suit the eeds of the operator or user. It shall be possible to use a separate base for the scree or a adjustable table. The scree shall be free of reflective glare ad reflectios liable to cause discomfort to the operator or user. Keyboard The keyboard shall be tiltable ad separate from the scree so as to allow the operator or user to fid a comfortable workig positio avoidig fatigue i the arms or hads. The space i frot of the keyboard shall be sufficiet to provide support for the hads ad arms of the operator or user. The keyboard shall have a matt surface to avoid reflective glare. The arragemet of the keyboard ad the characteristics of the keys shall be such as to facilitate the use of the keyboard. The symbols o the keys shall be adequately cotrasted ad legible from the desig workig positio. (d) Work desk or work surface The work desk or work surface shall have a sufficietly large, lowreflectace surface ad allow a flexible arragemet of the scree, keyboard, documets ad related equipmet. The documet holder shall be stable ad adjustable ad shall be positioed so as to miimise the eed for ucomfortable head ad eye movemets. There shall be adequate space for operators or users to fid a comfortable positio. (e) Work chair The work chair shall be stable ad allow the operator or user easy freedom of movemet ad a comfortable positio. The seat shall be adjustable i height. The seat back shall be adjustable i both height ad tilt. A footrest shall be made available to ay operator or user who wishes oe. Eviromet 3 Space requiremets The workstatio shall be dimesioed ad desiged so as to provide sufficiet space for the operator or user to chage positio ad vary Work with display scree equipmet Page 35 of 68

36 Schedule movemets. Lightig Ay room lightig or task lightig provided shall esure satisfactory lightig coditios ad a appropriate cotrast betwee the scree ad the backgroud eviromet, takig ito accout the type of work ad the visio requiremets of the operator or user. Possible disturbig glare ad reflectios o the scree or other equipmet shall be preveted by co-ordiatig workplace ad workstatio layout with the positioig ad techical characteristics of the artificial light sources. Reflectios ad glare Workstatios shall be so desiged that sources of light, such as widows ad other opeigs, trasparet or traslucid walls, ad brightly coloured fixtures or walls cause o direct glare ad o distractig reflectios o the scree. Widows shall be fitted with a suitable system of adjustable coverig to atteuate the daylight that falls o the workstatio. (d) Noise Noise emitted by equipmet belogig to ay workstatio shall be take ito accout whe a workstatio is beig equipped, with a view i particular to esurig that attetio is ot distracted ad speech is ot disturbed. (e) Heat Equipmet belogig to ay workstatio shall ot produce excess heat which could cause discomfort to operators or users. (f) Radiatio All radiatio with the exceptio of the visible part of the electromagetic spectrum shall be reduced to egligible levels from the poit of view of the protectio of operators or users health ad safety. (g) Humidity A adequate level of humidity shall be established ad maitaied. Iterface betwee computer ad operator/user 4 I desigig, selectig, commissioig ad modifyig software, ad i desigig tasks usig display scree equipmet, the employer shall take ito accout the followig priciples: software must be suitable for the task; software must be easy to use ad, where appropriate, adaptable to the level of kowledge or experiece of the operator or user; o quatitative or qualitative checkig facility may be used without the kowledge of the operators or users; systems must provide feedback to operators or users o the Work with display scree equipmet Page 36 of 68

37 Schedule (d) (e) performace of those systems; systems must display iformatio i a format ad at a pace which are adapted to operators or users; the priciples of software ergoomics must be applied, i particular to huma data processig. Appedix 1 Guidace o workstatio miimum requiremets 1 The Schedule to the DSE Regulatios sets out miimum requiremets for workstatios, applicable maily to typical office workstatios. As explaied i the mai guidace (paragraph 55), these requiremets are applicable oly i so far as the compoets referred to are preset at the workstatio cocered; the requiremets are ot precluded by the iheret requiremets of the task, ad the requiremets relate to worker health, safety ad welfare. Paragraphs 56 ad 57 of the mai guidace give examples of situatios i which some aspects of these miimum requiremets would ot apply. 2 The requiremets of the Schedule are i most cases self-explaatory but particular poits to ote are covered below. Geeral approach: Use of stadards 3 Ergoomic requiremets for the use of visual display uits i office tasks are cotaied i BS EN ISO There is o requiremet i the DSE Regulatios to comply with this or ay other stadard. Other approaches to meetig the miimum requiremets i the DSE Regulatios are possible. These other approaches may be appropriate if special requiremets of the task or eeds of the user mea that equipmet, software, etc that complies with the stadards is ot suitable. However, employers may fid stadards helpful as workstatios ad software satisfyig BS EN ISO 9241 would meet ad i most cases go beyod the miimum requiremets i the Schedule to the DSE Regulatios. 4 BS EN ISO covers the ergoomics of desig ad use of visual display termials i offices; it is cocered with the efficiet use of the equipmet as well as with user health, safety ad comfort. While drafted i coectio with office tasks, may of the geeral ergoomic recommedatios i BS EN ISO 9241 will be relevat to some o-office situatios. 5 BS EN ISO is a iteratioal stadard replacig the earlier, iterim British Stadard BS 7179 which has ow bee withdraw. BS EN ISO 9241 is a multipart stadard coverig the followig: Part 1 Geeral itroductio Part 2 Guidace o task requiremets Part 3 Visual display requiremets Part 4 Keyboard requiremets Part 5 Workstatio layout ad postural requiremets Part 6 Guidace o the work eviromet Part 7 Requiremets for displays with reflectios Part 8 Requiremets for displayed colours Part 9 Requiremets for o-keyboard iput devices Part 10 Dialogue priciples Part 11 Guidace o usability Part 12 Presetatio of iformatio Part 13 User guidace Work with display scree equipmet Page 37 of 68

38 Part 14 Meu dialogues Part 15 Commad dialogues Part 16 Direct maipulatio dialogues Part 17 Form fillig dialogues 6 While this stadard is ot formally liked to the Display Scree Equipmet Directive, oe of its aims is to establish appropriate levels of user health ad safety ad comfort. Techical data i the various parts of the stadard may therefore help employers to meet the requiremets laid dow i the Schedule to the DSE Regulatios. Although some parts of BS EN ISO 9241 (such as Parts 3, 4 ad 9) are aimed at maufacturers, they still cotai iformatio which may help employers - particularly whe decidig what to look for i buyig ew equipmet. 7 There are other stadards that deal with requiremets for furiture. These iclude BS 3044, 10 which is a guide to ergoomic priciples i the desig ad selectio of office furiture geerally. BS EN also provides iformatio o the dimesios of work tables ad desks suitable for office use ad BS EN 1335 Part 1 12 has dimesioal stadards for chairs. Further iformatio about the relevat British, Europea ad iteratioal stadards ca be obtaied from the British Stadards Istitutio (see Refereces ad further readig ). 8 Other more detailed ad striget stadards are relevat to certai specialised applicatios of display screes, especially those where the health or safety of people other tha the scree user may be affected. Some examples i particular subject areas are: Process cotrol A large umber of British ad iteratioal stadards are or will be relevat to the desig of display scree iterfaces for use i process cotrol - such as the part-published BS EN ISO o the geeral ergoomic desig of cotrol rooms. Applicatios with machiery safety implicatios BS EN Ergoomic desig priciples i safety of machiery. 14 BS EN ISO Huma-cetred desig processes for iteractive systems. 15 Safety of programmable electroic systems BS EN Fuctioal safety of electrical/electroic/programmable electroic safety-related systems Applicatios such as these are outside the scope of these guidace otes. Ayoe ivolved i the desig of such display scree iterfaces, or others where there may be safety cosideratios for o-users, should seek appropriate specialist advice. Equipmet Display scree 10 Choice of display scree should be cosidered i relatio to other elemets of the work system, such as the type ad amout of iformatio required for the task, ad evirometal factors. Satisfactory results ca usually be achieved by makig appropriate adjustmets, for example those described i paragraphs 14, 15 ad 31 of this appedix, to adapt a stadard display scree to suit particular requiremets or chagig evirometal coditios. However, i some cases, for example cotrol rooms, it may be ecessary to use screes that are custom-desiged for a specific task or eviromet. 11 Sizes of display screes are ot specified i the DSE Regulatios because both Work with display scree equipmet Page 38 of 68

