ErgoWize

Online DSE Training & Risk Assessment

Train your employees effectively and help them stay safe in the workplace with ErgoWize. Easily identify, manage and eliminate risk and streamline your entire DSE compliance process from our versatile management platform.

How it works

Streamline your entire DSE training and management process. Automatically enrol employees on training during onboarding.

After training, employees complete a DSE risk assessment that helps them self resolve low-level issues and escalate high-level risks to admins.

Using our versatile dashboard, administrators can prioritise, manage, and resolve risks and compile actionable reports to eliminate DSE issues.

Try our Online DSE Training and Assessment course

Our dedicated DSE Training and Risk Assessment course highlights various health issues that can develop from regular use of screen equipment including desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones.

Automate your DSE management process

Fully automate time-consuming tasks and free admins up so they can focus on the things that matter most.

Instantly onboard new users, schedule regular training, send notifications and easily identify areas of non-compliance. Experience all of the benefits of effective administration with none of the hassle.

Make your training your own

Maximise engagement with our fully optimised DSE training and risk assessments or create your own in minutes- not days.

From adding new text to images, videos, interactions and more, our course and risk assessments can be fully edited by you to reflect the needs of your workplace. Swiftly develop unique content and instantly roll it out across your organisation.

Free 30-day trial of our Online DSE Training

Action swift risk resolution

Our ErgoWize risk assessments empower users to self resolve low-level problems, leaving administrators free to tackle high-risk issues.

Easily identify workstation hazards, prioritise them and instantly move to resolve any issues. Send regular updates to affected users to keep them informed every step of the way.

Highly configurable reporting as standard

Our dynamic reporting dashboard allows organisations to make informed and data-driven decisions on their compliance process.

Compile data based on individuals, groups and divisions, filter through custom fields and bring your data to life with a suite of visual graphs to help your team identify issues, highlight trends and track compliance across your organisation.

Integration made easy

Love our features but already have an LMS in place?

From creating new content to resolving risk or automating your training process, our key features can be integrated into your existing system, so you can get even more out of your compliance training.

EssentialSkillz DSE FAQs

DSE training forms a key part of workplace health and safety. But why do employers need it? And who does it apply to?

We answer some key questions on DSE training and, risk assessment and outline why it’s important for your organisation.

What does DSE mean?

DSE stands for Display Screen Equipment. In certain industries, DSE is also known as VDU (Visual Display Unit). However, both terms are interchangeable and refer to similar types of equipment.

What is classed as Display Screen Equipment?

Display screen equipment refers to technology that uses an alphanumeric or graphic display screen. This can include display screens, laptops, tablets, smartphones and other similar devices.

Who needs DSE training?

DSE training must be provided for employees who regularly use display screen equipment as a significant part of their day to day work. In practice, this often refers to the daily use of screen equipment for continuous periods of an hour or more.

Is DSE training only required for office workers?

No. Training should be provided to any employee who ‘habitually uses display screen equipment as a significant part of their normal work’.

This includes employees who use an alternative means of work such as agile workers, home workers and hotdesking. Training and assessment must reflect the DSE users setup and address relevant setup options, health concerns and preventative measures.

What should DSE training cover?

Training should clearly outline the risks involved in prolonged DSE work and how they can be avoided. To be effective, training should cover:

Effective workstation setup
How to arrange desk space effectively
How to adjust screens and lighting
Health risks associated with DSE use
Why breaks and changes in activity are important
How to report problems with equipment
How to report health concerns

Training should be regularly assessed and updated to ensure it is effective, relevant and meets the needs of the target user.

What is a DSE risk assessment?

A DSE risk assessment is an assessment of risk that specifically covers the way we use computers, laptops, tablets and other display screens at work.

Like most health and safety assessments, a DSE assessment looks at how a display screen is used and examines any risks that may be involved.

The main goal of an assessment is to make sure that an employees workstation is set up correctly, the equipment used is fit for purpose, and that risk is identified, eliminated or severely reduced.

Is DSE training a legal requirement?

Yes. DSE is a legal requirement that both employers and employees must abide by.

Employers

Under the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 , employers are required to:

Provide training and information for workers
Conduct a DSE workstation assessment
Take steps to reduce or eliminate risks
Ensure employees take regular breaks
Provide an eye test if a worker on request

Failure to implement these actions can lead to penalties, fines and in severe cases criminal proceedings being brought against the employer by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive).

Employees

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (Sections 7-9) employees are required to co-operate with their employer regarding health and safety in the workplace and complete any training that relates to work equipment.

Failure to comply with reasonable health and safety procedures can lead to disciplinary action or potential dismissal as well as fines brought by the HSE.

How often should DSE training and risk assessments be done?

