A guide to...

Display Screen

Equipment

The aim of this presentation...

Plus... Take our quiz at the end to test your knowledge

• To understand what Display Screen Equipment (DSE) is

• Who the regulations apply to

• What health problems can occur from using DSE

• How to set up your workstation correctly

• Suitable posture and breaks

What’s the difference between a VDU, a VDT, a Monitor and Display Screen Equipment (DSE)?Q.

A. There isn’t one. All these terms mean the same thing – a display screen. Usually forming part of a computer and showing text, numbers or graphics.

What is DSE?

The Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992

The Regulations require employers to minimise the risks in VDU work by ensuring workplaces and jobs are well designed

Regulations

The regulations apply where staff habitually use VDUs as a significant part of their normal work

The Regulations also apply if you are an employee working from home and habitually use a VDU as part of your normal work

Who is affected?

Does DSE work affect my health?

DSE is often wrongly blamed for many health problems, but problems are normally caused by the way in which DSE is used

Problems can be avoided by good workplace and job design and by the way

in which you use DSE and your workstation

Ill health effects of using DSE can be caused or made worse by a number of factors which include:

• Screen Glare

• Workplace stress

• Long periods of screen work

• Room environment

• Poor posture

• Lack of ergonomic design for the workstation

Ill Health Effects

• Introduction of new technology / software

The risks are low but poorly set up workstations or bad practice can lead to:

• Pain and discomfort in neck, hands, arms and back

• Eye strain

• Fatigue and stress

• Very rarely skin disorders such as facial dermatitis

What are the risks?

A better medical name for these conditions is ‘Upper Limb Disorders’

What about RSI?

If you get aches or pains you should alert your line manager or supervisor

Some users get aches and pains in their hands, wrists, arms, shoulders or back after long periods of uninterrupted DSE work

‘Repetitive Sprain Injury’ (RSI) has become a popular term for these aches, pains and disorders, but can be misleading

Employers have to:

Analyse workstations, and assess and reduce risks

Plan work so there are breaks or changes of activity away from the computer

On request, provide eye tests at regular intervals.

Provide health, safety and training information

Employer Duties

Make full use of the equipment provided and adjust it to avoid potential health problems

Over the next few slides are some practical tips to ensure you’re as comfortable as possible

What can I do to help myself?

Making adjustments to suit you

Getting Comfortable

Adjust your chair and computer screen to the most comfortable position

As a guide, your forearms should be horizontal and your eyes the same height as the top of the screen

Make sure you have enough workspace for documents and other equipment

Try different arrangements of keyboard, mouse, screen and documents to find the best position

Arrange your desk to avoid glare or bright reflections on your screen

Ensure there is space for your legs to move freely under the desk

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Good lumbar support

Adjustable seat height

No excess pressure on thighs and back of kneesFoot support if needed

Space for postural change, no obstacles under desk

Minimal movement of wrists (up, down, sideways)

Screen height should allow comfortable head position

Adjustable seat back

Forearms horizontal

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Space in front of keyboard to support hands/wrists when not typing

Correct Workstation Setup

• Adjust your keyboard to get a good keying position

• A space in front of the keyboard is useful for resting hands and wrists when not keying

• Try to keep your wrists straight when keying. Keep a soft touch and don’t overstretch fingers

Keying in

• Consider using a gel wrist support to help you maintain a neutral wrist position

• Position the mouse within easy reach so your wrist remains straight

• Sit upright and close to the desk so your arm is not stretched

• Support your forearm on the desk and don’t grip the mouse too tightly

• Rest your fingers lightly on the mouse and do not press them too hard

Using a Mouse

• Consider using an ergonomic orbit mouse to reduce arm movement

• Adjust the brightness and contrast

• Ensure the screen surface is clean

• When setting up software, choose options giving text that is large enough to read easily on screen

• Select colours that are easy on the eye. Avoid red text on a blue background etc

• Individual characters on the screen should be sharply focussed and shouldn’t flicker or move

Reading the Screen

• Don’t sit in the same position for long periods – make sure you change your posture regularly

• Most jobs provide opportunities to take a break from the screen, e.g. filing or photocopying

• If there are no such breaks in your job your employer should provide rest breaks

• Frequent short breaks are better than fewer long ones

Posture & Breaks

Head When the head is balanced and in neutral position the eyes will be looking slightly down

Shoulders Relax the shoulders so that the upper limbs hang normally at the side of the body

Elbows Close to the body. Bent between 90° and 120°

Hands, Wrists, Forearms

These should be straight, parallel and in line with the floor

Back To fully support the back the lumbar spine should be supported with a backrest lumbar support. The user should be able to sit vertically or lean slightly back

Thighs, Hips User’s seat should be sufficiently padded. Hips should be slightly higher than knees

Knees Slightly lower than hips, feet placed forward.

Feet Flat on floor or if legs are dangling give a footrest to support the lower limbs

Posture Checklist

A new downloadable tool can help reduce the likelihood of employees suffering from Musculoskeletal Disorders.

The Assessment of Repetitive Tasks (ART) tool was developed by the HSE and Health & Safety Laboratory (HSL).

Go to www.hse.gov.uk/msd/uld/art/

More InformationThis presentation contains notes on good practice which are not

compulsory but you may find them helpful when considering what you need to do

Source: HSE

Quick Quiz!1. What’s the difference between VDU, VDT, a monitor and Display Screen Equipment?

2. Do the Display Screen Equipment Regulations apply to employees that work from home?

3. Ill health effects of using DSE can be caused or made worse by a number of factors – describe three factors

4. If you start getting aches and pains, what should you do?5. In the posture checklist, describe how the back should be supported and what position the user should be in.