Posted By Nick House For seeral years now, I have been following the training and giudance that I have received about workstation (DSE) set up. I have always been trained/ informed that the ideal set up for a monitor/ vdu/ display screen was so that the 1st line of text was just below eye level, and that the screen should be tilted forwards by approximately 5 - 10 degrees. HOWEVER, one of my colleagues has recently returned from her optician, and has now iunstructed all of her colleagues within her department that this is, in fact, incorrect, as her optician has stated that the monitor should be set as close to the desk as possible, and tilted back in excess of 10 degrees! Not only does this mean that they are now looking down at their screen, but there is now also a glare issue from the lighting! I've tried having a chat with her about this, but she has categorically stated that her optician knows best, as she said that any other set up is conducive to a higher risk of eye strain! I suggested that if she were suffering from eye strain that there may well be other inherent issues that would need to be tackled (such as more frequent breaks from vdu work), but to no avail. With the week that I've had, if I had enough left, I'd have started tearing my hair out by now! Roll on the weekend!

Posted By Gilly Margrave This link will take you to the advice given by the Association of Optometrists - basically you're both wrong but you are more right than she is. http://www.assoc-optomet...ations_for_vdu_users.pdf Gilly

Posted By Mark Talbot You could also ask her to get the optician [whatever] to give her the instructions in writing after reading the link given above. In truth you are trying to help her and so is the optician ... if he/she wants to overide the advice of HSE and his/her peers, let them - just make sure they know the implications. Your obligations to her in law don't allow you to let her work so far outside of the accepted guidelines though, so you would need to show that written advice to your enforcement agency and ask for dispensation. Or you could appoint an independent second opinion.

Posted By Paul Leadbetter Nick It is probably safe to assume that the optician in question is a good optician but is she a trained DSE assessor? Even if he/she is, how can they do an assessment at a distance without seeing the workstation in question? Paul

Posted By Alison Melrose I agree with Barry - can you get their telephone number and find out exactly what they are telling people as the lady in question may have misunderstood what she was told or selectively heard what she wanted to hear! I'd also ask them to put it in writing - you might find that they are less than forthcoming on that one especially if they feel there may be repercussion in the future! I'd also mention that unlike them, you can actually SEE the workstation and that at the angle they have suggested, there is evidence of glare from the overhead lighting (which potentially could result in eye strain, person leaning forward etc). Ask if they would come into the office to discuss the issue and see the actual workstation...and have a DSE assessor there as well as I think you'd need a second "expert" to argue the case as it's often difficult to change someone's mindset once they've been told something by someone they feel is "suitably qualified". In their eyes, the guidance given by the HSE isn't giving them personal advice - doesn't know their eyes etc...so having both the optician AND a qualified DSE assessor might be your best solution.