The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 implement an EC Directive and came into effect from January 1993  (some small changes were made in 2002). The Regulations require employers to minimise the risks in VDU work by ensuring that workplaces and jobs are well designed.

The Regulations apply where staff, habitually use VDUs as a significant part of their normal work. Other people, who use VDUs only occasionally, are not covered by the requirements in the Regulations (apart from the workstation requirements). However, their employers still have general duties to protect them under other health and safety at work legislation.

Employers have to:

• Analyse workstations, and assess and reduce risks;
• Look at the whole workstation including equipment, furniture, and the work environment; the job being done;
  
• Any special needs of individual staff.
  
• Ensure workstations meet minimum requirements.
  

Working with Laptops or Blackberries can present a different problem as users require to view a small screen and use a small keyboard and mouse. Risk Assessments should also be carried out on staff who use laptops and blackberries regularly as part of their work.

Office Wise can carry out workstation risk assessments for your office and provide a report highlighting potential problems and advising staff on best practise and practical ways of improving their workstation layout and working practice. <o:p>