The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992

Citation, commencement, interpretation and application E+W+S

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 and shall come into force on 1st January 1993.

(2) In these Regulations–

(a) “display screen equipment” means any alphanumeric or graphic display screen, regardless of the display process involved;

(b) “operator” means a self-employed person who habitually uses display screen equipment as a significant part of his normal work;

(c) “use” means use for or in connection with work;

(d) “user” means an employee who habitually uses display screen equipment as a significant part of his normal work; and

(e) “workstation” means an assembly comprising–

(i) display screen equipment (whether provided with software determining the interface between the equipment and its operator or user, a keyboard or any other input device),

(ii) any optional accessories to the display screen equipment,

(iii) any disk drive, telephone, modem, printer, document holder, work chair, work desk, work surface or other item peripheral to the display screen equipment, and

(iv) the immediate work environment around the display screen equipment.

(3) Any reference in these Regulations to–

(a) a numbered regulation is a reference to the regulation in these Regulations so numbered; or

(b) a numbered paragraph is a reference to the paragraph so numbered in the regulation in which the reference appears.

(4) Nothing in these Regulations shall apply to or in relation to–

(a) drivers’ cabs or control cabs for vehicles or machinery;

(b) display screen equipment on board a means of transport;

(c) display screen equipment mainly intended for public operation;

(d) portable systems not in prolonged use;

(e) calculators, cash registers or any equipment having a small data or measurement display required for direct use of the equipment; or

(f) window typewriters.

Analysis of workstations E+W+S

2.—(1) Every employer shall perform a suitable and sufficient analysis of those workstations which–

(a) (regardless of who has provided them) are used for the purposes of his undertaking by users; or

(b) have been provided by him and are used for the purposes of his undertaking by operators,

for the purpose of assessing the health and safety risks to which those persons are exposed in consequence of that use.

(2) Any assessment made by an employer in pursuance of paragraph (1) shall be reviewed by him if–

(a) there is reason to suspect that it is no longer valid; or

(b) there has been a significant change in the matters to which it relates;

and where as a result of any such review changes to an assessment are required, the employer concerned shall make them.

(3) The employer shall reduce the risks identified in consequence of an assessment to the lowest extent reasonably practicable.

(4) The reference in paragraph (3) to “an assessment” is a reference to an assessment made by the employer concerned in pursuance of paragraph (1) and changed by him where necessary in pursuance of paragraph (2).

Requirements for workstations E+W+S

[F1 3.   Every employer shall ensure that any workstation which may be used for the purposes of his undertaking meets the requirements laid down in the Schedule to these Regulations, to the extent specified in paragraph 1 thereof.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Reg. 3 substituted (17.9.2002) by The Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2174), regs. 1, 3(a)

Daily work routine of users E+W+S

4.  Every employer shall so plan the activities of users at work in his undertaking that their daily work on display screen equipment is periodically interrupted by such breaks or changes of activity as reduce their workload at that equipment.

Eyes and eyesight E+W+S

5.— [F2 (1) Where a person—

(a) is a user in the undertaking in which he is employed; or

(b) is to become a user in the undertaking in which he is, or is to become, employed,

the employer who carries on the undertaking shall, if requested by that person, ensure that an appropriate eye and eyesight test is carried out on him by a competent person within the time specified in paragraph (2).

(2) The time referred to in paragraph (1) is—

(a) in the case of a person mentioned in paragraph (1)(a), as soon as practicable after the request; and

(b) in the case of a person mentioned in paragraph (1)(b), before he becomes a user.]

(3) At regular intervals after an employee has been provided [F3 (whether before or after becoming an employee)] with an eye and eyesight test in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2), his employer shall, subject to paragraph (6), ensure that he is provided with a further eye and eyesight test of an appropriate nature, any such test to be carried out by a competent person.

(4) Where a user experiences visual difficulties which may reasonably be considered to be caused by work on display screen equipment, his employer shall ensure that he is provided at his request with an appropriate eye and eyesight test, any such test to be carried out by a competent person as soon as practicable after being requested as aforesaid.

(5) Every employer shall ensure that each user employed by him is provided with special corrective appliances appropriate for the work being done by the user concerned where–

(a) normal corrective appliances cannot be used; and

(b) the result of any eye and eyesight test which the user has been given in accordance with this regulation shows such provision to be necessary.

(6) Nothing in paragraph (3) shall require an employer to provide any employee with an eye and eyesight test against that employee’s will.

Textual Amendments

F2 Reg. 5(1)(2) substituted (17.9.2002) by The Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2174), regs. 1, 3(b)

F3 Words in reg. 5(3) inserted (17.9.2002) by The Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2174), regs. 1, 3(c)

Provision of training E+W+S

6.— [F4 (1) Where a person—

(a) is a user in the undertaking in which he is employed; or

(b) is to become a user in the undertaking in which he is, or is to become, employed,

the employer who carries on the undertaking shall ensure that he is provided with adequate health and safety training in the use of any workstation upon which he may be required to work.

(1A) In the case of a person mentioned in sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (1) the training shall be provided before he becomes a user.]

(2) Every employer shall ensure that each user at work in his undertaking is provided with adequate health and safety training whenever the organisation of any workstation in that undertaking upon which he may be required to work is substantially modified.

Textual Amendments

F4 Reg. 6(1)(1A) substituted for reg. 6(1) (17.9.2002) by The Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2174), regs. 1, 3(d)

Provision of information E+W+S

7.—(1) Every employer shall ensure that operators and users at work in his undertaking are provided with adequate information about–

(a) all aspects of health and safety relating to their workstations; and

(b) such measures taken by him in compliance with his duties under regulations 2 and 3 as relate to them and their work.

(2) Every employer shall ensure that users at work in his undertaking are provided with adequate information about such measures taken by him in compliance with his duties under regulations 4 and 6(2) as relate to them and their work.

(3) Every employer shall ensure that users employed by him are provided with adequate information about such measures taken by him in compliance with his duties under regulations 5 and 6(1) as relate to them and their work.

Exemption certificates E+W+S

8.—(1) The Secretary of State for Defence may, in the interests of national security, exempt any of the home forces, any visiting force or any headquarters from any of the requirements imposed by these Regulations.

(2) Any exemption such as is specified in paragraph (1) may be granted subject to conditions and to a limit of time and may be revoked by the Secretary of State for Defence by a further certificate in writing at any time.

(3) In this regulation–

(a) “the home forces” has the same meaning as in section 12(1) of the Visiting Forces Act 1952 M1 ;

(b) “headquarters” has the same meaning as in article 3(2) of the Visiting Forces and International Headquarters (Application of Law) Order 1965 M2 ; and

(c) “visiting force” has the same meaning as it does for the purposes of any provision of Part I of the Visiting Forces Act 1952.

Marginal Citations

M1 1952 c.7.

M2 S.I. 1965/1536, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.

Extension outside Great Britain E+W+S

9.  These Regulations shall, subject to regulation 1(4), apply to and in relation to the premises and activities outside Great Britain to which sections 1 to 59 and 80 to 82 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 apply by virtue of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application Outside Great Britain) Order 1989 M3 as they apply within Great Britain.

Marginal Citations

M3 S.I. 1989/840.

Signed by order of the Secretary of State.

Patrick McLoughlin

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,

Department of Employment.