Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Compliance Check

The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 require employers to assess the risks from display screen equipment (DSE) use and reduce those risks — this applies to any worker who “habitually” uses a screen as a significant part of their normal work. With the shift to hybrid and home working, this obligation now extends far beyond the office: employers must assess workstations wherever employees work, including home offices and remote setups. HSE guidance makes clear that a poorly configured workstation increases the risk of musculoskeletal disorders, upper limb conditions, and eye strain — conditions that can lead to long-term absence and, in serious cases, personal injury claims against the employer.

The specific duties under the regulations include completing a workstation risk assessment for each DSE user, taking action to reduce identified risks, providing structured information and training on safe DSE use, ensuring adequate breaks or changes of activity, and funding eye tests for any DSE user who requests one. These rules are widely misunderstood — many small businesses assume DSE assessments only apply to desktop computer users in offices, but laptops, tablets, and hybrid workers are all in scope. With the Health and Safety Executive increasing its focus on musculoskeletal disorders as a leading cause of work-related ill health, and with employment tribunals able to award compensation for employer negligence, unaddressed DSE compliance gaps represent a real business risk.

This check reviews your compliance with the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 — covering workstation risk assessments, home and hybrid worker obligations, eye test entitlements, and training requirements.