39 the visual demads of tasks ad the requiremets of particular users vary a great deal. The scree ad the characters or images o it eed to be large eough for the user to do their work comfortably. While larger screes ca give a better image ad display more iformatio, it is worth bearig i mid that very large screes take up more desk space which ca be detrimetal to comfort or require a larger desk. If there is a requiremet for a large scree, choosig a flat-pael scree rather tha a traditioal cathode-ray tube (CRT) display may help resolve this difficulty. Display stability 12 Idividual perceptios of scree flicker vary ad with CRT scree techology it is ot techically feasible to elimiate flicker for all users. Iteratioal stadards (such as BS EN ISO 9241, Part 3) 9 specify that screes should appear flickerfree to 90% of users; screes that do this ca be regarded as satisfyig the miimum requiremet i the Schedule. A chage to a differet display ca resolve idividual problems with flicker. Electrical or magetic iterferece from equipmet (for example loudspeakers) too close to the scree ca sometimes degrade the scree image. Persistet display istabilities - flicker, jump, jitter or swim - may idicate basic desig problems, or defects, ad assistace should be sought from suppliers. Flat-pael screes such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), ulike CRTs, are ot usually subject to flicker uless they have ot bee set up properly durig maufacture or istallatio. Brightess ad cotrast 13 Either egative or positive image polarity is acceptable, ad each has differet advatages as show i Table 4. The balace of these advatages meas that positive polarity is the better choice for most work situatios. Table 4 Advatages of egative ad positive image polarity Negative polarity Positive polarity (light characters o a dark backgroud) Flicker less perceptible (importat with older cathode-ray tube (CRT) screes) Legibility better for those with low-acuity visio Characters may be perceived as larger tha they are (dark characters o a light backgroud) Reflectios less perceptible Edges appear sharper Good workplace lightig is easier to achieve 14 It is importat for the brightess ad cotrast of the display to be appropriate for ambiet lightig coditios; trade-offs betwee character brightess ad sharpess may be eeded to achieve a acceptable balace. I may kids of equipmet this is achieved by providig a cotrol or cotrols which allow the user to make adjustmets. Cotrols may eed to be readjusted as ambiet lightig chages through the day. Scree adjustability 15 Adjustmet mechaisms allow the scree to be tilted or swivelled to avoid glare ad reflectios ad eable the worker to maitai a atural ad relaxed posture. They may be built ito the scree, form part of the workstatio furiture or be provided by separate scree support devices; they should be simple ad easy to operate. Scree height adjustmet devices are ot essetial but may be a useful Work with display scree equipmet Page 39 of 68

40 meas of adjustig the scree to the correct height for the worker, especially if a umber of differet people use the workstatio. Alteratively, screes that are too low may be raised usig solid blocks or ay suitably rigid support that achieves a comfortable height. The referece i the Schedule to adjustable tables does ot mea these ecessarily have to be provided. Glare ad reflectios 16 Screes are geerally maufactured without highly reflective surface fiishes ad ofte have built-i ati-glare or o-reflective coatigs. However, i adverse lightig coditios, reflectio ad glare may still be a problem. Advice o this is icluded uder lightig (see paragraphs of this appedix). Cleaig 17 Keepig the scree (ad keyboard) clea will aid its legibility, icrease user comfort ad help meet the requiremets of the Schedule. Keyboard ad other iput devices 18 Keyboard desig should allow workers to locate ad activate keys quickly, accurately ad without discomfort. The choice of keyboard will be dictated by the ature of the task ad determied i relatio to other elemets of the work system. Had support may be icorporated ito the keyboard for support while keyig or at rest, depedig o what the worker fids comfortable. Support ca also be gaied by leavig a adequate space betwee the keyboard ad the frot edge of the desk; or may be provided by a separate had/wrist support o or attached to the work surface. 19 It is ot a requiremet of the DSE Regulatios to provide split or otherwise ergoomic keyboards for all users. However, there may be cases where oe of these special desigs of keyboard may be worth cosiderig, for example to rehabilitate a worker sufferig from upper limb pai. 20 DSE is icreasigly beig used with other, o-keyboard iput devices such as the mouse or trackball. These are covered by the DSE Regulatios but oly i a geeral way: the requiremet is that such equipmet should ot be a source of risk. Practical advice o choosig ad workig with such devices is give i Appedix 4. Work desk or work surface 21 Work surface dimesios may eed to be larger tha for covetioal oscree office work, to take adequate accout of: a) the rage of tasks performed (for example scree viewig, keyboard iput, use of other iput devices, writig o paper, use of telephoe, etc); positio ad use of hads for each task; use ad storage of workig materials ad equipmet (documets, telephoes, etc). 22 Documet holders ca be useful for work with hard copy, particularly for workers who have to repeatedly look from the scree to a documet ad back, ad for ayoe who fids difficulty i refocusig. Where a holder is used by touchtypists it should: positio workig documets at a height, visual plae ad viewig distace similar to those of the scree; be of low reflectace; be stable; ad ot reduce the readability of source documets. People who have to look at the keyboard to type may fid it better to place documets close to the keyboard, for Work with display scree equipmet Page 40 of 68

41 example betwee the keyboard ad the scree. Work chair 23 The primary requiremet here is that the work chair should allow the user to achieve a comfortable positio. Seat height adjustmets should accommodate the eeds of users for the tasks performed. The Schedule requires the seat to be adjustable i height (ie relative to the groud) ad the seat back to be adjustable i height (also relative to the groud) ad tilt. Provided the chair desig meets these requiremets ad allows the user to achieve a comfortable posture, it is ot ecessary for the height or tilt of the seat back to be adjustable idepedetly of the seat. Automatic backrest adjustmets are acceptable if they provide adequate back support. Chairs with arms are liked by some users; but check the arms do ot iterfere with freedom of movemet, for example by stoppig the user gettig the chair uder the work surface to sit comfortably at the keyboard. Remember users may eed traiig o how to adjust chairs. 24 Geeral health ad safety advice ad specificatios for seatig are give i the HSE book Seatig at work Footrests may be ecessary where idividual workers are uable to rest their feet flat o the floor (for example where work surfaces caot be adjusted to the right height i relatio to other compoets of the workstatio). Footrests should ot be used whe they are ot ecessary as this ca result i poor posture. Eviromet 26 Note that the Workplace (Health, Safety ad Welfare) Regulatios cotai miimum evirometal requiremets for all workplaces, coverig space, lightig, heatig ad vetilatio, ad HSE has published guidace books o may of these subjects (see Refereces ad further readig ). Some special cosideratios for DSE work are discussed i paragraphs of this appedix. Space requiremets 27 Prologed sittig i a static positio ca be harmful. It is most importat that support surfaces for display scree ad other equipmet ad materials used at the workstatio should allow adequate clearace for postural chages. This meas adequate clearaces for thighs, kees, lower legs ad feet uder the work surface ad betwee furiture compoets. There should be sufficiet space for the worker to sit dow ad get up without difficulty. The height of the work surface should allow a comfortable positio (see Figure 2 o page 32) for the arms ad wrists, if a keyboard, mouse or other iput device is used. Lightig, reflectios ad glare 28 Lightig should be appropriate for all the tasks performed at the workstatio, for example readig from the scree, keyboard work, readig prited text, writig o paper. Geeral lightig - by artificial or atural light, or a combiatio - should illumiate the etire room to a adequate stadard. Ay supplemetary idividual lightig provided to cater for persoal eeds or a particular task should ot adversely affect visual coditios at earby workstatios. Illumiace 29 High illumiaces reder scree characters less easy to see but improve the ease of readig documets. Where a high illumiace eviromet is preferred for readig documets or for other reasos, the use of positive polarity screes Work with display scree equipmet Page 41 of 68

42 (dark characters o a light backgroud) has advatages as these ca be used comfortably at higher illumiaces tha ca egative polarity screes. Reflectios ad glare 30 Problems which ca lead to visual fatigue ad stress ca arise, for example from ushielded bright lights or bright areas i the worker s field of view: from a imbalace betwee brightly ad dimly lit parts of the eviromet; ad from reflectios o the scree or other parts of the workstatio. 31 Measures to miimise these problems iclude: shieldig, replacig or repositioig sources of light; rearragig or movig work surfaces, documets or all or parts of workstatios; modifyig the colour or reflectace of walls, ceiligs, furishigs, etc ear the workstatio; alterig the itesity of vertical to horizotal illumiace; or a combiatio of these. It is ofte easiest to avoid reflectios ad glare if either the scree or the user is directly facig widows or bright lights. Adjust curtais or blids to prevet uwated light. 32 Ati-glare scree filters should oly be cosidered as a last resort if other measures fail to solve the problem. They are ot likely to improve matters for some moder screes which already have a ati-glare fiish. Addig a scree filter ca have drawbacks; for example its surfaces may get dirty ad make it harder to see the scree. 33 Geeral guidace o miimum lightig stadards ecessary to esure health ad safety of workplaces is available i the HSE guidace book Lightig at work. 18 This does ot cover ways of usig lightig to maximise task performace or ehace the appearace of the workplace, although it does cotai a bibliography listig relevat publicatios i this area. Specific ad detailed guidace is give i the CIBSE Lightig Guide 3 The visual eviromet for display scree use. 19 Noise 34 Noise from equipmet such as priters at display scree workstatios should be kept to levels which do ot impair cocetratio or prevet ormal coversatio (uless the oise is desiged to attract attetio, for example to war of a malfuctio). Noise from equipmet is best reduced at source by specifyig quieter alteratives whe orderig replacemets. Where this is ot practicable or will take time, oise ca be reduced by soudproofig or repositioig of the equipmet. Soud-isulatig partitios betwee oisy equipmet ad the rest of the workstatio are a alterative. Partitios ca also help to reduce the distractig effect of oise from other workers. Heat ad humidity 35 Electroic equipmet ca be a source of dry heat which ca modify the thermal eviromet at the workstatio. Vetilatio ad humidity should be maitaied at levels which prevet discomfort ad problems of sore eyes. HSE has produced guidace o thermal comfort, Thermal comfort i the workplace: Guidace for employers. 21 Radiatio 36 The Schedule requires radiatio, with the exceptio of the visible part of the electromagetic spectrum (ie visible light), to be reduced to egligible levels from the poit of view of the protectio of users health ad safety. I fact, so little radiatio is emitted from covetioal cathode-ray tube (CRT) desigs of DSE that o special actio is ecessary to meet this requiremet (see also paragraphs Work with display scree equipmet Page 42 of 68

