Recent data from a medical company has shown that 48% of UK employees feel their eye health is compromised by their job. With so many workplaces using display screen equipment (DSE) such as laptops, PCs, smartphones and tablets, it is no wonder that this is a cause for concern.
NHS data has shown that in the last year over 200,000 people reported eye pain at A&E, and a recent survey showed that 1 in 8 industrial workers reported eye strains or injuries. Without proper regulation in your workplace, this could result in a loss of productivity, costly claims along with significant on-going eye health concerns for your employees.
As you will know, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA 1974) prescribes a general duty towards keeping workplaces safe, and this includes eye health. It is the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (HS(DSE)R 1992) that gives more specific instruction on the responsibilities that employers must adhere to.
Let’s take a look at how you can be compliant.
What does the law say?
By law you are required as an employer to ensure that you have:
- Carried out a DSE workstation assessment
- Provided information and training for workers on DSE and its safe use
- Provided an eye test if a worker requests one
- Reduced any risks associated with using DSE
One way of reducing any risks associated with using DSE, includes ensuring that workers take a break from using DSE. The HS(DSE)R 1992 states that each “employer shall so plan the activities of users at work …that their daily work on DSE is periodically interrupted by such breaks or changes of activity as reduce their workload at that equipment”.
An example of this could be the use of the 20-20-20 rule. This is where DSE users look 20 feet away, for 20 seconds every 20 minutes, to reduce the chances of digital eye strain.
It is important to note that these regulations only apply to regular DSE users. Regular DSE users are anyone who is using DSE for more than one continuous hour in a working day. They would not apply to infrequent DSE users (i.e. who are not using DSE for more than one continuous hour in a day). However, controlling the risk for DSE may still be of use for these infrequent DSE users.
Assess and review
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has clear rules on how you should protect staff from DSE use. Assessing DSE workstations and mitigating any potential risk to its lowest extent is essential. It is also necessary to review these assessments regularly, including when there is a change in user.
As with all risk assessments, these need to be thorough and require you to consider individual’s needs, such as those with a disability. If you think this is an area that you need support in, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.
Here to help
Whilst some big businesses will be able to appoint a specialised DSE assessor, this is out of reach for many SMEs. Instead let us be the specialist. Here at the Health & Safety Dept, we are experts when it comes to ensuring that you are compliant with regulations pertaining to the use of DSE. We can offer guidance on writing a DSE risk assessment, or we can do it for you.
We also have a DSE eLearning module, which will help you towards compliance with the HS(DSE)R 1992. At just 25 minutes, it’s a short and sweet way of helping you meet the legal requirement for anyone who regularly uses DSE. Contact us today to discuss your needs and get started.
