MINIMUM HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR WORK WITH DISPLAY SCREEN EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS *

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 424.14

MINIMUM HEALTH AND SAFETY

REQUIREMENTS FOR WORK WITH DISPLAY

SCREEN EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS *

17th February, 2002

LEGAL NOTICE 43 of 2002, as amended by Act XXXIII of 2024.

The title of these regulations is the Minimum Health and

Safety Requirements for Work with Display Screen Equipment

Regulations.

Minimum health and safety requirements for workstations

and display screen equipment

Preliminary comments

The obligations laid down in this Schedule shall apply in order to achieve the

objectives of these regulations and to the extent that the components concerned are

present at the workstation, and that the inherent requirements or characteristics of

the task do not preclude it.

1. Equipment

(a) General comment

The use as such of the equipment must not be a source of risk for

workers.

(b) Display screen

The characters on the screen shall be well-defined and clearly formed,

of adequate size and with adequate spacing between the characters and

lines.

The image on the screen should be stable, with no flickering or other

forms of instabillty.

The brightness and/or the contrast between the characters and the

background shall be easily adjustable by the worker, and also be easily

adjustable to ambient conditions.

The screen must swivel and tilt easily and freely to suit the needs of the

worker.

It shall be possible to use a separate base for the screen or an adjustable

table.

The screen shall be free of reflective glare and reflections liable to

cause discomfort to the worker.

(c) Keyboard

The keyboard shall be tiltable and separate from the screen so as to

allow the worker to find a comfortable working position avoiding

fatigue in the arms or hands.

The space in front of the keyboard shall be sufficient to provide support

for the hands and arms of the worker.

The keyboard shall have a matt surface to avoid reflective glare.

The arrangement of the keyboard and the characteristics of the keys

shall be such as to facilitate the use of the keyboard.

The symbols on the keys shall be adequately contrasted and legible

from the design working position.

(d) Work desk or work surface

The work desk or work surface shall have a sufficiently large, low-

reflectance surface and allow a flexible arrangement of the screen,

keyboard, documents and related equipment.

The document holder shall be stable and adjustable and shall be

positioned so as to minimise the need for uncomfortable head and eye

movements.

There shall be adequate space for workers to find a comfortable

position.

(e) Work chair

The work chair shall be stable and allow the operator easy freedom of

movement and a comfortable position.

The seat shall be adjustable in height.

The seat back shall be adjustable in both height and tilt.

A footrest shall be made available to any one who wishes for one.

2. Environment

(a) Space requirements

The workstation shall be dimensioned and designed so as to provide

sufficient space for the worker to change position and vary movements.

(b) Lighting

Room lighting and/or spot lighting (work lamps) shall ensure

satisfactory lighting conditions and an appropriate contrast between the

screen and the background environment, taking into account the type of

work and the worker’s vision requirements.

Possible disturbing glare and reflections on the screen or other

equipment shall be prevented by co-ordinating workplace and

workstation layout with the positioning and technical characteristics of

the artificial light sources.

(c) Reflections and glare

Workstations shall be so designed that sources of light, such as windows

and other openings, transparent or translucid walls, and brightly

coloured fixtures or walls cause no direct glare and, as far as possible,

no reflections on the screen.

Windows shall be fitted with a suitable system of adjustable covering to

attenuate the daylight that falls on the workstation.

(d) Noise

Noise emitted by equipment belonging to any workstation shall be taken

into account when a workstation is being equipped, with a view in

particular to ensuring that attention is not distracted and speech is not

disturbed.

(e) Heat

Equipment belonging to any workstation shall not produce excess heat

which could cause discomfort to workers.

(f)

Radiation

All radiation with the exception of the visible part of the

electromagnetic spectrum shall be reduced to negligible levels from the

point of view of the protection of workers’ health and safety.

(g) Humidity

An adequate level of humidity shall be established and maintained.

3. Interface between computer and worker

In designing, selecting, commissioning and modifying software, and in

designing tasks using display screen equipment, the employer shall take into account

the following principles

(a) software must be suitable for the task;

(b) software must be easy to use and, where appropriate, adaptable to the

level of knowledge or experience of the worker; no quantitative or

qualitative checking facility may be used without the knowledge of the

workers;

(c) systems must provide feedback to workers on the performance of those

systems;

(d) systems must display information in a format and at a pace which are

adapted to workers;

(e) the principles of software ergonomics must be applied, in particular to

human data processing.

(1)

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise

requires -

"Act" means the Health and Safety at Work Act;

"display screen equipment" means any alphanumeric or graphic

display screen, regardless of the display process involved;

"equipment" means display screen equipment;

"eye and eyesight test" means a test to determine the presence

and the nature of any defects of sight and the correction, remedy or

re lief o f a ny such d efect by mea ns of an optic al applianc e

prescribed on the basis of the determination;

"worker" includes a person who is not an employee, but who has

been assigned work by an employer involving the habitual or

regular use of dispIay screen equipment provided by the employer,

as well as an employee who uses display screen equipment at a

workstation provided by the employer at home;

"workstation" means an assembly comprising

(a) display screen equipment, whether or not provided

with a keyboard or input device and, or software

determining the operator/machine interface;

(b) any optional accessories to the display screen

equipment;

(c) any disk drive, telephone, modem, printer, document

holder, work chair, work desk, work surface or other

item peripheral to the display screen equipment; and

(d) the immediate work environment around the display

screen equipment.