43 of Appedix 2). LCD flat-pael screes do ot emit ay electromagetic radiatio, except visible light. 37 Takig CRT displays as a example ioisig radiatio is emitted oly i exceedigly small quatities, so small as to be geerally much less tha the atural backgroud level to which everyoe is exposed. Emissios of ultraviolet, visible ad ifrared radiatio are also very small, ad workers will receive much less tha the maximum exposures geerally recommeded by atioal ad iteratioal advisory bodies. 38 For radio frequecies, the exposures will also be well below the maximum values geerally recommeded by atioal ad iteratioal advisory bodies for health protectio purposes. The levels of electric ad magetic fields are similar to those from commo domestic electrical devices. Although much research has bee carried out o possible health effects from exposure to electromagetic radiatio, o adverse health effects have bee show to result from the emissios from display scree equipmet. 39 Thus it is ot ecessary, from the stadpoit of limitig risk to huma health, for employers or workers to take ay actio to reduce radiatio levels or to attempt to measure emissios; i fact the latter is ot recommeded, as meaigful iterpretatio of the data is very difficult. There is o eed for users to be give protective devices such as ati-radiatio screes. Task desig ad software Priciples of task desig 40 Iappropriate task desig ca be amog the causes of stress at work. Stress jeopardises employee motivatio, effectiveess ad efficiecy ad i some cases ca lead to sigificat health problems. The DSE Regulatios are oly applicable where health ad safety rather tha productivity is beig put at risk. However, employers may fid it useful to cosider both aspects together, as task desig chages put ito effect for productivity reasos may also beefit health, ad vice versa. 41 I DSE work, good desig of the task ca be as importat as the correct choice of equipmet, furiture ad workig eviromet. It is advatageous to: wheever possible, desig jobs i a way that offers users variety, opportuities to exercise discretio, opportuities for learig, ad appropriate feedback, i preferece to simple repetitive tasks (for example the work of a typist ca be made less repetitive ad stressful if a elemet of admiistrative work is added); match staffig levels to volumes of work, so that idividual users are ot subject to stress through beig either overworked or uderworked; allow users to participate i the plaig, desig ad implemetatio of work tasks wheever possible. Priciples of software ergoomics 42 I most DSE work the software cotrols both the presetatio of iformatio o the scree ad the ways i which the worker ca maipulate the iformatio. Thus software desig is a importat elemet of task desig. For may tasks, off-theshelf software packages are available ad such packages may be etirely adequate provided that users are give sufficiet traiig. However, software that is badly desiged or iappropriate for the task will impede the efficiet completio of the work ad i some cases may cause sufficiet stress to affect the health of a user. Ivolvig a sample of users i the purchase or desig of software ca help to avoid Work with display scree equipmet Page 43 of 68

44 problems, particularly if they have the opportuity to try out alterative solutios side by side. 43 Requiremets of the orgaisatio, the task, ad the DSE workers cocered should first be established as they provide the basis for desigig, selectig ad modifyig software. If additioal iformatio is eeded it may be helpful to refer to the stadard BS EN ISO which cotais iformatio o desirable features of text sizes, colours ad software. 44 I may (though ot all) applicatios the mai poits to cosider are: Suitability for the task (i) Software should eable workers to complete the task efficietly, without presetig uecessary problems or obstacles. Ease of use ad adaptability (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Workers should be able to feel that they ca master the system ad use it effectively followig appropriate traiig. To achieve this, the software should preset a cosistet iterface (for example the way a particular fuctio is accessed ad executed should be similar wherever it occurs), ad should be reasoably trasparet i its operatig methods. The dialogue betwee the system ad the worker should be appropriate for the worker s ability. Where appropriate, software should eable workers to adapt the user iterface to suit their ability level ad prefereces, for example by adjustig mouse speed ad sesitivity. The software should protect workers from the cosequeces of errors, for example by providig appropriate warigs ad iformatio ad by eablig lost data to be recovered wherever practicable. Feedback o system performace (i) (ii) The system should provide appropriate feedback, which may iclude error messages; suitable assistace ( help ) to workers o request; ad clear messages about chages i the system such as malfuctios or overloadig. Feedback messages should be preseted at the right time ad i a appropriate style ad format. They should ot cotai uecessary iformatio. (d) Format ad pace (i) (ii) Speed of respose to commads ad istructios should be appropriate to the task ad to workers abilities. Characters, cursor movemets ad positio chages should, where possible, be show o the scree as soo as they are iput. (e) Performace moitorig facilities (i) (ii) Quatitative or qualitative checkig facilities built ito the software ca lead to stress if they have adverse results such as a overemphasis o output speed. It is possible to desig moitorig systems that avoid these drawbacks ad provide iformatio that is helpful to workers as well as maagers. However, i all cases workers should be kept iformed about the itroductio ad operatio of such systems Work with display scree equipmet Page 44 of 68

45 Appedix 2 Health effects of DSE work ad priciples of successful prevetio, treatmet ad rehabilitatio Itroductio: Why take actio? 1 The pricipal health risks associated with DSE work are physical (musculoskeletal) problems, visual fatigue ad metal stress. These problems ofte reflect bodily fatigue. Noe of them are uique to DSE work, or are they a ievitable cosequece of it. Risks to typical users should be low if the DSE Regulatios are complied with ad ergoomic priciples are take ito accout i the desig, selectio, istallatio ad use of the equipmet; the desig of the workplace; ad the orgaisatio of the task. 2 However, it is importat ot to be complacet about this. DSE workers are so umerous that low risk to the average idividual may still equate to may thousads of cases of ill health i the workig populatio. I additio, risks to idividuals i a particular workplace may ot remai low if cotrol measures are poorly desiged from the start, or if circumstaces chage. 3 It is particularly importat to cosider the possibility of musculoskeletal disorders or stress arisig i DSE work. Both of these problems have bee targeted by the Health ad Safety Commissio (HSC) which has set up Priority Programmes o musculoskeletal disorders ad stress i its plas of work (details ca be foud o HSC cosiders that tacklig these coditios is vital to deliverig the targets set out i the occupatioal health strategy, Securig Health Together ad the Govermet s Revitalisig Health ad Safety iitiative. Takig actio is also likely to be cost-effective for employers, for example by reducig sickess abseces, improvig work performace ad avoidig compesatio claims. 4 The HSC Priority Programmes o musculoskeletal disorders ad stress cotai targets for ill health reductio ad details of plaed activities uder the five headigs of compliace, cotiuous improvemet, kowledge, skills, ad support. Delivery of the targets will deped crucially o the commitmet of stakeholders i the health ad safety system. Stakeholders iclude employers, workers, safety represetatives, Govermet agecies, local authorities, employers associatios ad trade uios, professioal bodies, volutary orgaisatios ad may others. They eed to work together to maage musculoskeletal ad psychosocial risks. 5 As so may people work with DSE, there is cosiderable potetial for reducig the total burde of occupatioal ill health by maagig DSE risks. Stakeholders ca help achieve this by: (d) reducig risks of ill health, by complyig with the DSE Regulatios ad guidace; ecouragig early reportig of symptoms; esurig cases of ill health are maaged effectively; ad reviewig risk assessmets as ad whe ecessary. The mai hazards of DSE work Musculoskeletal disorders 6 Musculoskeletal disorders are the most commo form of occupatioal ill health, estimated i 1995 to be affectig over a millio people a year i Great Britai ad costig society over 5 billio. 7 A rage of musculoskeletal disorders of the arm, had, shoulder ad eck Work with display scree equipmet Page 45 of 68

