In the midst of public consultations on proposed changes to many health and safety regulations, Workplace Law consultants have questioned whether Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Regulations from 1992 are still relevant in today’s modern working life.
Kate Gardner and Renier Barnard, Health and Safety Consultants at Workplace Law, are asking whether the vast amounts of legislation concerning our working environment, such as the guidance on visual display units, lighting, space and temperature would be better placed streamlined and combined with similarly revised and simplified DSE regulations.
However, with the ever increasing prevalence of young people using modern technology such as mobile devices and tablets, there is concern that by sidelining the DSE Regulations, more detailed and important health implications may be missed.
Instead, in a televised debate, Kate Gardner suggests that it shouldn’t just be a matter of compliance, but employers and educators should support everybody at home and at work – supporting the work–life balance. The principles of DSE should, she maintains, be introduced as part of the school curriculum in order that we introduce the culture at an early age.
Kate comments:
“Technology is not going to go away, it’s here to stay and we need to make sure our children and young people are protected. In order to do this we need to get into education, talk to teachers and governing bodies. It should be part of what we do and not just red tape.”
Workplace Law’s Managing Director David Sharp adds:
“We’ve always supported IOSH’s campaign to bring health and safety education to the classroom, both through advocating its Workplace Hazard Awareness Course (WHAC) and by promoting its Wise UpTo Work campaign. It makes sense to simplify and broaden health and safety awareness for wider society.”
Workplace Law will be lobbying governing bodies for DSE to include schools and higher education.
To watch the debate and give us your views go to the Workplace Law YouTube channel:
It is important that the correct set up and use of DSE is demonstrated and trained out as soon as possible, preferably before school but certainly as soon as a child starts school. The earlier the better, because it would prevent a lot of problems, especially with one’s back, which may not affect a young person but will surely affect that same person as they get older. Sight is another major issue affected by DSE use, but with correct set up and monitor screen positioning, eye health issues directly related to DSE use can be minimised or eradicated altogether. Education and training, two key elements to long term health.