ISIS directive : SFY/LAP/A025

For All BT People
Published by Employee Relations Department
Issue 3 (9-Dec-96)

DSE Work - A Manager's Guide Ongoing Arrangements

Author Details     Approver Details     Document Details with Change Record

1. Introduction

This Directive describes BT's ongoing arrangements for complying with the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992.

Display Screen Equipment (DSE) is a term which refers to a range of electronic display equipment which is usually part of a computer system. The most common form in use by BT is the Visual Display Unit (VDU) or Visual Display Terminal (VDT). BT has a duty to safeguard the health and safety of its people, under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1992, taking account of normal consultation arrangements with unions.

2. Actions required to minimise possible effects on health

The introduction of VDUs and other DSE has been associated with a number of health related issues. Pages 10 and 12 of ISIS SFY/LAP/A024 "Display Screen Equipment - Information for BT People" gives more information about these.

BT minimises health problems by sound job and workplace design and by careful choice of equipment.

The following guidance will help you to deal with any health related aspects of DSE working.

2.1. Upper limb pains and discomfort

If any of your people complain of pains in the arm, hand, wrist or shoulder, refer them as soon as possible to the Occupational Health Service (OHS) who will advise on whether or not the individual should be moved onto non-DSE work and, if so, for how long.

2.2. Eye and eyesight discomfort

While there is no reliable evidence to suggest that DSE work causes eye damage, it may make people with existing vision defects more aware of them. It is important, therefore, for corrective action to be taken to prevent DSE work becoming unnecessarily tiring or stressful.

Section 6 gives more details about the entitlement of BT people who work with DSE (including people who use VDUs) to eye screening or testing.

2.3. Fatigue and stress

Many symptoms described by display screen workers arise from the design of their jobs or the way the work day is organised. Examples of this are lack of control of the work by the user, under-utilisation of skills, high-speed repetitive work or social isolation.

The working environment, including thermal, visual and acoustic aspects is also important.

Line managers have a vital role to play in seeking to minimise fatigue and stress, by working with appropriate BT specialist units to ensure as far as is practicable:

• DSE is carefully selected and positioned.
• The User's workplace, environment and task are well designed.
• Users are trained and consulted as appropriate about their work and workstation.

2.4. Pregnancy

Although scientific studies have shown no link between miscarriages or birth defects and DSE working, some women who are pregnant or planning to become so may remain anxious about this type of work, and you should offer them the opportunity to consult the OHS.

Where women express a wish to transfer to suitable alternative duties, you should consult the appropriate Resourcing Group who will use their best endeavours to arrange such a transfer, although BT cannot guarantee that suitable alternative employment will be available. If it is not, the appropriate union may raise the issue with the line personnel unit for further consideration and resolution.

3. Reviewing who is covered by the regulations

Not everyone who uses DSE is covered by the Regulations - only those most likely to be at risk. Line managers need to decide who those people are. Remember to include teleworkers when deciding.

When jobs or job holders change, a review must be undertaken to ascertain whether the new job or job holder is covered by the regulations. This should be done as follows:

3.1. Change affecting a number of jobs

• Operational process owner arranges for representative jobs to be examined using Appendix A.
• Line manager advises individual of any changes of classification using Appendix B.
• Copy of record must be held locally by the line manager.

3.2. Changes affecting one job

• The line manager carries out all the steps listed above. There is no involvement of the process owner.

3.3. Job changers

When a person changes jobs and becomes a DSE User for the first time, their line manager must:

• Inform them of their classification using Appendix B.
• Arrange for them to receive:

ISIS SFY/LAP/A024 Display Screen Equipment - Information for BT People. Document (965043) DSE Work - A User's Training Guide.

• Arrange for their workstation to be reassessed.

3.4. Records

You will need to keep all completed questionnaires, regardless of the outcome of the assessment, and a record of who has been defined as a DSE User by a blanket assessment. Records will need to be reviewed periodically, for example when jobs or job holders change. They must be up to date and available for inspection by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as part of a BT safety inspection, or as part of the safety management system.

