'Health & Safety' at work assessments

[Susan Mason]

Hello all

Just wondering if any of you have experienced a 'Health & Safety' assessment at work?

If so did it just relate to display screen equipment (PC's, VDU's etc) and as such was classed as a 'Display Screen Equipment' assessment. Or, did it involve other aspects of you working day being assessed.

Also is anyone aware what the legal requirement is for an employer to complete any such assessments and who should they be completed by?

Hope someone has some ideas for me on this.

thanks

Susan Mason

[Paul Osborne]

Hi,

Yes I have had several assessments over the years. Generally its just to ensure that VDU/desk/chair and the local environment are acceptable.

I have found that if there are other issues that need dealing with, going via Occupational Health tends to be more usefull as it gets noted by personnel.

Paul

[Sweet]

Hey there hun!

I haven't had an assessment as such, but this could be because i don't use a pc etc much. I just had to prove that i could read small print, so that i could read the doctors notes and indeed the drug charts! It was just a standard, 'can you read the small letters on this chart for me please', type of thing!

Wishing you all the best!

Sweet X x X

[Lock]

Susan

I am going through this at the moment - I have just had a workstation and VDU assessment, and am currently in the process of being referred to Occupational Health (after having a very bad November)

The assessment I had was a Workstation assessment and so looked at all aspects of the workstation - from the PC and VDU to the desk, chair, phone, lighting, air conditioning and everything else. It was useful, but I think it is only the first step in actually getting anything sorted out.

As for whether this is a legal obligation - both the employer and employee have a responsibility to ensure their health and safety at work - VDU / Workstation assessments fall under this obligation. (I dont knwo what the exact legal position is though) Assessments must be completed by someone who has been properly trained to conduct the assessment, but it would be the responsibility of the employer to undertake any recommendations the assessor makes.

Ooh, just found out, apparently it is under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 that this responsibilty falls

Hope that is some help

Lock

[GarethB]

Hi Susan,

As far as I am aware, a VDU assesment is a legal requirment if you sit at a computer for more than a set period per day.

Work station is something differnet, but I know some companys that have an occupational health nurse will start with the VDU assesment, but if they have concerns or you express concerns about the work station, they will assess that at the same time.

My occupational health nurs did just that, I basically assesed my own needs due to the unique nature of our condition and she just made sure the correct questions were answered. She was also good in that I asked many questions not on the list and I was grateful for her speaking as she finds (being a northern lass) she would make what at first seemed stupid things to suggest to a KC person, but with thought and discussion have actually helped.

Unfortunatly we no longer have an occupational health nurse and she is greatly missed.

The measure of if I am having a good or bad eye day is detrmined how messy my desk is.

Recently had good eye days which has made my desk look like a drug dealers office. Syringes, needles, tubes of white powder, rubber tubing etc etc

Desk tidy now apart from a £20,000 piece of iron mungery that needs o be sent for calibration. Partly due to Christmas and partly due o my eyes hurting!

[Susan Mason]

Thanks all for your replies and comments here.

I await (not holding my breath) to see what happens next with my own experiences.

best wishes

Susan

[rosemary johnson]

Yes, I've had an assessment.
As, at the time, my job was sitting at a computer most of the day, it came under the Display Screen Equipent regulations.
Under those, if you work with DSE your workstation should be assessed when you start work, when you move to a new workstation, or your job changes, or I think on request.
Nothing much happened as a result because I'd already got my area set up as I neded it - being a union rep myself, I knew something about the H&S risks of computers!

There are now rules about risk assessments too....
Are you a union member? - if so, I suggest you contact your rep and ask about the assessments. It's the sort of thing unions produce lots of info sheets, breifings, etc about.
Rosemary

[Sweet]

Hhmm reading all of these posts i think i should check in with my sister and make sure that work are aware if where she is. I know she will go on at me about it, but it wasn't until i was pushed back from theatre following my graft, that she understood how important your vision is and unfortunately what she may have to go through herself.

She uses a computer all day, and manages quite well with lenses, but so i think she does need to know about the risks etc. Thanks guys!

Sweet X x X

[Paul Osborne]

Good luck with your sister.

I suspect that she won't appreciate it fully until it happens to her though, so you may come across as the nagging sister.

Perhaps pointing her in the direction of this group would be a good plan?

I know I certainly don't appreciate how things are going to be for me post op no matter how many times I ask or whatever I read in this forum. I can have some understanding on an intellectual level but I know I cannot appreciate going through it until I do.

Then of course I have the added amusement of learning about contact lenses should it be decreed post op that that is what I am going to need (everyone else here seems to need them in one variety or another so I expect its likely that I will too). There again most people here have the added head start of using contacts.

Reading up I see I have got away from the subject matter and gone all memememememe so will shut up now.

Sorry.

Paul

[rosemary johnson]

One thing about workstation assessments, ralting to DSE (ie. using computers):
they are supposed to look at the whole of the workstation, posture, comfort, etc etc.
For us, we are probably mainly concrned about our eyes and possible eye strain.
But it is very easy to overlook such matters as bac or neck ache, or poor arm/hand support - and very easy to give ourselves problems in those areas (bad backs, sore necks, RSI in the hands or arms).
And particularly if we are having to lean over the desks to peer at screens from close to, or at strange angles.
Please do make sure any assessments one has considers these things properly. I've had all three (RSI, Back ache, and neck problems ) and they are not funny.

ONe last point - this is a real bugbear of mine!!!
If anyone doing an assessment suggests a "Glare Shield"/"anti-glare" screen as a way to reduce the brightness of the emitted light from the computer screen, tell them were to get off!
- a glare screen/shield - a tinted or gauze mesh thing put in front of the computer screen - is there *to cut out the reflections of overhead lights or windows* reflected off the glass front of the monitor.
- the correct device to reduce the brightness of the light coming from the screen is &&THE BRIGHTNESS CONTROL**!
Using the former gadget in an attempt to address problems caused by too bright a screen will only result in
- damaging, or at least shortening the life of, your computer screen
- *increasing* the problems of people whose contrast vision is below "normal" - common in KC.
Rosemary