46 liked to work activities are ow described as upper limb disorders (ULDs) or work-related upper limb disorders (WRULDs). These rage from temporary fatigue or soreess i the limb to chroic soft tissue disorders such as peritediitis or carpal tuel sydrome. Some keyboard operators have suffered occupatioal cramp. Media reports ofte refer to some, or all, ULDs as repetitive strai ijury (RSI) but this term is ot a medical diagosis ad ca be cofusig. For doctors, recommedatios o surveillace case defiitios (diagostic criteria) for ULDs were published i As with other sedetary tasks, DSE work ca also give rise to back pai or make existig back pai worse, particularly if seatig is poor or badly adjusted, the workstatio has isufficiet space or is badly desiged, or if workers sit too log without chages of posture ad breaks from DSE work. HSE has published advice etitled Back i work: Maagig back pai i the workplace, 22 ad BackCare has also published similar advice (see Appedix 6). 9 The cotributio of particular risk factors (for example keyig rates) to the oset of ay disorder may ot be clear. Ofte a combiatio of factors is ivolved, which ca iclude o-work factors such as sports, hobbies or earlier ijuries, as well as factors relatig to the workstatio, task or work eviromet. Prologed static posture of the back, eck ad head is kow to cotribute to musculoskeletal problems. Awkward positioig of the hads ad wrist (for example uecessarily bet as a result of poor workig techique or iappropriate work height) are further risk factors. 10 Outbreaks of ULDs amog keyboard workers have ofte bee associated with high workloads combied with tight deadlies. This helps to illustrate the importace of psychosocial factors i DSE work. There is covicig evidece that workers psychological respose to work ad workplace coditios may have as importat a ifluece as physical risk factors o their health i geeral, ad musculoskeletal health i particular. Psychosocial risk factors iclude the desig, orgaisatio ad maagemet of work ad the overall social eviromet (the cotext of work) ad also the specific elemets of the job (the cotet of work). It is very likely that physical ad psychosocial risk factors combie, ad the greatest beefit will be achieved whe both are idetified ad cotrolled. 11 May effects of psychosocial factors may be liked to musculoskeletal disorders via stress-related processes which iclude direct biochemical ad physiological chages i the body. Stress is also a hazard i its ow right (see paragraphs of this appedix) as idividuals may try to cope with stressful demads by behavig i ways that i the log term may be detrimetal to health. For example DSE workers are frequetly tempted to cope with high workloads or deadlies by shorteig or ot takig breaks. 12 Thus a wide variety of physical ad psychosocial factors cotribute to the risk of musculoskeletal disorders i DSE work, ad differeces betwee idividuals also eed to be take ito accout (for biological reasos there may be some people who are more or less likely tha average to develop a health problem). All this requires a risk reductio strategy which embraces proper equipmet, furiture, traiig, job desig ad work plaig. Complyig with the DSE Regulatios, as described i this book, will help achieve this. More detailed advice o the priciples of tacklig ULDs ad helpig recovery is give i paragraphs of this appedix. Fatigue ad stress 13 Stress is the secod most commo cause of occupatioal ill health. Prologed Work with display scree equipmet Page 46 of 68

47 or particularly itese periods of stress ca lead to physical ad/or metal illess as well as behavioural chages which ca damage health, such as smokig or drikig. 14 May symptoms described by DSE workers reflect stresses arisig from their work. Symptoms may be liked to upper limb or visual problems but there is evidece that stress ofte cotributes as well. I cosiderig the desig of jobs to reduce psychosocial risks i DSE work, the followig factors are udesirable ad should be tackled if possible: (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) workers havig little cotrol over their work ad workig methods (icludig shift patters); tasks requirig high attetio ad cocetratio i coditios where the worker has little cotrol over their allocatio of effort; workers beig uable to make full use of their skills; workers ot beig ivolved i makig decisios that affect them; beig expected to carry out repetitive, mootoous tasks all the time; work beig system-paced (especially if work rates are beig moitored iappropriately); demads of the work beig perceived as excessive; paymet systems that ecourage workig too quickly or with isufficiet breaks; opportuities for social iteractio beig limited by work systems; high levels of effort ot beig balaced by sufficiet reward (pay, resources, self-esteem, status). 15 All these have bee liked with stress i DSE work, although clearly they are ot uique to it; however, attributig idividual symptoms to particular aspects of a job or workplace ca be difficult. 16 Traiig for maagers is importat i tacklig psychosocial risks; their maagemet style ad the way they react to problems or complaits ca be ifluetial. Also (as with physical risk factors) psychosocial issues are best addressed with full cosultatio ad ivolvemet of the workforce. The risks to DSE workers ca be miimised by followig the priciples uderlyig the DSE Regulatios ad guidace, ie by careful desig, selectio ad arragemet of display scree equipmet; good desig of the user s workplace, eviromet ad task; ad traiig, cosultatio ad ivolvemet of the user. If more advice o work-related stress is required, HSE has published guidace etitled Tacklig stress: The Maagemet Stadards approach 23 ad Maagig the causes of work related stress: A step-by-step approach usig the Maagemet Stadards. 24 Eye ad eyesight effects 17 Medical evidece shows that usig DSE is ot associated with permaet damage to eyes or eyesight; or does it make existig defects worse. However, some workers may experiece temporary visual fatigue, leadig to a rage of symptoms such as impaired visual performace (for example blurred visio), red or sore eyes ad headaches, or the adoptio of awkward posture which ca cause further bodily discomfort. Visual symptoms may be caused by: (d) (e) stayig i the same positio ad cocetratig for a log time; poor positioig of the DSE; poor legibility of the scree, keyboard or source documets; poor lightig, icludig glare ad reflectios; a driftig, flickerig or jitterig image o the scree. 18 As with other visually demadig tasks, DSE work does ot cause eye damage Work with display scree equipmet Page 47 of 68

48 but it may make workers with pre-existig visio defects more aware of them. Such ucorrected defects ca make work with DSE more tirig or stressful tha would otherwise be the case, which i tur may lead to icreased risk of ijury from musculoskeletal disorders. Other mior or alleged health effects Epilepsy 19 Work with DSE has ot bee kow to iduce epileptic seizures. People sufferig from the very rare (1 i populatio) photosesitive epilepsy who react adversely to flickerig lights ad patters fid they ca safely do ormal office tasks usig a display scree. People with epilepsy who are cocered about DSE work ca seek further advice from the Employmet Medical Advisory Service at HSE regioal offices - see the telephoe directory. Epilepsy Actio (the ew ame for the British Epilepsy Associatio; see Appedix 6) ca also offer advice o photosesitive epilepsy ad DSE work. Facial dermatitis 20 Some DSE users have reported facial ski complaits such as occasioal itchig or reddeed ski o the face ad/or eck. These complaits are rare ad the limited evidece available suggests they may be associated with evirometal factors, such as low relative humidity or static electricity, ad idividual susceptibility. Electromagetic radiatio 21 Axiety about radiatio emissios from DSE ad possible effects o pregat wome was oce widespread. However, there is substatial evidece that these cocers are ufouded. The Health ad Safety has cosulted the Natioal Radiological Protectio Board (NRPB), which has the statutory fuctio of providig iformatio ad advice o all radiatio matters to Govermet departmets, ad the advice give i paragraphs of this appedix summarises scietific uderstadig. (Ayoe requirig more detail, should cosult the NRPB report Health effects related to the use of visual display uits. 25 ) 22 The levels of ioisig ad o-ioisig electromagetic radiatio which are likely to be geerated by DSE are well below those set out i iteratioal recommedatios for limitig risk to huma health created by such emissios ad the NRPB does ot cosider such levels to pose a sigificat risk to health. No special protective measures are therefore eeded to protect the health of people from this radiatio. Effects o pregat wome 23 I the 1980s there was public cocer about reports of higher levels of miscarriage ad birth defects amog some groups of DSE workers, allegedly due to electromagetic radiatio. May scietific studies have bee carried out, but take as a whole their results do ot show ay lik betwee miscarriages or birth defects ad workig with DSE. Research ad reviews of the scietific evidece will cotiue to be udertake. 24 I the light of the scietific evidece, pregat wome do ot eed to stop work with DSE. However, to avoid stress ad axiety, wome who are pregat or plaig childre ad worried about workig with DSE should be give the opportuity to read this guidace. If ayoe subsequetly is still cocered, they should be give the opportuity to discuss the issues with someoe adequately Work with display scree equipmet Page 48 of 68

