How many times have you got caught up in your work, only to glance at your watch and realise you’ve been sat staring at your computer for the past 2 hours?
Today, many of our jobs involve extensive use of display screen equipment (DSE). However, many users don’t fully understand the harmful effects of this on their health, especially if we don’t take regular breaks.
As an employer, you’re legally obliged to prioritise the health and well-being of your workforce and implement risk mitigation measures to keep them safe. So, in this blog post, we’re exploring Regulation 4 of the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, which is all about the importance of taking breaks and having activity changes while using DSE.
The Dynamics of DSE Work
Whether you’re a data analyst, trader, or editor, nowadays, people across all types of fields find themselves regularly engaged in tasks that demand prolonged use of DSE. Recognising the challenges associated with this work, government regulations emphasise the need to introduce breaks or changes of activity into our daily work routines to alleviate potential physical and mental strain. This applies not only to DSE users in the workplace but also to those working remotely.
Employers are encouraged to design jobs that strike a balance between screen-based and non-screen-based activities, in addition to providing all the necessary DSE risk assessments, to tackle the fatigue often associated with extended DSE use. This approach not only prevents monotony but also offers users the opportunity to engage in tasks that vary in visual and mental demands. Striking this balance is particularly crucial in roles where periods of intensive DSE work are unavoidable for your employees.
OFI provides detailed Display Screen Equipment risk assessments and assessor training, either online or in person. To learn more about how we can help you ensure the well-being of your employees, explore our DSE services here.
The Nature and Timing of Breaks
Understanding the specific demands of DSE work is essential in determining when and how employees should take a break. For example, when intensive use of keyboards, mice, or other input devices is involved, breaks should steer clear of activities that demand similar use of the arms or hands. Similarly, if the work is visually demanding, breaks should involve activities of a different visual nature.
It’s essential to make sure employees can be flexible in their work and take regular breaks. During these breaks, they should do some stretches and eye exercises, focusing on distant objects to change their line of vision.
These kinds of breaks can play a significant role in combatting the negative effects of a sedentary work environment. For example, simply doing a few stretches can contribute to improved blood flow and thus reduce musculoskeletal discomfort (aches and pains). The human body isn’t built to lead an overly sedentary lifestyle; therefore, anyone using DSE for long periods at a time should regularly take breaks to go for a short walk, stretch, and rest their eyes from looking at a screen. Workers who frequently do this are going to feel healthier and more productive, too – it’s a win-win situation!
Tailoring Breaks to Work Demands
While there isn’t a universal formula for the frequency/length of breaks DSE users should take that applies to all types of work, you can use the following guidance:
- Breaks should be incorporated into working time without increasing the work’s overall pace or intensity. For example, just because an employee has taken a quick break doesn’t mean they should feel like they have to work at double speed to catch up when they return to their desk or that they can work for longer or stay on later.
- The timing of breaks is also crucial – breaks should always be taken before the onset of fatigue rather than as a recovery measure.
- Short, frequent breaks are generally more effective than occasional, longer breaks.
- Above all, allowing users some discretion as to how and when they take their breaks and how they carry out their tasks will empower them to make the choices that will best support them in feeling comfortable and productive at work.
Top Tip: Encourage your employees to take 5–10-minute breaks at the end of every hour. Experts have found that short breaks boost productivity and safety far more than 20–30-minute breaks every 2-3 hours.
The Employer’s Role in Planning Work Activities
Under Regulation 4, it’s the employer’s responsibility to plan work activities and tasks to ensure DSE users can incorporate regular breaks or changes of activity into their working day for better physical and mental wellbeing.
While it’s often not necessary to timetable in short breaks, it is important to provide your team with the information and training to encourage them to take breaks.
This means that flexibility should be a priority when planning DSE-based activities, as this ensures users have some control over when they take breaks and how they manage their tasks. Changes in activity, e.g., tasks that don’t involve DSE use, have actually been proven more effective than formal rest breaks in relieving visual fatigue.
While the duty to plan work activities rests with employers/managers, it’s also important to remember that unforeseen circumstances can always crop up, and these may necessitate deviations from normal break schedules. When users are handling emergencies or working in control rooms, health and safety considerations may occasionally dictate a departure from standard break routines, but this shouldn’t be the norm.
Break-Monitoring Software and How it Can Help
Technology can play a supportive role in ensuring that users adhere to regular breaks. Break-monitoring software tools, such as BreakTimer, can be helpful when consistent computer use is prevalent. These tools, ranging from basic reminders to more complex keystroke and mouse activity monitors, aim to strike a balance between ensuring breaks and avoiding putting any additional pressure on users.
Employers considering the use of break-monitoring software should choose the most helpful features that enhance rather than hinder their DSE users’ work. Accessibility and adaptability are key, as users should be able to tailor reminders based on their individual needs and work patterns.
Having that built-in reminder can be extremely useful, especially for highly driven employees who easily get caught up in their work, as they often need an alert to tell them it’s time to step away from their computer for a few minutes and take a break. Otherwise, it can be tricky to remember, and is often something else to think about during a busy working day!
In Summary
By prioritising regular breaks and frequent activity changes, employers can contribute towards a healthier and more productive work environment for DSE users.
The key to incorporating valuable breaks and changes of activity into your DSE workers’ days lies in striking a balance between the demands of the job, the nature of DSE work, and the well-being of employees. We can often all feel a huge pressure to be productive 100% of the time; however, taking regular breaks is productive as it ensures we can feel productive and comfortable when we return to our desks! As the professional landscape continues to evolve, creating a workplace culture that values breaks as a critical part of supporting employee wellness has never been more important.
