Workstation Risk Assessment

 

What is a DSE Assessment?

 

An evaluation of the risks for employees who use electronic devices (such as display monitors, laptops, tablets, and smartphones) for at least an hour or more as part of their regular daily job is known as a DSE (Display Screen Equipment) assessment. Its objective is to determine the controls required to address the issues DSE users face and assist them in preventing long-term musculoskeletal ailments. This assessment is sometimes called a VDU (Video Display Unit) assessment (MSD).

 

DSE Assessment Form

 

Employers who must adhere to the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations of 1992 may use the DSE workstation evaluation form. It can help with risk assessment and ensure compliance with the Regulations' Schedule. The "yes/no" check boxes provide the following risk factors in six categories: keyboards, mice and trackballs, screens for displays, software, furniture, and work environments. Additionally, it gives a place to record planned action and a list of concerns.

 

To identify potential workplace hazards, a DSE assessment form is a questionnaire designed to learn more about how a worker interacts with a DSE. Self-assessments, assessments by internal DSE assessors, or external, professional DSE assessors are usually used to complete it.

 

Why Should You Complete a Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Assessment?

 

The use of display screen technology over an extended period can cause transient eye strain, stress fatigue, and upper limb diseases (pain in the neck, shoulder, arm, wrist, and hand). Work patterns like these are linked to work-related MSDs:

 

• Fixed or constrained body positions
• Continuous repetitive movements
• Force concentrated on small parts of the body such as the hand or wrist
• A work pace that does not allow sufficient recovery between movements

 

These risks can cause long-term musculoskeletal injuries and irreparable damage if they are not reduced or treated, negatively affecting the productivity levels of all employees and their ability to support themselves.

 

The Impact of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)

 

The costs associated with work-related MSDs can be broken down into "human" costs (the effect on a person's quality of life and, in the case of fatal injuries, loss of life) and "financial" costs (such as lost productivity and medical expenses).

 

One of the main reasons for absenteeism and decreased productivity in the UK is MSDs. In Great Britain alone, 480,000 people reported having musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) at work in 2019–20, resulting in 8.9 million lost working days. Of the reported MSDs, 44% concerned the upper limbs or neck, 37% were back injuries, and 19% affected the lower limbs.

 

The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found in another study that work-related illnesses and injuries currently cost UK businesses some 15 billion pounds a year. Despite injuries making up a larger share of cases, illnesses account for a more significant portion of total costs because they generally necessitate more extended absences, which raises costs.

 

MSDs can considerably impact the person and the company, with the former needing to take a significant amount of time off work and the latter suffering from lost production due to lost person-hours. Understanding the effects of MSDs on an individual's life and ensuring that ergonomic risks are proactively addressed through DSE evaluations are responsibilities both employers and employees share.

 

How to Use Safety Culture for DSE Assessments (formerly iAuditor) Tools & Forms

 

DSE assessments can be used to pinpoint potential ergonomic injury causes and develop the best course of action. By encouraging DSE users to do self-assessments, Safety Culture, a robust and customized inspection software, aids businesses in promoting safe working conditions for DSE users.

 

Training and information in DSE

 

Employers are required to give users of display screen equipment (DSE) instructions and information about health and safety. The risks involved with DSE work and how to minimize them through safe working procedures should be covered in training. It ought to contain the following:

 

• We are maintaining proper posture, altering workspace, screens, and lighting to prevent reflections and glare, taking breaks and changing activities, and doing risk assessments and ways to report issues.
• Additionally, employers should inform users of their DSE work about the general safety and health precautions they have taken and how to request an eye exam.

 

 

DSE assessments: the business benefits

 

Being proactive in managing your organization's DSE assessments with "HSE a healthy working" and DSE Assessor training from HSE group not only helps to ensure that your business complies with the legislation, but also benefits your business by:

 

• Employee morale, health, and wellbeing are all improved, and fewer sick days mean production is maintained.

They are lowering administrative expenses, reducing the risk of compensation claims for upper limb disorders (ULD), encouraging positive behavior, implementing good DSE practices, and improving organizational safety culture.

 

As a part of the best DSE training, Relaxa group provides full DSE training and form-related information. Join us now for more updates. Get the DSE assessment tool from us!