It’s been a year since we last talked about display screen equipment in our news section, and, as is the way with technology, things have evolved considerably in this time.
The office environment has changed a great deal in recent times. Flat screens have replaced the old bulky CRT screens; wide, HD and multiple screens are a popular sight and, as ‘BYOD’ or ‘bring your own device’ working has become extremely popular, so employees’ own laptops and hand-held devices are featuring widely in the workplace.
There has also been a boosted interest in stand-up desking and variable height desks. Advice from Public Health England suggests that desk based workers may benefit from 2-4 hours stand-up working in a day rather than a straight 8 hours of seated working.
All of these changes and advances in technology would appear to be beneficial for working efficiency, however they do bring with them changes in risk to display screen users, and it is important for those responsible for analysing workstations under The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 to incorporate these changes into their DSE assessments.
New Technology: New Risks
For example, with stand-up working comes the risk of aching joints, sore feet, muscular issues and back problems, particularly if a worker does not wear suitable shoes, or is prone to leaning.
Multiple monitors may increase productivity, but the use of two or more screens can introduce ergonomic challenges that could lead to physical discomfort. Users tend to sit farther away from multiple monitors so that they can see everything without having to move their heads. This could result in eye strain problems if the text is too small to read.
Laptop screens don’t tend to be at the ideal height when used on a desk, and the constant use of hand-held or touch screen devices could lead to repetitive strain injuries.
The Solution: Refresher Training for DSE Assessors
There are of course solutions to these modern issues, and they will all be covered by an up to date Display Screen Equipment Risk Assessor Certificate course from Alistair Bromhead Ltd. The course can be run in-house as a refresher for existing assessors, and also to train new DSE assessors.
For more information or to book a course, email info@abromhead.co.uk or call 07932 674707.