Display screen equipment (DSE) policies: guidance and examples
Read guidance from HSE on best practice, and see examples of display screen equipment (DSE) policies from schools and LAs.
Contents
Display screen equipment (DSE) policies are non-statutory. You're not legally required to have one, but it's a good idea if your staff regularly use DSE.
Read guidance on the use of DSE
Any employee who habitually uses DSE in the workplace is considered a 'user'.
Regular users have the right to eye tests on request, and special spectacles if needed.
This is according to the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (see sections 1 and 5).
Good practice guidelines from HSE
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says that:
- Forearms should be approximately horizontal and the user’s eyes should be the same height as the top of the screen
- Excess pressure from the edge of seats on the backs of legs and knees should be avoided
- A computer mouse should be within easy reach, so it can be used with a straight wrist
- Individual characters on screens should be sharp, and in focus, without flickering