Display screen equipment assessment
The Health and Safety Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Regulations have been in place since 1992 and employers are required to protect their employees from any risks associated with DSE whether desktop computers, or mobile laptop users.
New technology poses new hazards and can place users at risk of general musculo-skeletal problems, upper limb disorders, fatigue, headaches, eye strain or strain.
Peritus Health Management can deliver engaging and instructive Display Screen Equipment Users training for employees to promote postural awareness and good workstation setup and use. We can then be available to support your employees as they set-up their workstations and complete the self-assessment checklists.
Health Surveillance is required if:
- Work is known to damage health in some particular way and it is reasonably likely that damage to health may occur under the particular conditions at work.
- There have been previous cases of work-related ill health in the workforce/place.
- There is a reliance on PPE e.g. gloves or face masks as an exposure control measure.
The need for health surveillance should be identified by your risk assessment process.
Examples of where health surveillance is appropriate under the criteria in COSHH Regulation 11(2)(b) are:
- Where there have been previous cases of work-related ill health in the workforce/place;
- Where there is a reliance on PPE, e.g. gloves or respirators, as an exposure control measure; e.g. printers wearing gloves to protect against solvents used during press cleaning, or paint sprayers using two-pack paints wearing respirators to prevent asthma. Even with the closest supervision there is no guarantee PPE will be effective at all times;
- Where there is evidence of ill health in jobs within the industry; e.g. frequent or prolonged contact with water (termed wet-working) causing dermatitis in hairdressers and healthcare workers, or breathing in mists from chrome plating baths causing chrome ulcers in platers.’
- We strongly recommend avoiding blanket screening for all employees as it can provide misleading management results and waste money that could be spent on improving controls.
Free Health Risk Assessment
Reduce the risks
There is a range of practical and technological solutions to reduce these risks. Peritus Health Management’s specialist occupational health advisers are competent at assessing an individual’s musculo-skeletal disorders, ensuring well-designed workstations and determining the corrective action that can be taken to address the underlying cause, promote rehabilitation and prevent further problems.