Frequently Asked Questions on Occupational Safety and Health
Display Screen Equipment
Q1. Does the Occupational Safety and Health (Display Screen Equipment) Regulation apply to all workstations in a workplace, including workstations in which the DSE is brought back by employees to the workplace for their personal use, and workstations that are intended for use by the public? Answer
 
Q2. What is risk assessment of a workstation? How should such an assessment be performed? Answer
 
Q3. What safety and health training is necessary for users? How should such training be provided? Answer
 
 
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Q1. Does the Occupational Safety and Health (Display Screen Equipment) Regulation apply to all workstations in a workplace, including workstations in which the DSE is brought back by employees to the workplace for their personal use, and workstations that are intended for use by the public?
 
A1.

The Regulation only applies to workstations in a workplace that are:-

  1. provided by a person responsible for the workplace to be used by users for work;
  2. not intended for use by the public; and
  3. normally used or intended to be normally used by users.

The following is excluded from the application of the Regulation:-

  1. DSE that is used mainly to show pictures, television or films;
  2. drivers' cabs or control cabs for vehicles or machinery;
  3. DSE on board a means of public transport;
  4. portable systems not in prolonged use;
  5. calculators, cash registers or any equipment having a small data or measurement display required for direct use of the equipment; or
  6. window typewriters.

In other words, workstations in which the DSE is brought back by employees to the workplace for their personal use; workstations that are intended for public operation, e.g. workstations in public libraries or information kiosks; and workstations that are normally used by employees who are not users, do not fall within the scope of the Regulation.

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Q2. What is risk assessment of a workstation? How should such an assessment be performed?
 
A2.

Risk assessment of a workstation is essentially a process of identifying and assessing the risks to the safety and health of users of the workstation, deciding whether existing precautions are adequate and recording the findings. It is a relatively simple process that could be performed by persons who have basic knowledge of the use of DSE and the associated health risks. Such an assessment can be performed by means of a checklist which comprises a set of "Yes/No" questions on different aspects of a workstation. The LD has provided guidance on how risk assessments should be performed, including providing a checklist, in the Code of Practice (PDF).

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Q3. What safety and health training is necessary for users? How should such training be provided?
 
A3.

Safety and health training is essential for helping users to avoid health risks associated with prolonged use of DSE. Such training should enable users to recognize and understand the health risks of DSE work, various precautions for avoiding the risks, e.g. adopting a correct working posture, and how to report problems to and get assistance from employers. The training could be provided through any means, e.g. showing videos and reading educational materials, so long as they are effective in achieving the purpose.

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