Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

17.13.6
Daily work routine of users – 
Regulation 4
The activities of users should be organized so that their 
daily work on display screen equipment is periodically 
interrupted by breaks or changes of activity that reduce 
their workload at the equipment.
In most tasks, natural breaks or pauses occur from 
time to time during the day. If such breaks do not occur, 
deliberate breaks or pauses must be introduced. The 
guidance requires that breaks should be taken before 
the onset of fatigue and must be included in the working 
time. Short breaks are better than occasional long ones, 
for example, a 5–10 minute break after 50–60 minutes 
continuous screen and/or keyboard work is likely to 
be better than a 15-minute break every two hours. If 
possible, breaks should be taken 
away
from the screen. 
Informal breaks, with time on other tasks, appear to be 
more effective in relieving visual fatigue than formal rest 
breaks.
17.13.7 Eyes and eyesight – Regulation 5
Initially on request, employees have the right to a free 
eye and eyesight test conducted by a competent person 
where they are:
➤
already users (as soon as practicable after the 
request)
➤
to become a user (before they become a user).
The employer must provide a further eye and eyesight 
test at regular intervals thereafter or when a user is 
experiencing visual diffi culties which could be caused by 
working with display screen equipment.
There is no reliable evidence that work with display 
screen equipment causes any permanent damage to 
eyes or eyesight, but it may make users with pre-existing 
vision defects more aware of them.
An 
eye and eyesight test
means a 
sight test
as defi ned 
in the Opticians Act 1989. These should be carried out by 
a registered ophthalmic optician or medical practitioner 
(normally only those with an ophthalmic qualifi cation 
do so).
Employers shall provide special corrective appliances 
to users where:
➤
normal corrective appliances cannot be used
➤
the result of the eye and eyesight test shows that 
such provision is necessary.
The guidance indicates that the liability of the employer 
extends only to the provision of corrective appliances, 
which are of a style and quality adequate for its func-
tion. If an employee chooses a more expensive design or 
multi-function correction appliances, the employer need 
only pay a proportion of the cost.
Employers are free to specify that users’ eye and 
eyesight tests and correction appliances are provided by 
a nominated company or optician.
The confi dential clinical information from the tests 
can only be supplied to the employer with the employ-
ee’s consent.
Vision screen tests can be used to identify people 
with defects but they are not a substitute for the full 
eyesight test and employees have the right to opt for the 
full test from the outset.