Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
Learning Outcomes
• Identify potential safety and hazards associated with
working continuously with DSE
• Understand the OSH (Display Screen Equipment)
Regulation
• Describe how to set up a proper workstation
Content
• Safety and hazards associated with working continuously
with DSE
• OSH (Display Screen Equipment) Regulation
• Proper workstation
Occupational Safety and Health (Display Screen Equipment) Regulation, Cap. 509B:
prolonged use of DSE by employee requires risk assessment for each workstation
Occupational Safety and Health (Display
Screen Equipment) Regulation
• Come into operation on 4 July 2003
• Aims at protecting the safety and health of employees
who use display screen equipment at work for prolonged
periods of time
• An employee would be a "user" if he, by the nature of his
work, e.g. data processing, telecommunications,
computer graphic design, etc, is required to use display
screen equipment almost every day,
(a) continuously for at least 4 hours during a day;
OR
(b) cumulatively for at least 6 hours during a day.
Occupational Safety and Health (Display
Screen Equipment) Regulation, s(4)
• The person responsible for a workplace shall perform a
risk assessment of a workstation in the workplace before
it is first used by users, and shall review the assessment
if there has been a significant change in the conditions of
the previous assessment or in the workstation.
• A risk assessment made by means of a checklist.
• The checklist should comprise a set of questions on the
display screen, input devices, work desk, chair,
accessories like document holder and footrest, and the
working environment, as appropriate.
Workstation Risk Assessment Checklist
Potential Hazard Associated with the
use of DSE
• Upper limb discomfort and pain
• Visual fatigue
• Muscle fatigue and mental stress
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome( 腕隧道症候群 , 俗稱滑鼠手 )
• A common disease caused by
prolonged improper use of
computer equipment.
• A medical condition due to
compression of the median
nerve as it travels through the
wrist at the carpal tunnel.
Use support to alleviate muscle strain
General Requirements for a Workstation
• Display Screen
– Clear, sharp and steady image
– Adjustable brightness and contrast
– Keep at a comfortable viewing distance
• Keyboard
– Use of wrist support to alleviate muscle
strain
– Forearm at about right angle to arm
• Work surface
– Adjustable to suit the need of user is
recommended
General Requirements for a Workstation
A. First line on screen at about or just
below eye level
B. Comfortable viewing distance, e.g. 35 -
60 cm for text of normal font size
C. Forearm at about right angle to arm
D. Backrest adjustable in height and tilt
E. Adjustable seat height : allowing the
user to sit with thighs approximately
horizontal, lower legs vertical and feet
resting firmly on the floor
F. Stable base, with castors if necessary
G. Firm footrest if required
H. Adequate legroom
I. Support for hands
J. Screen at about right angle to line of
sight
K. Adjustable document holder if
required
L. Wrist kept straight or at most slightly
inclined
M. Screen support easily adjustable for
rotation and tilting
N. Rounded or scrolled edge seat pad
O. Adjustable table height preferable
How to set up work desk
[Link]
Working Environment
• Sufficient luminance
• Avoidance of reflections and glare
Avoid placing the screen directly under Be perpendicular to the light sources and
the light sources or close to window windows and fit windows with blinds
Reference
• Hong Kong e-Legislation:
– Cap 509B Occupational Safety and Health (Display Screen
Equipment) Regulation
• Labour department:
– Code of Practice for Working with Display Screen Equipment
– A Brief on the Occupational Safety and Health (Display Screen
Equipment) Regulation
• OSHC:
– OSH Guides for Display Screen Unit