As an employer, you’re responsible for ensuring the health & safety of your staff. Most employers know this, but not all employers know that there is a specific duty regarding Display Screen Equipment (DSE).

Those who suffer from poor screen safety will be more likely to be absent and unproductive. You must ensure the health and safety of your employees to not only stay compliant but to keep profits up.

The most effective way to ensure the risk is minimal is to conduct a DSE risk assessment.

Here, we’ll explore what it is, how to use it, and provide you with a example DSE risk assessment template.

What is a DSE risk assessment?

A DSE assessment is an assessment of Display Screen Equipment and how we use it. It is required under health and safety DSE legislation.

They are a legal requirement if your employees work with a screen as a part of their role, this includes:

• Laptops
• Tablets
• Smartphones
• Touch screens
• PCs

A DSE workstation risk assessment should identify the hazards each piece of equipment poses and suggest ways of eliminating or reducing it. It’s also worth conducting a full risk assessment of each workspace to ensure there aren’t any hidden risks.

Finally, you should conduct a DSE risk assessment even if the employee is working from home with their own equipment or hot-desking. Your duty of care extends to staff even when working remotely.

Are DSE assessments a legal requirement?

Yes. The government requires you to perform a risk assessment of some devices. You should provide a suitable risk analysis of all employees who fall under the requirement for the regulation.

A suitable and sufficient analysis would be one that not only identifies potential risks for hazards. It should also suggest ways of eliminating or reducing it. As well as an analysis of workstations, equipment, operator and computer interface.

You must perform a suitable analysis of the risks to all employees who fall under the requirement of this legislation.

How do I conduct a DSE risk assessment?

If you’ve conducted any other type of risk assessment, then you should have a good idea how to start. Begin by outlining the potential risks and then assessing them.

When considering DSE, you should take into account the entire workstation and the various pieces of equipment the individual will use. For example:

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Chair
• Desk

Once you’ve identified any risks, address them in order of which is most severe. Suggest ways to mitigate and reduce each hazard. For example, if a computer screen is fixed in place you should consider adding a mechanism to allow it to swivel and tilt.

Make sure you include staff in your assessment. They will have a better idea of how their DSE is working for them, and will be able to raise issues you may be unaware of.

Download your DSE risk assessment template with Croner

You can download a free DSE risk assessment form below. This template includes a list of the various risks posed by DSE, but doesn’t provide a list of actions to take.
Each workplace is different, and so your solution to the issues raised will need to be tailored to your circumstances.

Risk assessment UK law, and other health and safety legislation, can be confusing. This is why we have a great health and safety advice service, where you can get free advice whenever you need it.

If you want more detailed guidance or a sounding board for you to bounce ideas regarding health & safety in your workplace, why not speak to a Croner expert on 01455 858 132

 

Disclaimer: This template is provided ‘as is’ and Croner Group Ltd excludes all representations, warranties, obligations and liabilities in relation to the template to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Croner Group Ltd is not liable for any errors or omissions in the template and shall not be liable for any loss, injury or damage of any kind caused by its use. Use of the template is entirely at the risk of the User and should you wish to do so then independent legal advice should be sought before use.

Use of the template will be deemed to constitute acceptance of the above terms.