This three hour course covers the following topics: Law; Health effects; Assessment; Controls; Monitor; Review.

The legal requirements are dictated primarily by the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992. These place a duty upon the Employer to minimise risks to the health and safety of employees who use display screen equipment.

Personal computers are the most common type of equipment to which these regulations apply and this course is aimed principally at the use of these. However, the regulations also cover other equipment on which information is displayed on a screen and may include such items as video editing workstations, microfiche readers etc.

Workstation assessment involves making a systematic examination of the computer equipment, furniture on which it is positioned, working environment and the work patterns of staff to determine whether the sum of these results in an appropriate and safe working arrangement.

Where the assessment reveals that improvements are required, action should be taken to have the necessary changes implemented.  A further assessment should be carried out if significant changes are made to a workstation or if the workstation is to be operated by a different user.

This course is designed to give the DSE user the necessary information to carry out a self-assessment of their own workstation.