DISPLAY SCREEN EQUIPMENT
AWARENESS
University of Huddersfield
Occupational Health Department
NB please view as a ‘Slide Show’ to enable
the hyperlinks in this presentation
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Aim of session
To provide employees with awareness of the potential
health and safety risks associated with using Display
Screen Equipment (DSE) and how to manage these
effectively.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Objectives
•
Recognise and understand the health and safety risks associated
with DSE work.
•
Understand university policy.
•
Appreciate personal role in managing DSE risks effectively.
•
Equip self to undertake a DSE self assessment and troubleshoot
identified individual risks.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Legal Perspectives
Regulation as directed by the European Union:
DSE Regulations enforced 1 January 1993 (amended 2002).
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations
(1999) are currently under revision – these require employers
to assess risks posed to workers by their work or business.
These regulations require DSE users to be identified and
individual risk assessments to be undertaken.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
University Display Screen
Equipment Policy
The DSE policy is located within the University Health and
Safety Policy. Overall responsibility for guidance to the
university on DSE matters rests with the Occupational Health
team.
In summary the policy:
• establishes what is required of Schools and Support
Services to ensure compliance with the DSE Regulations
• sets out a DSE Assessment Process to ensure each
workstation meets the requirements of the Regulations
• applies to all types of DSE including laptop computers
The full policy may be viewed here please choose ‘DSE policy’.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
DSE assessment process
Who is a DSE user?
According to the Display Screen Equipment Regulations this
is any employee who :
•
uses DSE for continuous or near-continuous spells of
an hour or more at a time
and
•
uses DSE in this way more or less daily;
and
•
has to transfer information quickly to or from the DSE.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
DSE assessment process
Under the university policy individual employees are required
to undertake a self assessment at the start of employment,
every 2 years subsequently or when you undergo any changes
e.g. office moves.
An assessment and compliance with the policy is also required
if you have an agreement to work at home using your own IT
equipment. See the university home working policy.
If you regularly use a laptop computer in the course of your
work you are expected to follow the same principles.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
DSE assessment process
The following slides provide you with an insight into the Health
Risks associated with DSE use.
At the end of this course you will be guided towards using the
university self assessment process.
This process will identify any problems specific to you as the
user and take you through relevant actions to reduce risks.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks
Reducing musculo-skeletal disorders
Back, neck and upper limb pain can be
exacerbated by poor posture when seated:
Ergonomists advise that you should have your
desk arranged so that the keyboard and screen
are situated directly in front of you, preferably on
a straight, not a curved part of the desk. If you
have to work on a curved desk ensure that you
are placed directly in front of the screen.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks
Reducing musculo-skeletal disorders
Back, neck and upper limb pain can be
exacerbated by poor posture when seated:
It is best to have any peripheral equipment (e.g.
mouse, telephone, digipen, keyboard), placed
directly within your close field of reach to avoid
over reaching and exerting strain on your upper
limbs and shoulders.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks
Reducing musculo-skeletal disorders
There are many & varied seats available however with
adjustments most people can be accommodated within the
available provisions within the university.
Your seat should be placed at a height to ensure your arms
are roughly parallel to the desk surface.
Your thighs should be well supported by the seat pan and
here should be a small gap between the back of your legs
and the seat pan.
Make sure that your low back is fully supported by the
backrest, your shoulders are not hunched forwards and your
elbows are placed vertically beneath your shoulders.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks
Reducing musculo-skeletal disorders
The pressure on the discs in your lower back can be
reduced significantly by having an open angle at the hip
with a slight downwards slope to the thigh (see picture
right).
After these adjustments, if your feet do not sit flat on the
floor you may also need a foot rest.
HINT Check underneath your seat and see if the adjustors
/ levers on your chair will alter the back rest angle and
height and the seat pan position / tilt and height.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks
Reducing musculo-skeletal disorders
Back, neck and upper limb pain can be exacerbated by
poor posture when seated:
Shoulder pain can arise if you hold your elbows away from
your body.
