Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

17.13 
Health and Safety (Display 
Screen Equipment) Regulations 
1992
17.13.1 General
These Regulations cover the minimum health and safety 
requirements for the use of display screen equipment 
and are accompanied by a guidance note. They typically 
apply to computer equipment with either a cathode ray 
tube or liquid crystal monitors. But any type of display 
is covered with some exceptions, for example, on board 
a means of transport, or where the main purpose is for 
screening a fi lm or for a television. Multi-media equip-
ment would generally be covered.
Equipment not specifi 
cally covered by these 
Regulations or where it is not being used by a defi ned 
‘user’ are, nevertheless, covered by other require-
ments under the Management of Health and Safety at 
Work Regulations and the Provision and Use of Work 
Equipment Regulations.
17.13.2 Defi nitions – Regulation 1
(a) 
Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
refers to any 
alphanumeric or graphic display screen, regardless 
of the display process involved
(b) A 
user
is an employee and an 
operator
is a self-
employed person, both of whom habitually use dis-
play screen equipment as a signifi cant part of their 
normal work. Both would be people to whom most 
or all of the following apply. A person:
➤
who depends on the display screen equipment 
to do their job
➤
who has no discretion as to use or non-use
➤
who needs particular training and/or skills in the 
use of display screen equipment to do their job
➤
who uses display screen equipment for continu-
ous spell of an hour or more at a time
➤
who does so on a more or less daily basis
➤
for whom fast transfer of data is important for the 
job
➤
of whom a high level of attention and concen-
tration is required, in particular to prevent crit ical 
errors.
(c) A 
workstation
is an assembly comprising:
➤
display screen equipment with or without a key-
board, software or input device
➤
optional 
accessories
➤
disk drive, telephone, modem, printer, document 
holder, chair, desk, work surface, etc
➤
the immediate working environment.