| In this day and age of compensation claims | | | | DSE Risk Assessment and Training are Health |
| for even the most minor strains and accidents | | | | and Safety requirements and are quite simple |
| it pays all employers to comply with Health | | | | to practice. There are recommended guidelines |
| and Safety regulations to cover themselves as | | | | for the angle of a VDU, the positioning of a |
| well as their employees. The Health and | | | | keyboard, mouse, desk and chair. All should |
| Safety Executive regulations have, for a | | | | be set up for the individual employee to |
| number of years now, made it a legal | | | | ensure comfortable working positions. |
| requirement for all employers to assess and | | | | |
| reduce the risk to staff in the workplace. | | | | Employers are liable for the cost of sight |
| | | | tests for VDU operators when requested but |
| Some employers, pressed for time as well as | | | | there is no evidence that, when used |
| money, find this a problem. Whole work days | | | | properly, a VDU screen would cause any health |
| are sometimes lost, venues need to be booked | | | | problems. Only when there is unnecessary |
| and paid for and transport provided. All this | | | | glare, bad posture or a wrongly positioned |
| comes at the expense of the employer but | | | | unit does a problem occur. There is certainly |
| surely cannot be as costly as the amount of | | | | no evidence to suggest there is any worsening |
| sick days taken in the name of work related | | | | of eyesight from use of a VDU. |
| health problems. | | | | |
| | | | So, employees do not want to be injured at |
| Figures from the Health and Safety Executive | | | | work and employers do not want to spend man |
| for 2003/04 show that 448,000 British workers | | | | hours and hard earned profits on Health and |
| were reported to have suffered from work | | | | Safety Training. However, there is a |
| related musculo-skeletal disorders (the | | | | solution. It is now possible to train all |
| umbrella term for Repetitive Strain Injury). | | | | employers and their staff in all Health and |
| This was a staggering increase of 52,000 from | | | | Safety aspects without ever having to leave |
| the previous year. | | | | their badly positioned, overly bright VDU or |
| | | | their wonky chair. |
| Direct and indirect costs to society amounted | | | | |
| to a phenomenal 5.7 pounds billion in the | | | | It is now possible to meet all the legal |
| year 2004/5. The Health and Safety Executive | | | | requirements of Health and Safety Training on |
| attributes this to the 450,000 cases of | | | | line. It is called Health and Safety |
| workers absent through back complaints and | | | | e-learning. Risk assessments are set out for |
| 375,000 through back and upper limb | | | | employers and employees can set their own |
| disorders. Amazingly, they even report seven | | | | agenda for DSE training thus reducing impact |
| year old children to be suffering RSI | | | | on work schedules. Training can be completed |
| complaints so schools also need to implement | | | | over time at a pace that suits the individual |
| the regulations. | | | | and training certificates can be printed out |
| | | | at the conclusion. |
| Repetitive Strain Injury is a common | | | | |
| occurrence in offices where staff spend the | | | | This solution is cost effective, requiring |
| majority of their day sat in front of a VDU, | | | | minimal resources and a Learning Development |
| or DSE. Display Screen Equipment is a broader | | | | Advisor is assigned to the company involved |
| term for VDU and covers all the equipment at | | | | to keep track of the training. It is also |
| a desk including keyboard and mouse, which | | | | recommended that results be saved to a |
| have been the cause of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome | | | | database to establish an audit trail and |
| when used incorrectly. | | | | prove your company's compliance with Health |
| | | | and Safety Regulations. |