DSE requirements can vary from business to business. As a result training and assessments should take place at regular intervals that the employer feels appropriate regarding their workplace.

In addition to periodic training and assessment, there are a variety of situations where they may be conducted at earlier intervals:

When a new workstation is set up
When a new user starts work
When an employee returns to work after an extended leave
If changes are made to an existing workstation or the way it’s used
If users complain of pain or discomfort

How often should DSE training and risk assessments be done?

Moving your DSE process online can bring a number of positive benefits:

Online training is cost-effective and requires less administrative oversight
Training can be edited and regularly updated to the specific requirements of individuals
Assessments can be deployed quickly and efficiently
After training, users can self assess their workstation and resolve low-level risks, reducing the number of desk visits admins need to make.
Compliance issues can be easily identified and targeted for resolution
Administrators can maintain a complete history of issues raised and actions taken to resolve them

Still need convincing?

Here are even more benefits

Why not experience ErgoWize for yourself?

5 reasons why Online DSE Training and risk assessment is important for success

Technology is amazing. It has the capacity to enrich our lives and make our work easier and more productive.

But as organisations become ever more reliant on technology, the use of display screen equipment (DSE) and the amount of time we spend using it, is on the rise.

That’s where DSE training comes in to play. But many organisations see the practice as just another box-ticking exercise and don’t realise the positive impact it can have not only employee safety but on their bottom line.

We explore 5 reasons why online DSE training and assessment can be an effective investment for organisational success.

A simple solution with a big impact

Organisations always strive to be more efficient, conducting audit after audit to find areas where processes can be streamlined and ROI improved.

But for all the auditing and analysis, one of the best places to start is right on the frontline – in the office.

As the HSE highlights, effective DSE training can have a positive impact on the workplace in direct and indirect ways. It can help improve employee health, boost productivity and reduce health-related absences.

In short, DSE training is a simple and effective method that organisations can use to help protect their employees and their ROI.

Healthy employees are happier employees

It goes without saying that for a business to thrive, you need thriving employees, and DSE can have a big impact on employee wellbeing.

Year on year reports by the Health and Safety Executive note that employees report high levels of related to DSE related issues, with headaches, soreness and eye strain serving as a common denominator in cases of absentee and presenteeism. And these are only a small number of concerns that relate to DSE; prolonged and unregulated use can lead to ongoing neck, shoulder, back, arm and wrist issues.

A dedicated and actionable approach to DSE training can significantly reduce health-related issues which can increase productivity and efficiency, greatly improve morale and have a positive impact on employee wellbeing.

Keep pace with technology

The role of technology is constantly changing as new and improved processes become available. Work tasks that once required large, dedicated set-ups can now be completed on increasingly smaller devices, and they can be used virtually anytime, anywhere.

From desktops and laptops to tablets and smartphones and even VR headsets, administrators should ensure that training reflects the diverse array of technology that falls under DSE regulations and that employees receive training that’s relevant to their needs.

While it’s exciting to see so many organisations increasingly being to explore the benefits of emerging technology, it’s clear that DSE training must evolve with developments in the workplace in order to effectively safeguard employee health and wellbeing.

...and the workplace too

Screen-based tech has not only changed how we work but the way we work as well. The rapid evolution of internet connectivity has given rise to flexible workstyles that move beyond the traditional office space.

Today, many organisations have begun to explore these new methods of working, from open-plan offices to agile working and hotdesking, to name a few.

With so many organisations exploring beyond the confines of the office, the ability to ensure that every employee has a safe and effective set-up can be a gargantuan and costly task.

How do you assess multiple user setups across a wide array of unique needs and requirements?

Simple. By moving the process online.

On online solution means that from home workers to digital nomads, every employee will be able to complete DSE training and risk assessments that are tailored to their work style, and administrators are able to effectively manage DSE compliance.

As the contemporary workplace dynamics continue to evolve, it’s crucial that organisations invest in an effective DSE solution that’s not only relevant but can adapt to rapid changes that take place in the workplace.

Effective DSE management in one place

Moving training and assessment online to reach employees on an organisational level is an effective way to manage DSE in the workplace, but there are other benefits the move can bring.

Chief among them is the ability to direct and manage everything from one, central platform. By moving online, organisations are not only able to train hundreds or even thousands of employees and assess their needs, but significantly cut down on administrative time, cost and resources in the process.

It also makes reporting on organisational DSE compliance performance easier and more transparent. Relevant DSE data can be collated and broken down so administrators can gain insight into how effective their DSE performance is and where it can be improved.

Conclusion

Ultimately, a strong commitment towards DSE compliance training can have a far-reaching and positive impact on organisations in a variety of ways. As a result, any enterprise in which DSE plays a major role should consider it an important and necessary part of their ongoing compliance strategy.