Purpose and Scope
This policy sets out how [Organisation Name] manages health and safety risks from display screen work. It applies to all display screen equipment (DSE) users working at [Location], remotely, or on a hybrid schedule. It covers desktops, laptops, tablets, and peripherals used for continuous, sustained work.
Working through related paperwork at the same time? See also our NY Retail Worker Safety Act Policy Template, Health & Safety Policy Template and Risk Assessment Procedure Template.
Policy Statement
[Organisation Name] assesses workstation safety, makes necessary modifications, provides appropriate equipment, and pays for eyesight tests for eligible staff. Staff must structure screen work to include regular breaks or task changes to prevent musculoskeletal disorders, eye strain, and fatigue.
Definition of DSE Users
A DSE user is anyone who uses display screen equipment for a significant part of their daily work. The baseline threshold is continuous screen use of an hour or more every day.
Staff who use screens briefly or infrequently are not classified as DSE users. However, they can report workstation concerns to [Role] at any time.
Responsibilities
- [Role]: Owns this policy, oversees the workstation assessment process, and manages the eyesight test program.
- Line Managers: Identify DSE users within their teams, ensure staff complete workstation assessments before starting sustained screen work, and implement assessment recommendations within [Timeframe].
- DSE Users: Complete accurate self-assessments, set up workstations as trained, take planned breaks, and report physical discomfort or eye strain immediately to their manager or [Role].
Workstation Assessment Procedure
- Initiation: The user completes an assessment form when joining [Organisation Name], changing desks or equipment, altering home setups, or experiencing physical discomfort.
- Evaluation: The user submits the completed form to [Role] within [Timeframe] of completion.
- Action Plan: [Role] reviews the assessment to identify needed modifications, such as adjustable chairs, screen risers, external keyboards, mice, or footrests.
- Implementation: [Role] orders and installs approved adjustments within [Timeframe].
- Re-assessment: The user and [Role] re-assess the workstation after major operational changes or if discomfort continues.
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Eyesight Tests and Corrective Appliances
- Test Requests: DSE users submit a request to [Role] for an eyesight test funded by [Organisation Name].
- Provision: [Provider/Optician] conducts tests at no cost to the employee. Staff may re-test at intervals recommended by the optometrist.
- Corrective Appliances: If the test shows that staff need specialized corrective appliances (such as DSE-specific glasses) specifically for screen work, [Organisation Name] covers costs up to [Amount/Coverage Detail].
Rest Breaks and Work Variation
- Managers must build periodic breaks or non-screen tasks into daily work schedules. Short, frequent breaks work better than long, infrequent ones.
- Users must mix non-screen tasks, such as phone calls, filing, or moving around, into their daily routine to interrupt continuous screen time.
- Line managers must monitor workloads so no staff member works a full shift without screen breaks.
Remote Working and Portable Equipment
- Staff using laptops or portable devices for continuous screen work must use an external screen or riser, plus a separate keyboard and mouse. [Organisation Name] provides this equipment on request through [Role].
- Remote and hybrid workers must complete the standard workstation assessment for home setups and re-submit it whenever their arrangement changes.
- Remote workers follow the same discomfort reporting process as on-site staff. Submit reports to [Role] promptly so they can arrange equipment or adjust setups.
Records and Document Control
- [Role] archives completed assessments, equipment logs, eyesight test records, and training confirmations securely in [System/Location] for [Retention Period].
- Workstation assessments contain personal data and must follow standard data protection rules.
- [Role] reviews this policy every [Timeframe], or sooner if discomfort trends change, working models shift, or regulations update.
Policy Owner: [Role] Last Reviewed: [Date] Next Review Date: [Date]
FAQs on a DSE policy
What is a DSE policy?
A DSE policy sets out how your organisation manages health and safety risks from display screen work. It applies to all display screen equipment (DSE) users working at your site, remotely, or on a hybrid schedule.
Having it written down means the same rules apply to everyone, so managers are not making judgement calls case by case under pressure.
What does a DSE policy include?
This template covers definition of DSE users, workstation assessment procedure, eyesight tests and corrective appliances and rest breaks and work variation.
Every section is written to be filled in. The bracketed placeholders mark the decisions that are yours to make, such as timescales, approval owners and retention periods.
How to implement a DSE policy with Whale
Copy this template into Whale and work through the bracketed placeholders so it reflects how your organisation actually operates.
Assign it to the teams it applies to so it sits where people work rather than in a shared drive, and set a review date so it gets revisited on schedule instead of quietly going out of date.
Use our templates to fast-track your documentation
Customize this template and 100s of others for free in Whale, the fastest way to get your team aligned.