Display Screen Equipment Risk Assessments

When did you last review your or your employees’ workstation setups?

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) states that as an employer, you must protect your workers from the health risks of working with display screen equipment (DSE), such as PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Not only is this a legal requirement, but good practice as we are all working from home and switching from home to office setups on a regular basis, and vital to get right.

The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations apply to workers who use DSE daily, for an hour or more at a time, often described as ‘DSE users’. The regulations don’t apply to workers who use DSE infrequently or only use it for a short time.

Typical physical ailments include; back, hip, and neck pain, headaches, tiredness, and RSI ( repetitive strain injury ). Poorly set up workstations causing these ailments can also lead to poor productivity and longer term and permanent issues.

DSE Risk Assessments from Auxilium Business Consulting – £175 per person.

Auxilium can carry out a professional basic Display Screen Risk Assessment virtually. Qualified by the assessor Posturite, you can be sure of a thorough review to ensure that your workstation set up is fit for purpose, meets legal requirements and above all eliminates those niggles and enhances your daily comfort.

What is involved in the Virtual DSE Risk Assessment

At the moment, DSE Risk Assessments can only be carried out virtually due to COVID19 but in the future site visits will also be conducted where necessary.

Your involvement:

• Completion of two forms provided ( 20-30 minutes of your time) They will cover details about your current set up, daily tasks and role, workstation types and any current musculoskeletal issues.
• Provision of some images of your workstation set up and you sat or standing at your desk.

What Auxilium provides:

• Review of these documents and images.
• Suggestions for improvement for musculoskeletal issues and posture, workstation setup observations, health and wellbeing tips and suggestions for additional equipment or accessories to source.
• Simple action plan report with recommendations on improvements, suitability of your current and future set up and links to suppliers with helpful hints on working habits and behaviours.

What it doesn’t provide:

• This is a basic DSE Risk assessment but is comprehensive enough for you to make simple and effective changes and source suggested equipment with varied budgets.

However, if your current set up and health conditions need specialist knowledge and where severe cases require more detail e.g. an examination or measurements need to be taken, then I can refer you to a specialist health provider or supplier.

​Why have a DSE Risk Assessment?

• It provides gentle reminders of up-to-date best practice and an objective review of your current set up as this is difficult to fully assess yourself.
• The DSE RA is carried out by a trained professional.
• The adjustments provide solutions to reduce aches and pains and increase comfort.
• It shows that an employer cares about your health and safety and impacts of your daily work.
• It is not easy to assess your own position and make changes. Most people know that their set up isn’t right which is why they suffer ongoing niggles. Don’t be that person.
• Once you have the correct position and environment, you will be able to maintain a good posture and alleviate and improve niggles, fatigue and problems.

Remember that many niggles can be sorted out by minor tweaks to your desk set up and don’t always cost the earth. Sometimes it’s a case of small changes making that most important difference.

To ensure an end to end solution, I have collaborated with Front Foot Drive to ensure that the suggestions I make can be effected with every solution to suit your budget. Front Foot Drive is the single source for business and marketing solutions for the office. It specialises in ergonomic office solutions, promotional merchandise and all business supplies.

I have also collaborated with Patricia Goka of Holistic PT Studio who provides Movement Consultancy services in the space between Physiotherapy and strength & fitness training, delivering preventive and mitigation strategies to address the joint health concerns of employees.

DSE Risk Assessment Testimonials.

Alex’s assessment, which was returned very quickly, showed a full understanding of my current situation and gave recommendations both for quick wins and larger adjustments that would make my working day much more comfortable.  All her recommendations came with comprehensive reasonings which really helped reinforce why each change was suggested and/or needed and allowed me to prioritise which adjustments needed doing first and which needed budgeting for vs putting on my longer ‘wish list’

Lucy Messaritis – Owner – Nixon Executive Support

Alex did my DSE review last month and already I can tell the difference.  She started with me taking a few pictures of my set up, went away and went through her checklist, then came back to me the next day with some really practical suggestions.  These ranged from moving my desk and chair around in the office to provide more space, all on a level, etc., through to a few pieces of kit that cost me less than £100 to implement (laptop raiser & wireless keyboard and mouse).

We can all do something to make our home working environment both safer and more comfortable.  Do take 15-30 minutes out of your day to get Alex to look at this for you.

Clare Mannall – Owner – CEM Bookkeeping and Consultancy

Thank you so much for preparing this DSE Report for me; it’s very thorough and I believe it will make a big difference to me – physically and mentally!

Nick Wright – CEO – Beyond Words