Health & Safety FAQs

Q. Do I have to provide free eye tests for my employees?

Employees who are Display Screen Equipment "users" have a right to free eye tests on request. A "user" is someone who habitually uses DSE for a significant part of their working day, which is normally taken as meaning more than one hours work each day.

Employers have a duty to inform the users of this right and the arrangements in place to provide this.

Q. How often should a repeat eye test be allowed?

This is normally every two years, however the recommendation of the optician should be followed.

Q. Do I have to provide free spectacles?

DSE users are entitled to receive free eye-sight correction spectacles IF the optician states they are required purely for working with DSE. If their spectacles are required for general use then the cost is born by the employee.

Q. What is special about DSE spectacles?

Often they have a different focal length to a person's normal reading spectacles, enabling them to see the screen clearly without being too close to the screen. Some people who wear vari-focal lenses may also have difficulty.

Q. How much do I have to pay for DSE spectacles?

Many companies have an arrangement with an optician to meet the basic cost of spectacles. The employee can then add to this cost if they wish to have a more expensive model. Alternatively, the employer can research the typical cost and then set an amount to refund and allow the employee to make their own choice of optician.

Q. Can I provide laptops instead of desk top computers?

Yes you can. The small size of the laptop keyboard can lead to a poor posture when used for long periods, and the use of the laptop "pad" for controlling the cursor can also provide problems and be time-consuming. You should consider providing separate keyboards and normal mice for laptop users. You may also require some form of stand to raise the screen to an acceptable position.

Q. How often should breaks be taken from computer work?

Short frequent breaks are far better than long infrequent breaks, for example; five minutes every hour. Often natural breaks occur due to the pattern of the work, and therefore formal breaks are not required. Intensive computer work, such as CAD work, can easily lead to hours of work without a break, therefore information about the need for breaks should be part of the users training. Employees who use computers all day should be encouraged to spend their lunch breaks away from the computer and not surfing the Internet.