Rules, laws and regulation have always existed even way before this modern era. They exist for people to avoid abuses and harm that may befall upon them different matters.
For Display Screen Equipment, no matter how useful and how much help it provides to mankind in different fields, they also have rules and regulations. Â And Health and Safety Regulation of 1992 was made to address the usage of DSE.
The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 aim to protect the health of people who work with DSE.
These safety regulations gives the employers and the employees themselves responsibilities for those who work and has regular use of DSE. The law obliged that :
- Analyse workstations, and assess and reduce risks
Employers need to look at:
- the whole workstation including equipment, furniture and the work environment
- the job being done
- any special needs of individual staff.
Employees and safety representatives should be encouraged to take part in risk assessments, for example, by reporting health problems. Where risks are identified, the employer must take steps to reduce them.
These requirements are good features that should normally be found in a workstation, such as adjustable chairs and suitable lighting. They are set out in a schedule to the Regulations, covering the equipment, the working environment and the interface (for example, software) between the computer and the user or operator. The main requirements include:
- adequate lighting
- adequate contrast, no glare or distracting reflections
- distracting noise minimised
- leg room and clearances to allow postural changes
- window covering if needed to minimise glare
- software – appropriate to the task, adapted to the user, providing feedback on the system status, no undisclosed monitoring
- screen – stable image, adjustable, readable, glare/reflection free
- keyboard – usable, adjustable, detachable, legible
- work surface – with space for flexible arrangement of equipment and documents, glare-free chair – stable and adjustable
- footrest if user needs one.
Other things like giving the employees training and information dissemination regarding VDU health and safety which assures them that they will be knowledgeable with DSE health and safety.