REVISED HSE GUIDANCE ON WORKING WITH VDUS

HSE press release E105:03 - 27 June 2003

Stress, visual discomfort, as well as aches and pains in the hands, wrists, arms or shoulders are just some of the problems that people who use visual display units (VDUs) incorrectly can suffer from.

A new edition of the popular guidance book Working with VDUs has today been published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Over five million people in Britain use VDUs for a significant part of their work. If good working practices are not followed, VDU workers can end up with a variety of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) or other health problems. However all these problems can be prevented by good workplace and job design and by using the equipment and workstation in the right way.

Elizabeth Gyngell, head of HSE's Better Working Environment Division, said: "The new edition of Working with VDUs takes account of minor changes to the law that came into effect last September, as a result of the Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002. It also draws more attention to the vital role of employees and safety representatives in taking part in risk assessments and reporting any health problems to employers. The earlier that any problems are reported and tackled, the less severe they are likely to be.

"By following HSE's guidance on VDU work, preventive action in most workplaces can be taken quite easily and need not be costly. Indeed it is likely to be far more expensive for employers and their insurers to ignore MSDs, which may lead not only to compensation claims, but also to costs arising from sickness absences and reduced productivity."

In 2001/02 around 1.1 million people in Great Britain suffered from MSDs caused or made worse by work, and an estimated 12.3 million working days were lost due to work-related MSDs. On average each sufferer took 19.4 days off.

Working with VDUs gives revised practical advice on working with a mouse, taking into account the latest research results. The main points are to adopt a good posture, placing the mouse close so it can be used with a relaxed arm and straight wrist; to support the arm, for example on the desk surface; and to take frequent breaks and try to limit the time spent using the mouse. If users still find gripping the mouse awkward, the advice is to try a different sized or shaped mouse, or another device such as a trackball. The revised booklet also recommends using a docking station when working with a portable computer in an office environment.

The booklet was last revised in 1998. Today's changes bring it up to date, and complete a fully revised package of HSE guidance on VDU work.

Two priced HSE guidance booklets on VDU work were published on International Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) Awareness Day 2003 (28 February). The law on VDUs: an easy guide is aimed at small businesses and contains illustrated, practical advice on avoiding risk from using ordinary office computers, while Work with display screen equipment discusses the issues in full technical and legal detail and is aimed at large firms and health and safety professionals.

Single copies of Working with VDUs (INDG36 rev2) are available free from HSE Books.

Copies of Work with display screen equipment (L26), ISBN 0 7176 2582 6, price £8.95, and The law on VDUs: an easy guide HSG90, ISBN 0 7176 2602 4, price £8.50, are also available from HSE Books.

Additional copies of the VDU workstation checklist (which is included in both the above publications) can also be ordered from HSE Books, ISBN 0-7162-2617-2,price £5.00 for a pack of five, with price reductions on a sliding scale for larger orders.

Notes to editors

1. The package of guidance on VDU work forms part of the Health and Safety Commission's (HSC's) Priority Programme on MSDs. The Priority Programme aims to reduce the incidence of work-related illness involving musculoskeletal disorders, and reduce the number of working days lost due to these disorders. HSE aims to achieve the targets in the Programme by communicating effectively with all stakeholders (such as employers, employees and their safety representatives, and health professionals) to encourage ownership of the plan and its outputs, keeping them informed, and giving them opportunities to contribute, revising the strategy as necessary. For more information about the MSD Priority Programme please see the MSD webpages on the HSE site www.hse.gov.uk/msd.

2. The Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002 made a number of small changes to earlier legislation. The main change to the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 was to extend the workstation minimum requirements to apply to all workstations.

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