A laptop and online questionnaire do not automatically make display screen work safe. A useful DSE workstation assessment must reflect where and how somebody actually works and lead to practical action.
Decide who is a DSE user
The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations apply to workers who use display screen equipment daily as part of their normal work, continuously for an hour or more. HSE describes these workers as DSE users. The equipment can include PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
Do not decide by job title alone. A workshop supervisor completing long digital inspections or a mobile manager working through reports between visits may qualify. Infrequent or brief use is outside HSE's DSE-user description, although ordinary risk-management duties still apply.
For DSE users, the employer must assess workstations, reduce risks, plan breaks or changes of activity, arrange an eye test when requested and provide training and information. That is a process, not a one-off form.
HSE: working safely with display screen equipment ↗ · Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 ↗
Assess the whole workstation, not only the screen
HSE says the assessment should cover the whole workstation: equipment, furniture and working conditions; the job being done; and any special requirements of the individual. A photo of a desk may help, but it cannot show workload, prolonged mouse use, glare at a different time of day or whether the user can adjust the chair properly.
Look at screen height and distance, keyboard and pointing device, chair support, desk space, leg room, lighting, glare, temperature and noise. Then examine how the software, task and work pattern affect posture and repetition. A suitable chair cannot compensate for a task that forces continual twisting.
Self-assessment software can train users and gather information, but HSE is clear that it is not an assessment on its own. A trained assessor should examine the results, resolve uncertainty, give feedback and ensure problems are put right.
Cover every regular place of work
The rules apply to fixed workstations, mobile workers, home workers and people who hot-desk. A hybrid arrangement should therefore identify the places where regular DSE work occurs and whether the controls remain effective in each one.
A worker can complete a properly explained self-assessment at home, but the employer must review the answers and act. A declaration that everything is satisfactory is not enough where the employee reports neck pain, uses a dining chair all day or cannot position the screen without glare.
For example, a Teesside business may provide an excellent office workstation while the employee completes three home-working days on a small laptop. The assessment should connect both settings and decide what equipment is reasonably needed.
Set laptops up for prolonged work
A laptop fixes the screen and keyboard together, making a neutral head position and comfortable arm position difficult to achieve at the same time. For prolonged use, HSE advises a separate keyboard and mouse so the screen can be elevated, or a separate display screen.
A riser, dock or external monitor solves part of the problem. Check the chair, desk height, screen size and space for separate equipment. For movement between sites, decide what is portable and what needs duplicating.
Tablets and smartphones can also be DSE. Repeated input or detailed reading on a small screen may require another device, stand, keyboard or task change.
Turn workstation findings into practical changes.
HR + SAFETY can review office and home-work assessments, resolve recurring problems and give managers a clear equipment and escalation process.
Discuss a DSE assessment reviewPlan breaks and changes of activity
Employers must plan DSE work so users have breaks or changes of activity. There is no universal statutory break duration or frequency. HSE says the arrangement depends on the work and recommends short breaks often rather than longer breaks less often; its example is five to ten minutes each hour rather than 20 minutes every two hours.
A change of activity should genuinely interrupt screen work and allow movement or a new posture. A video meeting on the same screen is not much of a change. If natural interruptions do not exist, plan rest breaks and ensure workloads allow them.
Reminder software may help, but it does not transfer responsibility to the user. Managers should ensure suitable breaks are realistic.
Handle eye tests and spectacles correctly
An employer must arrange and pay for an eye and eyesight test when a DSE user requests one. Tell users how to make that request; a benefit hidden in an unread policy is unlikely to work well in practice.
The employer only has to pay for spectacles where the test shows that special ones are needed for the particular DSE viewing distance. If the user's ordinary prescription is suitable, the employer does not have to fund the glasses. A clear reimbursement or voucher process helps avoid confusion.
HSE states that DSE work does not cause permanent eye damage, although long spells can cause tired eyes, discomfort, temporary short-sightedness and headaches or reveal an existing eyesight problem. Reports of symptoms should still prompt a review of lighting, glare, screen position, breaks and the assessment.
Respond to discomfort and individual needs
Poorly designed workstations or incorrect DSE use can contribute to pain in the neck, shoulders, back, arms, wrists and hands, as well as fatigue and eye strain. Treat early reports as useful information, not proof that somebody has failed to sit correctly.
Speak to the worker, observe the task, review the assessment and seek competent health input where needed. Changes may include equipment, software, workload, task rotation or a reasonable adjustment. Identify actual needs without assumptions about disability, pregnancy, age or health.
Where DSE concerns sit alongside workload, control or isolation, review the related psychosocial risks rather than treating every symptom as a furniture problem.
Related guide: stress risk assessment → · Related guide: responding to an employee health condition →
Review when the worker, workstation or work changes
HSE says employers must assess when a new workstation is set up, a new user starts, an existing workstation or its use changes, or a user complains of pain or discomfort. A move to hybrid working, more screen-intensive software, a new hot-desk area or a changed home setup can all make an old assessment unreliable.
Record actions, owners and completion dates. Use a temporary control and escalation route where necessary. Revisit the person after changes; delivery of a chair alone does not prove that the problem is solved.
Ten-point DSE workstation checklist
A reliable system gives employees a simple way to report a concern and gives managers authority to resolve routine items quickly. It also identifies when a complex health issue or persistent workstation problem needs competent input.
- Identify DSE users from actual daily work, not job titles.
- List each office, home, mobile or hot-desk setup used regularly.
- Assess equipment, furniture, environment, task and individual requirements.
- Review self-assessments through a trained assessor and resolve uncertain answers.
- Provide a suitable laptop setup for prolonged work.
- Plan short, regular breaks or genuine changes away from DSE work.
- Explain how users request an employer-funded eye test.
- Investigate discomfort promptly and consider individual adjustments.
- Give users practical training on adjustment, posture, glare and reporting problems.
- Track actions and reassess after changes, symptoms or new working arrangements.
A DSE workstation assessment must cover how the person actually works across office, home and mobile settings, not simply produce a completed form. Assess the whole workstation, close actions, plan breaks, provide requested eye tests and review the arrangement whenever work or symptoms change.
This guide provides general information for UK employers. It is not legal advice and should not replace advice based on the facts of a specific matter.