49 iformed of curret authoritative scietific iformatio ad advice. HSE has published a geeral guidace book about pregacy New ad expectat mothers at work: A guide for employers. 26 Priciples of a successful prevetio strategy 25 Compliace with the DSE Regulatios by followig the advice i this book will help to prevet ill health i DSE workers i the great majority of situatios. May employers will ot eed to do more tha this. However, it is good practice to cotiue to moitor levels of sickess absece ad reported discomfort, as a check that the actio take to reduce risks is cotiuig to be successful. 26 There may be some istaces where ill health still occurs, idicatig that further aalysis ad a more thorough approach is eeded to tackle the problem. This may be most likely i the case of work-related ULDs. 27 Comprehesive advice o prevetig ULDs is cotaied i HSE guidace book Upper limb disorders i the workplace. 27 This is wide-ragig geeral guidace that is applicable to may idustrial ad commercial jobs where ULD risks ca be high. However, the priciples it describes are also relevat to DSE work. It shows how a structured approach may help compliace with the DSE Regulatios i uusual situatios with complex challeges. This is specifically illustrated i oe of the book s case studies which examies computer use i a ews media orgaisatio which had ecoutered a sudde surge of ULD cases after the itroductio of a ew system. 28 Upper limb disorders i the workplace 27 advocates a seve-stage approach to miimisig the risk of ULDs: (d) (e) (f) (g) uderstad the issues ad commit to actio; create the right orgaisatioal eviromet; assess the risk of ULDs i your workplace; reduce the risk of ULDs; educate ad iform your workforce; maage ay episodes of ULDs; carry out regular checks o programme effectiveess. Each of these stages is described i detail ad the book 27 also cotais case studies, a risk filter ad risk assessmet worksheet, ad medical ad legal appedices. 29 The approach described i Upper limb disorders i the workplace 27 is compatible i priciple with the requiremets of the DSE Regulatios ad i some respects may go beyod them. However, there are some specific requiremets i the DSE Regulatios that caot be covered i geeral guidace o ULDs. That is why it is advisable for most employers with DSE users or operators to start by followig the specific guidace i this preset book o the DSE Regulatios, oly goig o to work through the maagemet priciples set out i Upper limb disorders i the workplace 27 if the ordiary approach to complyig with the DSE Regulatios does ot solve all the problems. Treatmet ad rehabilitatio 30 Adequate cotrol of risk factors by compliace with the DSE Regulatios will go a log way to prevet the occurrece of ill health i DSE work, but due to idividual differeces i the body s respose it is ot possible to esure that every possible episode will be preveted. It is therefore recommeded that employers should have a system i place to detect ad maage ay cases of work-related ill health that Work with display scree equipmet Page 49 of 68

50 may arise. Such systems should: (d) ecourage users to report ay symptoms early. Idividuals willigess to do this varies, so it is importat to establish a supportive climate i the workplace that emphasises the beefits of early detectio of possible harm, to reassure those who report musculoskeletal aches ad pais that early detectio ad treatmet will ormally avoid ay serious problems developig; provide appropriate advice for users who report symptoms. Depedig o circumstaces, this might iclude reassurace that pai does ot ecessarily mea harm, advice o risk factors, ad/or reviewig the idividual s work tasks with them; provide for referral to health professioals to obtai appropriate diagosis, treatmet or further advice if symptoms are gettig worse or there is other cause for cocer; help sufferers to cotiue workig, or to retur to work after periods of absece or treatmet. Thigs to cosider might iclude alterig the job or the workstatio, easig the perso back ito the job by a period of work at a reduced pace, providig alterative work, ad providig advice ad support. 31 With disorders such as ULDs that may be work-related, the occurrece of a cofirmed case should be take as a prompt to review whether risk assessmet ad risk reductio measures are adequate. This is especially importat if there has bee more tha oe case. Appedix 3 Work with portable DSE 1 Portable DSE, such as laptop ad otebook computers, is subject to the DSE Regulatios if it is i prologed use. This appedix gives practical guidace. 2 Icreasig umbers of people are usig portable DSE as part of their work. While research suggests that some aspects of usig portable DSE are o worse tha usig full-sized equipmet, that is ot true of every aspect. The desig of portable DSE ca iclude features (such as smaller keyboards or a lack of keyboard/scree separatio) which may make it more difficult to achieve a comfortable workig posture. Portable DSE is also used i a wider rage of eviromets, some of which may be poorly suited to DSE work. 3 To reduce risks to portable DSE users, the followig recommedatios should be followed (i additio to followig the geeral advice for all DSE work i the mai part of this book). Risk assessmet (regulatio 2) 4 Risk assessmet for users of portables ca be a challege, as it is clearly ot practicable to use a idepedet assessor to aalyse each locatio where work may take place as a user travels aroud with their portable. 5 Oe solutio is to give portable DSE users sufficiet traiig ad iformatio to make their ow risk assessmets ad esure that measures are take to cotrol risks (for example poor posture) wheever they set up their portable. This is discussed uder advice to homeworkers; see paragraphs of the mai guidace. Portable users risk assessmets for, say, half a hour s work i a borrowed office ca be quite iformal ad eed ot be writte dow. Where, however, a portable is i legthy or repeated use i the same locatio, it would be appropriate for the user s risk assessmet to be recorded, for example o a checklist. I all cases, portable users eed to be alert to potetial risks ad report ay problems to their employer. Work with display scree equipmet Page 50 of 68

51 6 As well as the risks commo to both portables ad desktop DSE work, the followig additioal risks may be associated specifically with portable DSE work ad eed to be take ito accout by employers ad users: maual hadlig risks whe movig betwee locatios (bearig i mid that other equipmet such as spare batteries, priters, or papers may add to the burde of the portable itself) (see Gettig to grips with maual hadlig). 28 Risk of theft possibly ivolvig a assault. Poits to look for i choosig equipmet ad desigig tasks to miimise risks are discussed i paragraphs 7-15 of this appedix. Equipmet, workstatio ad task requiremets (regulatio 3 ad Schedule) 7 As with full-sized DSE, portables i prologed use (ad the workstatios ad workig eviromets where they are used) are required to comply with the Schedule. The mai differece is that the iheret requiremets of portability may mea that some of the detailed requiremets of paragraphs 2, 3 ad 4 of the Schedule caot be complied with i all respects. (This kid of o-compliace is allowed for i the circumstaces described i the Schedule s paragraph 1.) 8 Users ad employers should be aware that some desig compromises iheret i portables ca lead to postural or other problems (for example a bet eck, or headaches arisig from the low, fixed positio of the scree). Oe way of tacklig such risks is to avoid prologed use ad take more frequet breaks. Aother way, if workig i a office, is to use the portable with a dockig statio; more advice o this is give i paragraph 11 of this appedix. 9 Some practical poits to cosider whe selectig portable computers are as follows: (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) Look for as low a weight as possible (for example 3 kg or less) for the portable computer, ad keep accessories as few ad as light as possible. Choose as large ad clear a scree as possible, that ca be used comfortably for the task to be doe. Where available, opt for a detachable or height-adjustable scree. Specify as log a battery life as possible. Where practicable, provide extra trasformer/cable sets so the user has a set i each mai locatio where the portable is used, ad oly carries the computer, ot the trasformer/cables etc. Give users a lightweight carryig case with hadle ad shoulder straps. To reduce risk of theft or assault, avoid maufacturer-braded laptop cases. Look for tilt-adjustable keyboards o laptops. Choose portables capable of beig used with a dockig statio ad/or with a facility for attachig a exteral mouse, keyboard ad/or umeric keypad, where these are likely to help the user to work comfortably. Check the portable has frictio pads udereath to prevet it slidig across work surfaces whe i use. To cut workig time ad user stress, esure the portable has sufficiet memory ad speed for the applicatios to be used. For some tasks it may also be desirable to provide add-os that improve usability ad reduce maiteace time, such as (removable) CD-ROM drives ad additioal memory - but cosider the weight pealty whe decidig if this is appropriate. For applicatios requirig use of a o-keyboard iput device, opt for a portable with a touch pad, rollerball or exteral mouse rather tha a ipple trackpoit or isometric joystick device. Work with display scree equipmet Page 51 of 68

