Workstation assessment

A workstation assessment, usually called a DSE assessment, is the check UK employers must carry out for workers who use display screen equipment (PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones) daily, for continuous periods of an hour or more. The duty comes from the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations, and HSE calls the workers they cover “DSE users” (HSE).

What the law asks employers to do

For DSE users, employers must (HSE):

• do a DSE workstation assessment
• reduce the risks found, including making sure workers take breaks from screen work or do something different
• provide an eye test if a worker asks for one
• provide training and information

The rules apply at a fixed desk and to mobile workers, home workers and hot-deskers; people who change desks regularly should carry out a basic risk assessment. HSE links poorly set-up screen work with pain in the neck, shoulders, back, arms, wrists and hands, as well as fatigue and eye strain.

When is a workstation assessment needed?

The assessment looks at the whole workstation (equipment, furniture and conditions), the job being done, and any special needs, such as a disability. It must be done when a new workstation is set up, when a new user starts, when the workstation or the way it is used changes, and when users complain of pain or discomfort. Software can help train users and gather answers, but HSE says it is not an assessment on its own: a trained assessor should review the results and make sure problems are put right (HSE).

What does a DSE assessment cover?

HSE’s own workstation checklist works through the keyboard, the mouse or other pointing device, the screen, software, furniture (the chair, desk and space for papers) and the environment, such as lighting, reflections and temperature. It also asks whether the user takes regular breaks away from the screen and has been told about their right to an eye test (HSE). The employer pays for that test, but only has to pay for glasses if the user needs a prescription specifically for screen distance (HSE).

You can run through the same questions with our workstation checklist, and the guides to office chair setup and monitor setup go into the detail.

Home and hybrid workers

The regulations can apply to people who work at home long-term or split their time between home and the workplace. Employers usually don’t need to visit: workers may complete a self-assessment if they’ve had suitable training, and the assessment should cover both places if both are used. Workers can’t be charged for equipment the assessment shows they need, and they don’t necessarily need office furniture at home, as long as they can reach a comfortable, sustainable posture (HSE). See home office setup for the practical side.

What can a workstation assessment achieve?

It is a legal minimum and a sensible start, but changing the desk alone has limited evidence behind it. A Cochrane review of 15 trials in 2,165 office workers, most at high risk of bias, found no effect of workstation adjustment or sit-stand desks on arm pain or discomfort (one trial each). An arm support combined with an alternative mouse reduced new neck and shoulder disorders (moderate-quality evidence, two trials), and extra breaks reduced discomfort in data-entry workers (very low-quality evidence) (Hoe et al., 2018).

That is why the breaks part of the law matters as much as the chair. HSE says there is no fixed rule, but short, frequent breaks are better than long, infrequent ones: 5 to 10 minutes every hour is better than 20 minutes every 2 hours, ideally with a chance to get up and move (HSE). More on the wider field under ergonomics and, for employers, Bavelu for teams.