Some people find that adjustable arm rests are helpful
although these sometimes prevent you from getting your chair
close enough to the desk which can result in leaning forwards
therefore these need to be used with caution. NB these can
easily be removed if not required.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks
Reducing musculo-skeletal disorders
Upper limb disorders with a variety of names
RSI, carpal tunnel syndrome, tenosynovitis etc.)
can be exacerbated by poor positioning. The
optimum position for the arms / wrists is in a
straight line with no deviation from the midline.
Deviation away from a straight line can result in
friction on the tendons of the wrist and irritation for
every keystroke that you make. The same applies
to use of the mouse.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks
Reducing musculo-skeletal disorders
Neck pain can be reduced by stopping your
head from tilting forwards:
If it is not already positioned with the screen at eye
level or up to 20 degrees lower try moving it now
and ensure that your neck is held upright whilst
working.
Document holders at the same height as the
screen top, alongside the screen can also help.
Angled ‘writing slopes’ between screen and
keyboard can reduce neck strain.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks
Reducing musculo-skeletal disorders
If you do not have touch typing skills you can increase the strain on the
neck when frequently checking lettering on the keyboard. Touch typing
courses are available to staff though Computing & Library Services. Call
ext 2955 for information. There are also various free touch typing
lessons to be found online however you should check with IT support
before downloading any of these.
For frequent phone use in conjunction with computer data
entry a headset is recommended. This will reduce strain if
‘cradling’ the handset between your shoulder & ear.
Contact telephone service requests for more info about headsets.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks
Reducing musculo-skeletal disorders
Having a change - check how long you are spending working
on the PC – a complete change of work activity for 10 minutes
in every hour is standard recommended practice.
‘Micro breaks, for a few seconds every 10 minutes will also be
beneficial in reducing general muscle fatigue - try to stretch
your arms down at your sides at this interval. Research
evidence to support this advice on exercises to reduce this
problem can be read here
Aim to stand up, stretch and change your posture every 20
minutes.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks
reducing visual fatigue & headaches
Headaches and Visual fatigue can result from various factors:
The screen being too close – it should be roughly at arms length from
you.
Glare from windows, light fittings, reflective surfaces.
Inadequate lighting.
Screen problems - you may need to adjust the controls on the screen
(brightness, contrast, resolution) & ensure that it is clean. If you are
unsure how to adjust these controls please contact IT support on ext
3737 or by email.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks
reducing visual fatigue & headaches
If you find yourself leaning forward in order to read the screen you would
probably benefit from a free eye test which is funded by the university. Eye
tests are a requirement for users if requested. This is stipulated in the DSE
regulations. For information and vouchers go to:
http://www.hud.ac.uk/oh/displayscreenequipment/
Signs of visual fatigue can include:
Burning, itching eyes, Blurring of vision, Nausea, Fatigue
Check how long you are spending working on the PC – once again, a
complete change of work activity for 10 minutes in every hour is standard
recommended practice, by refocusing your eyes on something other than
the computer screen.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks - Stressors
Physical & mental Stressors can relate to working practices
Ask yourself the following questions:
• Do you feel under pressure to work on the PC for protracted periods
without a break?
• Is this really necessary?
• Do you have any difficulties undertaking your job?
• Have you been trained on the software that you use?
• Have you made your manager aware of these problems?
If you have not already considered why this is happening or taken action
please check out the Stress resources on the Occupational Health website
and ensure that you follow the policy guidelines.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks
work environment
The work environment related to DSE work should
provide:
• Enough room near to and underneath the desk for a
comfortable working posture.
• Easy movement around – no clutter / blocked
entrances or exits.
• Suitable & sufficient lighting with working window
blinds, if required, to reduce glare on the screen.
• A generally comfortable temperature.
• Minimal distraction from background noise.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks
portable computer use
Lap top computers are not designed for extended use. The
working position adopted for laptop use in conjunction with their
narrow keyboards lends the user towards a greater risk of the
health problems outlined earlier. If you are using one on a daily
basis for more than an hour the following adaptations are
recommended:
Utilise the laptop screen as your monitor by placing it on a
separate riser block or a vertical laptop riser.
