Display Screen Equipment

Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (Display Screen Regulations)... 

EC (2004) Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions - on the practical implementation of the provisions of the health and safety at Work Directives 89/391 (Framework), 89/654 (Workplaces), 89/655 (Work Equipment), 89/656 (Personal Protective Equipment), 90/269 (Manual handling of Loads) and 90/270 (display Screen Equipment). COM (2004) 62 Final. Brussels. 

Other new regulations (Display Screen Equipment, Work Equipment, Personal Protective Equipment) implement aspects of the MHSW 1992 and Workplace Regulations in more detail. These also fulfil some of the European legislation that has shaped our practice since 1993. This relates to the European Community Directives issued by the Council of Ministers under Article 118A of the Treaty of Rome. 

To encourage employers to protect the health of their workers and reduce the risks associated with VDU work, the HSE have introduced the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992. The regulations came into force on 1 January 1993, and employers who use standard office VDUs must show that they have taken steps to comply with the regulations. 

Good employers, who comply with the Display Screen Equipment Regulations, should let their employees know what care has been taken to reduce the risk to their health and safety at work. Users should be given information on ... 

Display screen equipment at work. Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992. Guidance on the Regulations The control of asbestos at work. Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987. Approved Code of Practice. (Due to be updated to cover the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002)... 

Overhead power lines Induction heaters Zonal smelters Display screen equipment... 

These Regulations only apply to employers whose workers regularly use display screen equipment (DSE) as a significant part of their work, e.g. daily, for continuous periods of an hour or more. The Regulations do not apply to workers who use DSE infrequently or for short periods of time. DSE are devices or equipment with a graphic display screen and includes computer display screens, laptops and touch screens. 

Occupational health is concerned with physical and psychological hazards as well as chemical and biological hazards. The physical occupational hazards have been well-known for many years and the recent emphasis has been on the development of lower risk workplace environments. Physical hazards include topics such as electricity and manual handling which were covered in earlier chapters and noise, display screen equipment and radiation which are discussed in this chapter. 

Display screen equipment, which includes visual display units, is a good example of a common work activity which relies on an understanding of ergonomics and the ill-health conditions which can be associated with poor ergonomic design. 

These Regulations cover the minimum health and safety requirements for the use of display screen equipment and are accompanied by a guidance note. They typically apply to computer equipment with either a cathode ray tube or liquid crystal monitors. But any type of display is covered with some exceptions, for example, on board a means of transport, or where the main purpose is for screening a film or for a television. Multi-media equipment would generally be covered. 

Exemptions include display screen equipment used in connection with ... 

Possible hazards associated with display screen equipment are physical (musculoskeletal) problems, visual fatigue and mental stress. They are not unique to display screen work nor an inevitable consequence of it, and indeed research shows that the risk to the individual from typical display screen work is low. However, as in other types of work, ill-health can result from poor work organization, working environment, job design and posture, and from inappropriate working methods. 

The activities of users should be organized so that their daily work on display screen equipment is periodically interrupted by breaks or changes of activity that reduce their workload at the equipment. 

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