3.5. Disagreements

If one of your people disagrees with your assessment, you should listen carefully to their reasons, explain how you came to your decision and, where appropriate, review your decision. If the disagreement involves a 'blanket' assessment, you should refer to your Line Personnel Unit for advice. In some cases it may be necessary to deal with the issue under BT's grievance procedure.

4. Reviewing workstation assessments

Once a DSE workstation assessment has been carried out it will need to be reviewed or a new one undertaken, when:

Major changes to the display screen equipment, furniture, lighting or software are made:

• New Users start work or change workstations.
• Workstations are resited.
• The nature of work changes considerably.
• Periodically (normally annually when prompted to do so by BT).

The individual and line manager checklists at Appendix C & D should be used to review workstation assessments. However these need not be completed in their entirety. Rather those making assessments should focus on the aspects that have changed. For example:

• The environmental factors are important if the workstation location changes.
• Different Users have different needs, replacing a tall User with a short User may mean that a footrest is required.
• Users working from a number of source documents need more desk space than Users who are word processing.

The responsibility for arranging any remedial action that may be needed as a result of a workstation assessment review rests with the line manager(s) concerned. This responsibility extends to obtaining financial authority for any expenditure involved and for arranging via the appropriate agencies the ordering and delivery of any new items that are required. However, assistance with workstation assessments can be obtained from Safety Services or Building Facilities Management.

5. Daily work routine of DSE users (Regulation 4)

BT must plan the jobs of DSE Users so that DSE work is not continuous throughout the working day. In most tasks natural breaks or pauses occur, for example, when work has to be collected from another location.

Whenever possible, jobs should be designed to consist of a mix of screen-based and non screen-based work to prevent fatigue and to vary visual and mental demands. Where the job unavoidably contains spells of intensive display screen work (whether using the keyboard or input device, reading the screen, or a mixture of the two), these should be broken up by periods of non-intensive, non-display screen work. Where work cannot be so organised, for example in jobs requiring only data or text entry requiring sustained attention and concentration, adequate breaks or pauses should be introduced. The sort of general pattern of breaks that is appropriate in such jobs is described in ISIS/SFY/LAP/A024.

It is not possible to detail requirements for breaks which apply to all types of work, it is the nature and mix of demands made by the job (for example keying, reading the screen, collecting work, other work types excluding writing), as well as the physiological characteristics of the individual, which determine the length of break necessary to prevent fatigue. However, some general guidance can be given:

• Breaks should be taken to avoid the onset of fatigue not to recuperate from it.
• Breaks over and above those already taken outside working time such as lunch breaks should be taken in working time.
• Informal breaks (for example, when the User is not viewing the screen) seem to be more effective in relieving visual fatigue than formal breaks.
• If formal breaks are considered the only solution, frequent short breaks are more effective in reducing fatigue than longer, less frequent breaks. (This is because there is a rapid rate of recovery at the beginning of a break).
• Where possible, breaks should be taken away from the display screen equipment.
• Wherever practicable, Users should be allowed some discretion in the organisation of their work. Research has shown that jobs which allow flexibility and control over the organisation of work result in reductions in stress levels.
• Where the display screen work involves intensive use of the keyboard, any activity that would demand broadly similar use of the arms or hands should be avoided during breaks. Similarly, if the display screen work is visually demanding, any activities during breaks should be of a different visual type.
• People should not be put under work (or peer) pressure to forgo the breaks they need to avoid fatigue.

6. Eye and eyesight testing

6.1. DSE Users

DSE Users and those to become Users, can request an eye and eyesight test at BT's expense but in their own time. If the test shows that they need glasses specifically for their VDU work, BT will pay for a basic pair of frames and lenses.

Users are entitled to further tests after the first test, at regular intervals as recommended by the optician who last tested them. They are also entitled to tests and where appropriate glasses at BT's expense if they are having visual difficulties which BT's OHS considers may be caused by their DSE work.