Organise a separate plug in keyboard and mouse.
To watch a short video on laptop use click here (sound is not
required).
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Health Risks
portable computer use
In addition consider carefully how
you transport your laptop.
Considerations should include the
overall weight, type of bag and
personal safety / security.
It is recommended that the weight is
distributed evenly rather than on one
shoulder. Laptop backpacks can be
the most satisfactory solution.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
DSE myths 1 – True or false?
Using DSE will damage my eyes
False
Working with DSE will not cause disease or permanent damage to the
eyes. Intensive work, poor screen position, unstable screen images or
poor workplace lighting will cause discomfort. DSE work may also make
you aware of an existing eye or eyesight defect.
DSE gives out harmful levels of radiation
False
Visible light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation are emitted but
at levels that present no risk.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
DSE myths 2 – True or false?
Working with DSE can cause skin disorders
True
A small number of people have experienced irritation, skin rashes or
aggravated existing skin disorders whilst working with DSE. The
causes seem to be a combination of electrostatic charges, low relative
humidity and individual susceptibility. These effects can usually be
combated by introducing sources of humidity into the environment.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
DSE myths 3 – True or false?
I’m pregnant, I and my unborn child are at risk
False
There have been many scientific studies. These have shown no link
between miscarriages or birth defects and working with DSE. However
there is a Health and Safety policy to follow when employees are pregnant
with a Risk Assessment requirement. Postural problems or restrictions in
space associated with the ‘growing bump’ may be referred by the
individual to Occupational Health for advice.
Epileptic seizures are triggered whilst using DSE
False
A small number of people who suffer from photo-sensitive epilepsy are
susceptible to flickering lights or striped patterns. They could be affected if
the computer screen images are not stable. Most people can use DSE
without suffering any adverse effects.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
DSE assessment process 1
• At the start of employment and every 2 years thereafter each
member of staff completes a DSE Self-Assessment
Questionnaire for their campus workstation. The assessment
works through all of the key risk areas and you make your own
record.
• Further assessments are undertaken for any additional work
venues (home or other campus locations). You should
troubleshoot any identified problems using the guide provided in
each section of the assessment.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
DSE assessment process 2
DSE Self-Assessment Questionnaire is forwarded to your manager or
DSE Assessor (DSEA) depending upon local arrangements. The DSEA
works through individual questionnaires to highlight any perceived
unresolved problems identified by the member of staff.
DSE Assessor will verify the perceived problems with the member of
staff. This will involve discussions with you at your workstation and, if
necessary, a more-detailed assessment. If any equipment is required
the DSEA will liase with your manager who is responsible for any
purchases.
DSE Assessor will review the adaptations at
an agreed date.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
DSE problems - advice
In the first instance please contact your DSE Assessor.
If you experience any of the following symptoms on a regular basis you
should seek the advice of your General Practitioner
• musculoskeletal pains
• headaches
• other generalised aches & pains
You should also revisit this course and repeat the DSE Self-Assessment.
Signs of upper limb problems can include:
• Numbness of fingers, palms and other areas
• Aches and pains in the muscles and joints
• Tingling sensations or soreness
If these symptoms do not resolve within 2 weeks of making adjustments
please advise your manager and contact Occupational Health for further
advice and assessment.
Occupational Health Department October 2012
Final recap – recommended working posture
1. Back in its natural line and well supported,
especially lumbar region.
2. Thighs well supported by the seat, small gap
between seat and back of knees
3. Feet flat on the floor, footrest utilised if
needed.
4. Forearms near-parallel with the floor.
5. Wrists not excessively bent up, down or
sideways.
6. Screen height parallel or slightly below eye
level to allow comfortable head and neck
position.
7. Space in front of keyboard rest hands and
wrists during breaks in typing.
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Occupational Health Department October 2012
Test & self assessment
Thank you for completing the DSE awareness course
In order to record that you have undertaken this training please
complete a short test lodged on Unilearn.
If you have not undertaken the University of Huddersfield DSE
self assessment in the past 2 years please complete it now.
Occupational Health Department October 2012