Do you carry out DSE Assessments?
Are you aware they are a legal requirement?What are DSE Assessments?
Health & Safety Regulations require DSE (Display Screen Equipment) Assessments to be conducted for all significant users of display screen equipment (computer workstations). A DSE Assessment is a thorough analysis and evaluation of the working environment and any equipment relating to it in order to prevent injuries from developing or continuing. It is designed to assess an individual’s posture in relation to the ergonomic positioning of their working tools and equipment such as workstation, screen, mouse, keyboard and chair.
Our DSE Assessment Service
Our DSE Assessment service is simple. We visit your office and conduct face-to-face individual assessments for every user you would like included. We are fully qualified to carry out these assessments and can identify all DSE risks across multiple users within a department or office. Each compliance assessment takes 20-30 minutes per user depending on the complexity of the existing workstation set up.
Our aim is to minimise risks that have the likelihood of causing harm or prolonged injury and to ensure best ergonomic workstation practise is set up for the future, specifically for users with existing injuries or disorders that may be affected by the DSE workstation environment.
Most conditions aggravated by poor workstation posture may be minimised if good ergonomic practises are adopted and employees are sat in the correct anatomical posture. We will make any adjustments necessary and give advice during the assessment to eliminate risks where possible at the time.
Where risks are identified that cannot be suitably reduced during the assessment then further recommendations will be given to both the user and the company, for example a good ergonomic chair will help minimise pressure on muscles and joints, increases blood flow and prevents muscle deterioration.
Did you know?
Lost working days
In 2015/2016, an incredible 30.4 million working days were lost due to employee self-reported work related illnesses and injuries*
%
Ailments
1 in 3 European employees suffer from ailments caused by working at a computer. 60% claim their productivity and performance has been affected as a result**
%
Ergonomics
95% of European workers believe the office environment and employee workstations are the most important factors for wellbeing at work**
* Estimates based on self-reports from the Labour Force Survey 2016, Office for National Statistics
** Loudhouse Research Agency, 2016. Survey to investigate awareness, sentiment and opinions of health and wellbeing in the workplace, Sit-Stand working and solutions on behalf of Fellowes, Inc
Why is movement so important?
Ocee Design, a leading commercial furniture manufacturer explains the benefits of movement in the workplaceIs your chair set up correctly?
Ocee Design, a leading commercial furniture manufacturer explains how to set up their Harvey chairOur Ergonomic Range
Have a look at some of the ergonomic furniture we can supply
Benefits of looking after your staff
The wellbeing of staff is increasingly important to many organisations. Companies recognise that by improving the workplace environment and demonstrating the importance of staff being comfortable at work, they attract new staff, retain the talent and skills they already have and save on the growing cost of absenteeism caused by ailments brought on by discomfort at work such as musculoskeletal injuries.
Companies who invest in the health and wellbeing of employees see benefits in enhanced employee efficiency, engagement, motivation, morale and consequently productively. According to Dame Carol Black, Policy Adviser on work and health to the UK government, every £1 spent on improving health and wellbeing in the workplace sees a company return of between £3-£6 in productivity gains. It also helps minimise absence-related costs and ensures the business is meeting its obligations to avoid compensation claims. It therefore makes good business sense to ensure that employees have what they need to be as effective as possible.
Musculoskeletal disorders
One of the main reasons for discomfort in the workplace and in particular, musculoskeletal disorders is poor posture and incorrect set up and placing of equipment. In the short-term poor posture may simply cause discomfort but left unchecked over a prolonged period of time this could result in more chronic musculoskeletal & upper limb disorders including back pain, neck and shoulder pain, carpel tunnel syndrome, eyestrain, headaches, stress, fatigue, RSI & Sciatica. These injuries are often referred to as slow injuries; the effects building up over a long period of time, ranging from chronic discomfort to acute pain. Early prevention is crucial and many health problems can easily be avoided by ensuring employees are working comfortably. This is why we recommend & promote our DSE Assessment service.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do the Assessments cost?
Our assessment service starts at £49 + VAT per person/per workstation with reductions for multiple user assessments in local locations. We will offer a quotation prior to conducting the assessments according to your company needs.
What do they involve?
We will visit your premises and conduct face-to-face individual assessments for every user you’d like included. These take 20-30 minutes per user depending on the complexity of the workstation set up. We will make adjustments and give advice during the assessment to eliminate risks where possible. Where risks are identified that can’t be reduced during the assessment, we will provide further recommendations.
Have often should we carry them out?
DSE assessments are a legal requirement and should be carried out once for every new or existing employee. Repeating the assessments are recommended if there is a change in employee personal circumstances (e.g. pregnancy), a significant change to workstation set up or if an employee is showing any signs of discomfort or injury due to work-related set up (e.g. RSI).
What other support can you provide?
As well as a DSE assessment service, we can supply a wide range of ergonomic solutions to suit all commercial requirements. And we don’t stop there. We can supply virtually everything for the office including office & educational furniture, space planning & interior fit out, office supplies, printing, signage & secure shredding, all at very competitive pricing. Give us a call today on 01799 544006 to discuss how we you help you further.
