Risks of working at a monitor

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An employer’s guide to looking after remote computer operators

We spend a lot of time in front of monitors, but do your Health and Safety responsibilities extend to employees at their kitchen table?

It’s well known that working all day at a monitor isn’t good for physical or mental wellbeing but in difficult times, worrying about comfort at computer stations can slip down the priority list. It’s also hard to enforce rules when some employees are at their dining room table or using their laptops in the garden.

However, as recruitment gets tougher, it also makes sense to create a working environment that minimises sick time and boosts retention.

The changing work environment-

Working from home was a new experience for many office workers who had to adapt from office norms: H&S audits, tea breaks, trips to the photocopier and fixed office hours.

At home, no-one reminds you to take a break or point out that you’re slouching or squinting at your monitor. You may also be working on recreational equipment rather than accredited IT equipment at a properly set-up workstation.

The health problems around a badly set-up computer-A badly set-up workplace can cause a number of complaints:

Computer vision syndrome.-Looking for too long at a monitor or screen causes red, dry or sore eyes because people blink less.

Headaches-These can be caused by long periods in front of a monitor that’s too bright or too close. Eye muscles have to work to focus on close objects, so if you’re focusing for too long they tire, resulting in headaches.

Neck and back ache-The human skeleton is an ingenious collection of joints, so it’s usually easier to adjust your body than your monitor or keyboard. Adopting a non-neutral position for long periods causes muscle pain and stiff joints, particularly in the back and neck. The human head is heavy and looking downwards for too long strains neck and shoulder muscles.

Repetitive strain injury (RSI)-RSI can occur when you repeat the same movement over a long period. For computer users, RSI is often focused on fingers, wrists and arms because you aren’t in the correct position to reach the keyboard comfortably. Using a keyboard or mouse with poor posture can eventually cause aches in fingers, hands or arms.

Carpal tunnel syndrome-Pain, numbness or tingling in your wrists and forearms. This is caused by putting pressure on the median nerve as it passes through your wrists to your hands by resting them on the edge of a table or keyboard.

Tips for reducing workstation injuries:

Ergonomics is the science of designing a job, equipment and workplace to suit the user. Optimising workspaces, in the office or home, by adjusting equipment, table and/or seating reduced the problems outlined above. For example:

Chairs should be adjusted to the right height, with feet on the ground and arms resting comfortable on your work surface.
They should also offer firm lumbar support
Ensure there’s room below the desk to move your legs around
Monitors should be in front of you, with its top at natural eye level
Keyboards and the mouse should be comfortably positioned
Cut down monitor reflection and reduce brightness

Changing habits is also important. Take regular breaks to stand up, do simple stretches or exercises, stroll around the garden. And have set “office hours” when working at home. Be conscious of your posture and sit up straight, but relaxed, while avoiding “slobbing” on the sofa.

Employer responsibilities: What does the law say?

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 sets out the general duties of employers to their employees. The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 focuses on employees who use display screen equipment on a daily basis, for an hour or more.

Employers are responsible for doing a risk assessment when an employee starts work, and taking reasonable mitigating measures.

Punishments from breaking the law can be serious, with up to 12 months imprisonment, an unlimited fine or both for a breach, and the law extends employers’ duty of care to an employee working remotely or from home.

Employees also have a responsibility for their own health and safety, including when they work remotely.

Although employers have an obligation to provide employees with a safe work environment extends to the home, it needn’t be difficult to meet with the right level of communication.

You can distribute a risk assessment sheet and good advice via a simple poster and offer to provide the right equipment if it’s lacking.

Anne-Marie Blazdell

Anne-Marie Blazdell is a Marketing & Communications Manager with expertise in digital marketing, content creation, and IT solutions. With a strong foundation in graphic design, she trained at Farnborough College of Technology and Southampton Solent University before advancing into marketing and business IT support.

Since joining Syn-Star in 2022, Anne-Marie has specialised in crafting SEO-optimised website content, managing social media, and helping businesses navigate the complexities of IT. Her work bridges the gap between technology and business, making IT more accessible and effective.