52 (l) May users fid it more comfortable to use portables whose casig icorporates a space (wrist pad) betwee the keyboard ad frot edge. 10 Other poits to cosider whe plaig tasks ivolvig portable computers are: (d) (e) (f) Thik about weights to be carried. Where ecessary (for example if workers are carryig substatial amouts of equipmet ad/or papers), carry out maual hadlig risk assessmets with portable computer users. Advise workers to set up their portable o a suitable worksurface wherever possible, ad avoid use for exteded periods i other situatios. For example restig a portable o the user s lap is ot oly likely to iduce a poor workig posture but could result i discomfort due to the heat geerated by the computer. Provide dockig statios or similar equipmet (see paragraph 11 of this appedix) at workstatios where portable computers will be i legthy or repeated use. Esure that staff use portable computers oly whe away from their mai place of work, or whe dockig statio equipmet is uavailable. Miimise the use of portable computers i o-ideal locatios such as motor vehicles. Esure that hadheld computers for prologed use are carefully selected for ergoomic features which match the requiremets of the tasks udertake. For example equipmet to be used outdoors should be adequately waterproof, legible i bright sulight, ad keyboards ad screes should be large eough to be used comfortably. 11 Dockig statios are a way to avoid may of the ergoomic disadvatages of portables by allowig the use of a full-sized scree ad/or keyboard (ad mouse or other peripherals). Desigs vary: some resemble a full-sized PC with a slot for the portable to be iserted; others comprise a scree, keyboard, mouse ad/ or other peripherals coected to the portable by cables or wireless liks. There are also systems that provide a full-sized keyboard plus raiser blocks to eable the portable s ow scree to be viewed at a more coveiet height (see Figure 3). Height-adjustable stads for otebook computers are also available. I settig up ay kid of dockig statio, the aim is for the user to achieve a comfortable workig positio allowig some variatio i posture ad havig sufficiet space for documets ad aythig else eeded for their work tasks. The advice o workstatios ad workig eviromets i Appedix 1 should be followed, treatig the dockig statio i the same way as full-sized DSE. 12 Risks of theft ad muggig exist i some circumstaces. They ca be tackled by a combiatio of user traiig ad task desig; for example: Do ot desig tasks i such a way that loe users are expected to carry or use portables i circumstaces where theft is likely. Tell all users to take sesible precautios such as ot carryig portables i luggage with a computer maufacturer s bradig; ot leavig or usig a portable i a parked car; ad takig extra care i public places, or i other situatios (or at times) where the risk of theft may be greater. 13 If the task ivolves risk from maual hadlig, employers ad users ca take commosese steps to cut dow the risk; for example: Do ot carry equipmet or papers uless they are really likely to be eeded. Cosider usig a backpack to cut dow strai o arms ad distribute loads evely across the body (or wheeled luggage might be worth cosiderig). Remember you may be able to avoid carryig heavy papers by sedig Work with display scree equipmet Page 52 of 68

53 them i advace, by post or , to your destiatio, or storig them electroically o the portable or o a disk. The HSE guidace etitled Gettig to grips with maual hadlig 28 gives more detailed advice o weights, precautios, etc. Figure 3 Breaks or chages of activity (regulatio 4) 14 Breaks or chages of activity are particularly importat for portable users ot workig at a dockig statio. Such users eed loger ad more frequet breaks or chages of activity to compesate for poorer workig eviromets, which ca impact particularly o posture. 15 Employers whose staff use portables, particularly those who travel ad work usupervised, should remid them frequetly of the eed to take breaks. Breakmoitorig software may be a useful aid (see paragraphs of the mai guidace for more detailed iformatio o break-moitorig software). Eyes ad eyesight (regulatio 5) 16 With regard to eyes ad eyesight, there are few special cosideratios for portable users, although it may be helpful for the user to tell the opticia doig ay eye ad eyesight test that a portable is used, as typical viewig distaces may be somewhat shorter tha for desktop DSE. Traiig (regulatio 6) ad iformatio (regulatio 7) 17 Good health ad safety traiig is particularly importat for people who make ay prologed use of portables (icludig dockig statios or hadhelds.) Work with display scree equipmet Page 53 of 68

54 Employers should esure all such employees receive adequate traiig, icludig the followig thigs specific to usig a portable: (d) (e) (f) Advice o how to set up ad use the equipmet i the locatios where it is to be used (bearig i mid the user eeds sufficiet kowledge of risks ad precautios to, i effect, re-do the risk assessmet wheever startig work i each locatio; as discussed i paragraphs 4-6 of this appedix). Guidace o settig up ad usig a dockig statio, ad additioal precautios if usig a portable computer whe a dockig statio is ot available (see Figure 4, which shows a setup that would ot be acceptable for exteded use). Ecouragemet ad advice o how to report promptly ay symptoms of discomfort that may be associated with their use of portable DSE, ad where to get further advice ad help. A remider to take regular breaks, bearig i mid that icreased DSE use is liked to a icreasig risk of discomfort. How to avoid uecessary maual hadlig whe carryig aroud portable DSE (ad associated equipmet ad/or paperwork), ad how to reduce risk from such maual hadlig as is uavoidable. Advice o how to miimise risks from theft or muggig. Figure 4 18 Maagers of staff who use portable DSE should themselves receive health ad safety traiig, so that they are aware of the issues ad able ad willig to take actio to prevet health risks ad respod to ay problems reported. Key issues maagers should be aware of are: (d) The eed for regular breaks to avoid uecessary use of DSE for exteded periods. Beefits of esurig adequate variety i users tasks. Importace of health ad safety traiig for users. Reasos for providig dockig statio equipmet wherever possible, ad ecouragig its use. Work with display scree equipmet Page 54 of 68

55 Appedix 4 Work with a mouse, trackball or other poitig device 1 Most moder computers allow or require the use of other iput devices besides the keyboard. May such devices are available, the most commo examples beig the mouse ad the trackball (or trackerball). This appedix refers to all these o-keyboard iput devices as poitig devices, as they are commoly used to move the cursor aroud the scree i order to operate buttos, or to select ad maipulate text, widows ad other o-scree objects. Other poitig devices iclude joysticks, touchpads ad touchscrees. Speech ca be aother form of o-keyboard iput; though ot strictly a poitig device, some brief guidace o speech iterfaces is icluded below. Geeral cosideratios i choosig poitig devices 2 The majority of desktop computers are supplied with a computer mouse. I most situatios the mouse will be a appropriate poitig device to use. However, there will be cases where a alterative device is more suitable or is preferred by the user. The mouse depeds o havig a suitable surface with eough space o which to use it. So, for example where space is very limited or where a idividual has limited mobility i their arm, a alterative such as the trackball or touchpad may be more suitable. These alterative devices are frequetly foud o portable computers. 3 I choosig a poitig device there are a umber of factors to cosider: The eviromet i which it will be used. Will the user be able to easily use the device at the workstatio? Is there eough space? Ca the user adopt a safe, comfortable workig posture? Is there a suitable surface o which to use the device? Will other factors such as a dirty workig eviromet or vibratio affect its use? Idividual characteristics. Is the device the right size ad shape for the user? Will right- ad left-haded users be able to use it? Will the device be usable if the idividual has ay physical limitatios (for example a existig upper limb disorder)? Task characteristics. Does the task demad a lot of use to be made of the poitig device? Is a lot of fast ad accurate positioig of the cursor required? Some devices are better tha others i terms of speed ad accuracy; for example the mouse teds to be more accurate but slightly slower tha the trackball for fast, log cursor movemets. Usig a poitig device 4 May of the priciples which apply to the settig up ad use of a keyboard also apply to poitig devices. The followig are particularly relevat: Positioig. I geeral it is importat to place the device so that it is fairly close to the midlie of the user s body, ot out to oe side. The aim is to avoid the arm becomig stretched out from the shoulder as if reachig (see Figure 5). Aim to have the user s upper arm close to the side of their body with the elbow bet to approximately a right-agle (see Figure 6). Work with display scree equipmet Page 55 of 68

56 Figure 5 Figure 6 The arm should feel reasoably relaxed. For devices such as the mouse which are used o a worksurface, the forearm or wrist ca usefully be supported by the worksurface, or the elbow by the chair arm. If a keyboard is i use, the mouse eeds to be positioed close to the keyboard, o whichever side suits the user. Alteratively, if the keyboard is ot beig used, move it to oe side ad place the mouse closer to the cetre. Similar advice applies to trackballs ad joysticks, although i some cases these ca be held i the user s other had or supported o their lap. The workstatio. The height of the worksurface is importat. However, Work with display scree equipmet Page 56 of 68

57 (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) geerally if the worksurface complies with the requiremets of the Schedule the it should be suitable for use with a computer mouse. There may be some advatage i usig wraparoud worksurfaces (for example L-shaped desks) where a mouse is used. They may provide more support for the user s arm. However, such surfaces should ot be so tightly curved that they restrict movemet of users ad their chairs. Mousemats. These are ofte helpful. They should have a smooth surface ad be large eough to be suitable for the task. They should ot have sharp edges which could put pressure o the soft tissue of the forearm or wrist. Special wrist rests are ot a requiremet. If used, they should be chose with care to esure they do ot icrease rather tha decrease the risks. Software settigs. It is importat to cofigure the speed ad sesitivity of the poitig device to suit the idividual user. Stadard office computer operatig systems let the user adjust the gearig betwee the movemet of the device ad movemet of the cursor, ad the sesitivity of the buttos for double clickig. Task orgaisatio. As with DSE work geerally, periods of usig a poitig device eed to be iterspersed with other activities. Itesive use of the device ca ofte be reduced by traiig users to use alterative meas of achievig the same eds, such as keyboard short cuts, especially for frequetly performed fuctios (for example cut ad paste). Users also eed to be aware that it is better to remove their had from the device whe ot actually usig it (for example betwee bouts of itesive activity) so as to avoid prologed static postures which ca cotribute to upper limb disorders. Periodically relaxig the arms by lettig them hag dow by the side of the body is a good idea. Traiig. This should ot be eglected. Users may eed to be taught how to set up ad use their poitig devices, to get the best out of them ad avoid risks. Cleaig ad maiteace. This is eeded for most poitig devices, ad a system should be put i place for this. For example movig parts such as mouse balls ad rollers may eed periodic removal ad/or cleaig. Such cleaig ca be carried out by users but they may eed traiig ad remidig to do this. Buyig ew equipmet. I purchasig ew poitig devices, cosider the device size, shape, hadedess, umber ad positio of buttos, ease of operatio ad user comfort. Touchscrees 5 There are various uses for touchscrees. Some are built ito the mai display, others are stad-aloe screes which have more i commo with a keyboard or a bak of switches (for example a telephoe switchboard). Some of the geeral advice give i paragraph 4 of this appedix o poitig devices applies also to touchscrees, but there are some special cosideratios: Touchscrees of both types eed regular maiteace, particularly cleaig, if they are to be effective displays which comply with the Schedule. The scree s sesitivity to touch eeds to be suitable, to esure the scree is easy to use. Scree positioig may require some care. Applicatios usig the mai display as the touchscree ted to be for use by the geeral public (for example automated bak teller machies, ticket machies). If used i the workplace it may be ecessary to compromise betwee the optimal positios of the scree for viewig ad for use as a touchscree, depedet upo the extet of use for each activity. Where the touchscree is a dedicated additioal display (for example for use as a telephoe switchpael) the it is also importat that it is positioed where the user ca both easily access it ad see it. The agle at which it is set to Work with display scree equipmet Page 57 of 68