(2) In these regulations, words and expressions shall have the

same meaning as defined in article 2 of the Act.

*These regulations have been transferred to Cap. 646. Vide S.L. 646.07 and Act

XXXIII of 2024.

These regulations shall not apply to drivers’ cabs or control

cabs for vehicles or machinery, display screen equipment on board

a means of transport, display screen equipment which is mainly

intended for public use or operation, portable systems which are

not in prolonged use at a workstation, calculators, cash registers or

any equipment having a small data, or measurement display

required for direct use of the equipment, typewriters of traditional

design, of the type known as "typewriter with window"

Provided that in those instances where these regulations are

not applicable, any display screen equipment provided shall, as far

as reasonabIy practicable, be without risk to the health and safety

of the user, and in conformity with any other regulations in force

and which are applicable under the circumstances.

(1) An employer shall identify all display screen

equipment and workstations provided by him, or used at his place

o f w ork , f or th e pu r po ses of hi s u nd ert aki n g, and fo r su ch

workstations and equipment, the employer shall keep and

adequately maintain a written record thereof, including the names

of the person or persons using the equipment, and of the measures

taken to safeguard occupational health and safety.

(2) For each workstation, the employer shall perform suitable

and sufficient analysis for the purpose of assessing the health and

safety risks to which workers are exposed in consequence of that

use, including any possible risks to eyesight, physical problems and

problems of mental stress.

(3) Any assessment made by an employer in pursuance of the

forgegoing shall be reviewed by the employer if there is reason to

suspect that it is no longer valid or if there has been a significant

change in the matters or circumstances to which it relates.

Where the assessment reveals a risk to health and safety, an

employer shall take appropriate measures to remedy the risks

found, taking account of the additional and, or combined effects of

the risks so found.

An employer shall ensure that any workstation or display

screen equipment in use meets the minimum requirements laid

down in the Schedule.

(1) It shall be the duty of an employer to provide such

information and training to workers on all aspects of health and

safety relating to their workstation and display screen equipment.

(2) In all cases, workers and their Health and Safety

Representatives shall be informed of any health and safety measure

taken in compliance with these regulations.

(3) Every worker shall receive training in the safe use of the

workstations before commencing work and whenever the

organization of the workstation is substantially modified.

The employer must plan the worker’s activities in such a

way that daily work on a display screen is periodically interrupted

by breaks or changes of activity reducing the workload at the

display screen

Provided that when determining the duration and frequency

of any break, the employer shall take into consideration the nature

of t he work, t he work activities and the precautionary and

preventive measures already taken.

(1) An employer shall consult workers and, or their Health

and Safety Representatives, on any measure which may

substantially affect health and safety, on the information requested

to be given by virtue of regulation 7, as well as on the organization

and planning of the training referred to in the same regulation.

(2) Workers and, or their Health and Safety Representatives

shall have the right to make proposals to an employer on any matter

affecting health and safety which is related to the use of display

screen equipment, and shall be allowed to participate on any

decision that needs to be taken.

(1) Workers shall be entitled to appropriate eye and

eyesight tests which shall be carried out by a person having the

necessary capabilities before they become habitual or regular users

of display screen equipment, at regular intervals thereafter, and if

they experience visual difficulties which may be due to display

screen work.

(2) Workers shall be entitled to an ophthalmological

examination if the results of the test referred to in subregu1ation

(1) show that this is necessary.

(3) The Director General of the Health Division shall

determine the competencies and the qualifications required in the

case of persons who will be carrying out eye and eyesight tests and

ophthalmological examinations.

(4) If the results of the test referred to in subregulation (1) or of

the examination referred to in subregulation (2) show that it is

necessary, and if normal corrective appliances cannot be used,

workers must be provided by the employer, with special corrective

appliances prescribed to correct vision defects at the viewing

distance or distances, used specifically for the display screen work

concerned and which are appropriate for the work concerned.

A worker shall in no circumstances suffer any deduction in

wages or any loss of benefit, and shall not be liable for any expense

in respect of any measure taken by the employer pursuant to these

regulations.

In any proceedings for an offence under these regulations

consisting of a failure to comply with a duty or requirement to do

something, or to do something so far as is reasonably practicable, it

shall be for the accused to prove (as the case may be) that it was not

practicable or not reasonably practicable to do more than was in

fact done to satisfy the duty or requirement, or that there was no

better practicable means than was in fact used to satisfy the duty or

requirement.

Any breach of any provision of these regulations shall be

deemed an offence.