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Why should this be done?
There is a regulatory requirement for the employer to perform “a suitable and sufficient analysis of workstations”
(Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 and 2002, Health and Safety Executive)
The main problems associated with DSE work are:
- Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)– upper limb disorders (ULDs) or repetitive strain injury (RSI), neck and back pain. MSDs affect 1 million workers and cost £5bn
- Stress and fatigue
- Visual fatigue
It is good practice to consider the health of employees. It is also good business. Workers who are in discomfort find it difficult to work optimally, becoming unhappy in the workplace. This leads to low morale, lower productivity and if not adequately addressed can lead to discontent and complaints to colleagues. Although rare, there are examples of workers pursuing legal cases for compensation against employers. There are 2000-2500 claims for RSI each year
Who should be considered for this?
Risk assessments should be applied to all individuals who work for the majority of their day at a computer, whether at home or in the office. However, it would be particularly pertinent for any individual who is currently experiencing discomfort in the workplace, to have a comprehensive individual DSE workstation assessment to take in to account the potential impact of their work on their symptoms. The type of symptoms they may have are:
- Pins and needles in a limb
- Pain in the upper limb
- Headaches
- Visual discomfort – dry, itching, sore eyes
- Neck or back pain
What does it involve?
- The physiotherapist will interview the employee’s manager to establish the job role, the workplace, any known problems and any measures taken, and training already delivered to staff.
- The employee will sign an informed consent form detailing an outline of the purpose of the assessment and who will receive copies of the report
- The employee will be interviewed about their role, and physical requirements involved in performing those tasks, previous training and their health.
- The employee’s work area and environment will then be assessed
- Relevant training will be given to the individual to ensure they can achieve optimal ergonomics and the importance of taking personal share of responsibility to prevent or reduce health problems
DISPLAY SCREEN EQUIPMENT WORKSTATION ASSESSMENT
Where will this be performed?
Wherever the employee works. These days there is an increasing need to assess the home work environment as well as the office, as this is a common area of neglect by the employee when working flexibly from home, often leading to problems.
Home computer use can also be an issue when contributing to work-related problems.
Results
The client will receive a report within 2 working days of the assessment being completed.
The report will include the following:
- Findings, recommendations and action taken
- Purpose of the assessment
- History
- DSE assessment
- Other factors affecting DSE users
- Summary and conclusions
A sample report is enclosed
Cranfold can provide in-house training for your own staff in DSE User Training and DSE Assessor Training. Read More...
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