Computer health and safety at work

Under health and safety law, you must train your employees in the safe use of display screen equipment (DSE). This training should include:

• the health risks of using DSE incorrectly
• how to position and adjust all equipment and furniture to make it comfortable
• the importance of good posture and the need to change position frequently
• the right technique for using a keyboard, mouse, etc
• how to use the hardware and software
• the need for short, frequent breaks from screen work
• how to recognise the warning signs of health problems from DSE use
• how to report any problems
• entitlement to an eyesight test
• the need to clean and inspect DSE regularly to identify any problems

You must also tell employees about the minimum standards relating to DSE and risk assessment.

Where you upgrade or replace equipment or furniture, you must ensure that you retrain staff accordingly and revise the risk assessment.

Homeworkers

As an employer, you have a duty to ensure that employees working at home or from other locations do so safely. Homeworkers may carry out their own risk assessments using an ergonomic checklist, but you will have to train them to do so. Employees using workstations at home or at other locations away from the office will need training in the safe use of DSE.

They will also need extra training covering:

• how to conduct a risk assessment of their workstation
• the importance of good posture, taking breaks, etc to make up for the lack of direct supervision
• how to report any problems