58 (d) the horizotal will be importat if glare ad reflectios from ceilig lights are to be avoided. But the touchscree also eeds to be set so that the user ca operate it without havig to reach or adopt awkward postures. Advice should be sought from a suitable specialist (for example a ergoomist) if i ay doubt how to achieve this. Software eeds to be suitably desiged for the touchscree. For example active areas should be big eough to respod equally accurately to users with large or small figers. The layout of iformatio o the scree also eeds care as iformatio at the bottom is ofte obscured by the user s had. Speech iterfaces 6 Speech iterfaces are becomig more readily available as the techology improves. Little is curretly kow about the health ad safety aspects associated with their use, but some geeral guidace ca be give. As with other forms of o-keyboard device, the characteristics of this form of iput should be cosidered i assessig its suitability for the task, the eviromet ad the user. Relevat factors iclude the positio of the microphoe ad how it is supported; the software settigs; how oisy the eviromet is i which it will be used; whether use will prove to be a distractio to others; ad possible effects o the idividual user, for example, voice strai from havig to adapt their mode of speech to suit the requiremets of the iterface. Voice recogitio software is becomig more powerful ad versatile ad ca be used exclusively or i cojuctio with other iput devices. If used, particular attetio should be give to iitial ad refresher traiig of users ad specialist IT support for them. Work with display scree equipmet Page 58 of 68

59 Appedix 5 VDU workstatio checklist Workstatio locatio ad umber (if applicable):... User:... Checklist completed by:... Assessmet checked by:... Date of assessmet:... Ay further actio eeded:? YES/NO... Follow up actio completed o:... This checklist ca be used as a aid to risk assessmet ad to help comply with the Schedule to the Health ad Safety (Display Scree Equipmet) Regulatios. Work through the checklist, tickig either the yes or o colum agaist each risk factor: Yes aswers require o further actio. No aswers will require ivestigatio ad/or remedial actio by the workstatio assessor. They should record their decisios i the Actio to take colum. Assessors should check later that actios have bee take ad have resolved the problem. Remember the checklist oly covers the workstatio ad work eviromet. You also eed to make sure that risks from other aspects of the work are avoided, for example by givig users health ad safety traiig, ad providig for breaks or chages of activity. Advice o these is give i the mai text of the guidace. Work with display scree equipmet Page 59 of 68

60 RISK FACTORS Tick aswer THINGS TO CONSIDER ACTION TO TAKE YES NO 1 Display screes Are the characters clear ad readable? Health ad safety 4 Make sure the scree is clea ad cleaig materials are made available. Check that text ad backgroud colours work well together. Health ad safety 8 Is the text size comfortable to read? Is the image stable, ie free of flicker ad jitter? Is the scree s specificatio suitable for its iteded use? Are the brightess ad/or cotrast adjustable? Does the scree swivel ad tilt? Software settigs may eed adjustig to chage text size. Try usig differet scree colours to reduce flicker, eg darker backgroud ad lighter text. If problems still exist, get the set-up checked, eg by the equipmet supplier. For example, itesive graphic work or work requirig fie attetio to small details may require large display screes. Separate adjustmet cotrols are ot essetial, provided the user ca read the scree easily at all times. Swivel ad tilt eed ot be built i; you ca add a swivel ad tilt mechaism. However, you may eed to replace the scree if: swivel/tilt is abset or usatisfactory; work is itesive; ad/or the user has problems gettig the scree to a comfortable positio. Is the scree free from glare ad reflectios? Use a mirror placed i frot of the scree to check where reflectios are comig from. You might eed to move the scree or eve the desk ad/or shield the scree from the source of reflectios. Screes that use dark characters o a light backgroud are less proe to glare ad reflectios. Are adjustable widow coverigs provided ad i adequate coditio? Check that blids work. Blids with vertical slatsca be more suitable tha horizotal oes. If these measures do ot work, cosider ati-glare scree filters as a last resort ad seek specialist help. Work with display scree equipmet Page 60 of 68

61 RISK FACTORS Tick aswer THINGS TO CONSIDER ACTION TO TAKE YES NO 2 Keyboards Is the keyboard separate from the scree? Does the keyboard tilt? Is it possible to fid a comfortable keyig positio? 4 This is a requiremet, uless the task makes it impracticable (eg where there is a eed to use a portable). Tilt eed ot be built i. Try pushig the display scree further back to create more room for the keyboard, hads ad wrists. Users of thick, raised keyboards may eed a wrist rest Does the user have good keyboard techique? Are the characters o the keys easily readable? Traiig ca be used to prevet: hads bet up at wrist; hittig the keys too hard; overstretchig the figers. Keyboards should be kept clea. If characters still ca t be read, the keyboard may eed modifyig or replacig. Use a keyboard with a matt fiish to reduce glare ad/or reflectio. Work with display scree equipmet Page 61 of 68

62 RISK FACTORS Tick aswer THINGS TO CONSIDER ACTION TO TAKE YES NO 3 Mouse, trackball etc Is the device suitable for the tasks it is used for? Is the device positioed close to the user? 4 If the user is havig problems, try a differet device. The mouse ad trackball are geeralpurpose devices suitable for may tasks, ad available i a variety of shapes ad sizes. Alterative devices such as touchscrees may be better for some tasks (but ca be worse for others). Most devices are best placed as close as possible, eg right beside the keyboard. Traiig may be eeded to: prevet arm overreachig; tell users ot to leave their had o the device whe it is ot beig used; ecourage a relaxed arm ad straight wrist. 8 Is there support for the device user s wrist ad forearm? Does the device work smoothly at a speed that suits the user? Ca the user easily adjust software settigs for speed ad accuracy of poiter? Support ca be gaied from, for example, the desk surface or arm of a chair. If ot, a separate supportig device may help. The user should be able to fid a comfortable workig positio with the device. See if cleaig is required (eg of mouse ball ad rollers). Check the work surface is suitable. A mouse mat may be eeded. Users may eed traiig i how to adjust device settigs. 4 Software Is the software suitable for the task? Software should help the user carry out the task, miimise stress ad be user-friedly. Check users have had appropriate traiig i usig the software. Software should respod quickly ad clearly to user iput, with adequate feedback, such as clear help messages. Work with display scree equipmet Page 62 of 68

63 RISK FACTORS Tick aswer THINGS TO CONSIDER ACTION TO TAKE YES NO 5 Furiture Is the work surface large eough for all the ecessary equipmet, papers etc? 4 Create more room by movig priters, referece materials etc elsewhere. If ecessary, cosider providig ew power ad telecoms sockets, so equipmet ca be moved. There should be some scope for flexible rearragemet. 8 Ca the user comfortably reach all the equipmet ad papers they eed to use? Are surfaces free from glare ad reflectio? Is the chair suitable? Is the chair stable? Does the chair have a workig: Rearrage equipmet, papers etc to brig frequetly used thigs withi easy reach. A documet holder may be eeded, positioed to miimise ucomfortable head ad eye movemets. Cosider mats or blotters to reduce reflectios ad glare. The chair may eed repairig or replacig if the user is ucomfortable, or caot use the adjustmet mechaisms. seat back height ad tilt adjustmet? seat height adjustmet? swivel mechaism? castors or glides? Is the chair adjusted correctly? The user should be able to carry out their work sittig comfortably. 4 8 Cosider traiig the user i how to adopt suitable postures while workig. The arms of chairs ca stop the user gettig close eough to use the equipmet comfortably. Move ay obstructios from uder the desk. 8 Is the small of the back supported by the chair s backrest? Are forearms horizotal ad eyes at roughly the same height as the top of the VDU? Are feet flat o the floor, without too much pressure from the seat o the backs of the legs? The user should have a straight back, supported by the chair, with relaxed shoulders. Adjust the chair height to get the user s arms i the right positio, the adjust the VDU height, if ecessary. If ot, a foot rest may be eeded. Work with display scree equipmet Page 63 of 68