Note:

AS PRESCRIBED IN THE DSE REGULATIONS, BT WILL NOT PAY FOR GLASSES IF THEY ARE ALSO SUITABLE FOR GENERAL USE. Nor will BT pay for expensive frames or lenses, although individuals are free to pay the difference between the cost of a basic pair of glasses and a more expensive pair of their choice.

In BT the process for requesting a test is for the applicant and his or her line manager to complete the form at Appendix E and to return it to the appropriate address at Appendix F.

Failure to follow this process may result in BT refusing to make any payments to an individual towards the costs of an eye test or any glasses needed specifically for DSE work. BT is allowed under the law to decide which opticians will be used.

6.2. Eye screening for VDU operators not classified as DSE Users

6.2.1

Eyesight screening should be made available to all BT people who will be required to operate VDUs for the first time and who are not classified as DSE Users. This should ensure that any latent eye problems are discovered and corrective action taken, prior to VDU working.

6.2.2

BT people who, as a result of this screening, are advised to obtain spectacles, for the first time solely for VDU working, may be paid a contribution (equivalent to the cost of a basic pair of frames and lenses) towards a pair of plain vision spectacles if these are deemed to be appropriate.

6.2.3

Some VDU Users, who already wear spectacles, may find that they are able to see the VDU screen quite clearly with either their reading or distance spectacles. However, some may find that they are unable to focus clearly on the VDU screen at normal working distance. In these latter cases, a special spectacle prescription may be required and, as indicated in 6.2.2, BT will meet the cost for such spectacles. People in this category will need to inform their optician of their normal eye-to-screen distance when operating a VDU.

6.2.4

Additionally, wearers of bifocal spectacles may experience difficulties, in which case the advice of their optician should be sought.

6.2.5

Individual requests for re-screening should be referred to Personnel Services.

6.2.6

Management may grant casual leave to visit an optician for a full sight test where an eyesight screening shows this to be necessary, subject to local circumstances and operational requirements.

Applications for screening should be made using the form at Appendix E.

7. Provision of training and information

BT provide training for all DSE Users and their managers on the risks associated with DSE and on safe behaviour and practices. One means of providing this training is through two self-teach guides obtainable from Central Stationery Stores, Edinburgh. These are entitled:

DSE Work - A Manager's Training Guide (965043), and

DSE Work - A User's Training Guide (965042).

These can be used for both initial training and for refresher training that is required whenever the organisation of a workstation, ie hardware, software, workstation environment or job, is substantially modified.

The use of the training guides can be supplemented as necessary by commercially available training materials such as:

• Videos
• Computer based training discs
• Wall charts
• Seminars

Special training or re-training may need to be considered for the rehabilitation of people absent for long periods, particularly if health problems are visual, postural, or stress related. In these circumstances you should seek advice from the OHS and BT's training organisation.

7.1. Information

The regulations require BT to inform all DSE Users and DSE operators about health and safety aspects of DSE work and the measures it is taking to meet its obligations. It is doing this using the document 'Display Screen Equipment - Information for BT People' SFY/LAP/A024 which should be available to all DSE Users and others who make use of DSE equipment in the course of their work.

Line managers should ensure that all of their people who use DSE have ready access to a copy of this document.

Further information on the regulations is provided via the Safety Service Helpdesk.

8. Related documents

ISIS SFY/LAP/A022 - Policy Statement Display Screen Equipment Work

ISIS SFY/LAP/A024 - Display Screen Equipment - Information for BT People

Item Code: 965042 - DSE Work - A User's Training Guide

Item Code: 965043 - DSE Work - A Manager's Training Guide

9. Appendix A

DSE User Questionnaire

Click HERE to link to form

10. Appendix B

Health and Safety Display Screen Regulations 1992

DSE User - Notification of Classification or Re-classification

Click HERE to link to form

11. Appendix C

DSE - A Manager's Assessment Checklist

Click HERE to link to form

12. Appendix D

Click HERE to link to form

13. Appendix E

Sight Check Application Form

Click HERE to link to form

14. Appendix F

Contact Points