Overview
Someone has to do the assessments — this course makes it you
The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 require every employer to analyse the workstations of staff who regularly work with screens, act on what the analysis finds, and review it when circumstances change. That legal duty lands on a real person: someone competent to look at a workstation — in the office or in a spare bedroom — and assess it properly.
This course trains that person. You will work through what the law requires and who counts as a DSE user, how poor setup causes musculoskeletal disorders, eye strain and fatigue, and the full workstation assessment step by step — chair, desk, screen, keyboard, mouse, software and environment. Dedicated modules cover the situations that catch assessors out: homeworkers and hybrid staff you may never see in person, laptops, hot-desking and portable devices, and what to do when an assessment finds a problem that a simple adjustment won’t fix.
The course is fully online and self-paced — most people finish in three to four hours, with twelve months’ access from enrolment. Pass the closing assessment and your CPD-certified certificate is generated straight away: evidence that your organisation’s DSE assessments are in competent, trained hands.
Fully Online
3–4 Hours
Offices · Homeworking · Hybrid
What you’ll learn
What you’ll be able to do
By the end of this course you will be able to:
Explain the employer’s duties under the DSE Regulations 1992 and identify who counts as a DSE user.
Describe how poor workstation setup causes musculoskeletal disorders, visual fatigue and stress.
Carry out a systematic workstation assessment covering equipment, furniture, software and environment.
Assess homeworking and hybrid workstations, including remote and self-assessment approaches.
Deal correctly with laptops, hot-desking, shared workstations and portable devices.
Recommend adjustments and equipment, and know when to escalate to occupational health.
Understand entitlements to eye tests and the employer’s obligations around them.
Keep assessment records that stand up to scrutiny and know when a review is required.
Course content
Eight modules to work through
Each module ends with a knowledge check. Work through the modules in any order and return to the content at any time during your twelve-month access window.
1DSE and the LawThe DSE Regulations 1992, employer duties, and who counts as a “user”.⌄
- The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992
- Who is a DSE user — office, home and hybrid staff
- The employer’s five duties: assess, reduce, plan breaks, eye tests, train
- Where the assessor fits in the organisation’s H&S arrangements
- HSE guidance and enforcement
2The Role of the DSE AssessorWhat a competent assessor does — and the limits of the role.⌄
- Competence: knowledge, training and experience
- Planning and prioritising assessments across a workforce
- Working with users — interview and observation skills
- The limits of the role and when to refer on
- Keeping your own knowledge current
3Posture, Anatomy and DSE Health RisksWhy screen work hurts people — MSDs, eye strain, fatigue and stress.⌄
- Musculoskeletal disorders: back, neck, shoulder and upper limb
- Repetitive strain and static posture
- Visual fatigue and headaches
- Stress and workload factors
- Early warning signs to ask about
4Carrying Out a Workstation AssessmentThe full assessment walk-through — chair, desk, screen, inputs and environment.⌄
- Chair setup: height, back support and adjustment
- Desk, screen height, distance and glare
- Keyboard, mouse and document position
- Software, task design and breaks
- Lighting, noise, temperature and space
5Homeworking and Hybrid AssessmentsAssessing workstations you may never see in person.⌄
- The employer’s duty extends to home workstations
- Guided self-assessment and photo/video walk-throughs
- Common home setup problems: sofas, kitchen tables, laptops
- Equipment for home workers — what’s reasonable
- Reviewing hybrid workers across multiple locations
6Laptops, Hot-Desking and Portable DevicesThe modern setups the 1992 Regulations still apply to.⌄
- Laptop risks and docking solutions
- Hot-desking and shared workstation arrangements
- Tablets, phones and prolonged portable use
- Agile working policies and DSE
- Practical quick-adjustment coaching for users
7Resolving Issues and EscalationFrom simple adjustments to occupational health referrals.⌄
- Fixing problems on the spot: adjustment and coaching
- Recommending equipment: what works and what doesn’t
- Users with existing conditions or disabilities — reasonable adjustments
- When to involve managers, HR or occupational health
- Following up and closing out actions
8Records, Reviews and Eye TestsThe paperwork that proves compliance.⌄
- What an assessment record must capture
- When assessments must be reviewed — moves, new equipment, reported symptoms
- Eye tests and corrective appliances: who pays for what
- Training records for users and assessors
- Reporting trends to management
Who it’s for
Is this course a good fit?
Any organisation with more than a handful of screen-based staff needs at least one trained DSE assessor. This course is for the person who takes that role on.
Office & facilities managers
The people who usually inherit DSE responsibility alongside the office itself.
HR professionals
Those handling new starters, workstation requests and health concerns.
Health & safety coordinators
Adding DSE assessment competence to a wider H&S role.
Homeworking coordinators
Anyone responsible for the setup of remote and hybrid staff.
Team leaders & supervisors
Assessing their own team’s workstations in larger organisations.
Small business owners
Owner-managers covering the duty themselves.
Assessment
How it’s assessed
The course is assessed by a single online multiple-choice test taken at the end of the modules. It can be retaken as many times as you need at no extra cost.
End-of-course assessment
Study details
You can pause and resume at any point — your progress is saved automatically. There is no time limit on the assessment itself.
Certification
Your CPD-certified certificate
DSE Assessor — CPD Certified
On passing the assessment, your CPD-certified digital certificate is available to download and print immediately, with your name, the course title and completion date. It evidences that your organisation’s DSE assessments are carried out by a trained, competent person — one of the first things an inspector or insurer will ask about. We recommend refresher training every two to three years, or sooner if guidance changes.
Instant download
Competent-person evidence
Refresher every 2–3 years
FAQs