64 RISK FACTORS Tick aswer THINGS TO CONSIDER ACTION TO TAKE YES NO 6 Eviromet Is there eough room to chage positio ad vary movemet? Is the lightig suitable, eg ot too bright or too dim to work comfortably? Space is eeded to move, stretch ad fidget. Cosider reorgaisig the office layout ad check for obstructios. Cables should be tidy ad ot a trip or sag hazard. Users should be able to cotrol light levels, eg by adjustig widow blids or light switches. Cosider shadig or repositioig light sources or providig local lightig, eg desk lamps (but make sure lights do t cause glare by reflectig off walls or other surfaces). Does the air feel comfortable? VDUs ad other equipmet may dry the air. Circulate fresh air if possible. Plats may help. Are levels of heat comfortable? Are levels of oise comfortable? Cosider a humidifier if discomfort is severe. Ca heatig be better cotrolled? More vetilatio or air-coditioig may be required if there is a lot of electroic equipmet i the room. Or, ca users be moved away from the heat source? Cosider movig sources of oise, eg priters, away from the user. If ot, cosider soudproofig. 7 Fial questios to users... Ask if the checklist has covered all the problems they may have workig with their VDU. Ask if they have experieced ay discomfort or other symptoms which they attribute to workig with their VDU. Ask if the user has bee advised of their etitlemet to eye ad eyesight testig. Ask if the user takes regular breaks workig away from VDUs. Write the details of ay problems here: Work with display scree equipmet Page 64 of 68

65 Appedix 6 Sources of iformatio ad advice The followig gives a list of useful sources of iformatio ad advice Trade uio guidace The TUC ad several trade uios have produced detailed publicatios o a wide variety of display scree work, i some cases specific to particular occupatios. Sources of expertise The Ergoomics Society Elms Court, Elms Grove, Loughborough LE11 1RG Tel: Website: The College of Optometrists 42 Crave St, Lodo WC2N 5NG Tel: Website: The College is a registered charity ad is the examiig ad professioal body for optometrists. It has issued a statemet of good practice cocerig eye tests for DSE workers. This ca be foud uder Work with display scree equipmet i the College s guidace for professioal coduct, o their website. The Associatio of Optometrists 61 Southwark Street, Lodo SE1 0HL Tel: Website: The Associatio has issued brief guidace o visual stadards for VDU use, ad a sample report form to be filled i by optometrists. Chartered Istitutio of Buildig Services Egieers (CIBSE) 222 Balham High Road, Lodo SW12 9BS Tel: Website: HSE s Employmet Medical Advisory Service HSE regioal offices (listed i your local telephoe directory uder Health ad Safety ). Epilepsy Actio Freephoe helplie: BackCare 16 Elmtree Road, Teddigto, Middlesex TW11 8ST Helplie: Website: BackCare is a charity for healthier backs. AbilityNet Tel: Website: AbilityNet is a atioal charity ad a provider of expertise o computig ad disability. Work with display scree equipmet Page 65 of 68

66 BECTA Website: Becta is the Govermet s lead agecy for ICT i educatio. Refereces ad further readig Refereces 1 The law o VDUs: A easy guide: Makig sure your office complies with the Health ad Safety (Display Scree Equipmet Regulatios) 1992 (as ameded i 2002) HSG90 (Secod editio) HSE Books 2003 ISBN Health ad Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Ch 37 The Statioery Office 1974 ISBN Maagemet of health ad safety at work. Maagemet of Health ad Safety at Work Regulatios Approved Code of Practice ad guidace L21 (Secod editio) HSE Books 2000 ISBN Workplace health, safety ad welfare. Workplace (Health, Safety ad Welfare) Regulatios Approved Code of Practice L24 HSE Books 1992 ISBN Safe use of work equipmet. Provisio ad Use of Work Equipmet Regulatios Approved Code of Practice ad guidace L22 (Third editio) HSE Books 2008 ISBN Essetials of health ad safety at work (Fourth editio) Guidace HSE Books 2006 ISBN Uderstadig ergoomics at work: Reduce accidets ad ill health ad icrease productivity by fittig the task to the worker Leaflet INDG90(rev2) HSE Books 2003 (sigle copy free or priced packs of 15 ISBN ) 8 Homeworkig: Guidace for employers ad employees o health ad safety Leaflet INDG226 HSE Books 1996 (sigle copy free or priced packs of 15 ISBN ) 9 BS EN ISO 9241 Ergoomics requiremets for office work with visual display termials (VDTs) (Parts 1 to 17, 1992 to 2000) British Stadards Istitutio 10 BS 3044: 1990 Guide to ergoomic priciples i the desig ad selectio of office furiture British Stadards Istitutio 11 BS EN 527: Part 1: 2000 Office furiture. Work tables ad desks. Dimesios British Stadards Istitutio 12 BS EN 1335: Part 1: 2000 Office furiture. Office work chair. Dimesios. Determiatio of dimesios British Stadards Istitutio 13 BS EN ISO Ergoomic desig of cotrol cetres (Parts 1 to 7, 2000 ogoig) British Stadards Istitutio 14 BS EN 614 Safety of machiery. Ergoomic desig priciples (Parts 1 ad 2, 2006 ad 2000) British Stadards Istitutio Work with display scree equipmet Page 66 of 68

67 15 BS EN ISO 13407: 1999 Huma-cetred desig processes for iteractive systems British Stadards Istitutio 16 BS EN Fuctioal safety of electrical/electroic/programmable electroic safety-related systems (Parts 1-7, 2002) British Stadards Istitutio (also kow as IEC 61508) 17 Seatig at Work HSG57 (Secod editio) HSE Books 1997 ISBN Lightig at work HSG38 (Secod editio) HSE Books 1997 ISBN Lightig guide: The visual eviromet for display scree use LG3 Chartered Istitute of Buildig Services Egieers 1996 ISBN J M Harrigto, J T Carter, L Birrell, D Gompertz. Surveillace case defiitios for work related upper limb pai sydromes Occupatioal ad Evirometal Medicie (4) Thermal comfort i the workplace: Guidace for employers HSG194 HSE Books 1999 ISBN Out of prit 22 Back i work: Maagig back pai i the workplace: A leaflet for employers ad workers i small busiesses INDG333 HSE Books 2000 (sigle copy free) Out of prit 23 Tacklig stress: The Maagemet Stadards approach Leaflet INDG406 HSE Books 2005 (sigle copy free or priced packs of 10 ISBN ) 24 Maagig the causes of work-related stress: A step-by-step approach usig the Maagmet Stadards HSG218 (Secod editio) HSE Books 2007 ISBN Health effects related to the use of visual display uits Natioal Radiological Protectio Board. Documets of the NRPB New ad expectat mothers at work: A guide for employers HSG122 (Secod editio) HSE Books 2002 ISBN Upper limb disorders i the workplace HSG60 (Secod editio) HSE Books 2002 ISBN Gettig to grips with maual hadlig: A short guide INDG143(rev2) HSE Books 2004 (sigle copy free or priced packs of 10 ISBN ) Further readig Board statemet o restrictios o huma exposure to static ad time varyig electromagetic fields ad radiatio Natioal Radiological Protectio Board. Documets of the NRPB 1993 Checkouts ad musculoskeletal disorders Leaflet INDG269 HSE Books 1998 (sigle copy free or priced packs of 15 ISBN ) The Health ad Safety (Display Scree Equipmet) Regulatios 1992 Work with display scree equipmet Page 67 of 68

68 SI 1992/2792 The Statioery Office 1992 ISBN X The Health ad Safety (Miscellaeous Amedmets) Regulatios 2002 SI 2002/2174 The Statioery Office 2002 ISBN Reducig error ad ifluecig behaviour HSG48 (Secod editio) HSE Books 1999 ISBN Workig with VDUs Leaflet INDG36(rev3) HSE Books 2006 (sigle copy free or priced packs of 10 ISBN ) Further iformatio The Statioery Office publicatios are available from The Statioery Office, PO Box 29, Norwich NR3 1GN Tel: Fax: [email protected] Website: (They are also available from bookshops.) British Stadards ca be obtaied i PDF or hard copy formats from the BSI olie shop: or by cotactig BSI Customer Services for hard copies oly Tel: +44 (0) [email protected]. HSE priced ad free publicatios ca be viewed olie or ordered from or cotact HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA Tel: Fax: HSE priced publicatios are also available from bookshops. For iformatio about health ad safety rig HSE s Ifolie Tel: Fax: Textphoe: [email protected] or write to HSE Iformatio Services, Caerphilly Busiess Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG. Published by HSE 09/09 Page 68 of 68