Businesses are required by Health and Safety Regulations to perform DSE assessments (computer workstation assessment to you and me) for their employees. This is to minimise the health risks associated with computer use.
An effective way to do a workstation assessment this is to bring someone into the business to do the assessments. This is a cost saving to the company as no member of staff has to be trained to do the assessment. Furthermore, a new pair of eyes will see things differently.
There are two components to the assessment:
- the assessment of each individual at their computer
- a short group presentation of the health risks associated with computer use.
Every person needs to be assessed at their computer. Assessments may indicate where there are potential problems including signs of possible repetitive strain injury (RSI) or overuse injury. The sooner this is recognised, the sooner measures can be taken to prevent the further development of what can become a very debilitating and notifiable condition. An action plan will be provided if improvements are needed.
Even with a properly set-up computer, one can still get aches and pains. This is due to the combination of the repetitive nature of the work and a generally sedentary lifestyle. The human body is designed for movement. The lack of movement combined with repetitive movement causes muscles to loose their flexibility. With decreased flexibility, there is increased risk of injury. Time to Unwind can suggest strategies to help keep the working body pain free.