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Posted By Ivor Bufton
We are looking to apply a company definition to the term VDU user, whilst there is no official definition I would be grateful of any experiences and results anyone has had in defining the term VDU user in their work.
What do the forum members think a SIGNIFICANT time at a VDU would be in proportion to a working day (8hrs)
Thank You
Ivor Bufton
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Posted By Tom Maycock
Ivor
See Display Screen Equipment work - guidance on regulations L26 page 5.
Regards
Tom
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Posted By Neal Robertson Hi Ivor, The form which I use classes someone as a VDU user if - 1. They have no other means of doing the job, 2. They have no discretion as to use or not use the euipment 3. Significant training & skills are necessary 4. Worker uses DSE for spells longer than 1 hour at a time 5. Individual uses DSE more or less daily 6. Fast information transfer is an important requirement, and 7. High levels of concentration are importand, e.g. consequenses of error are critical. You can download & amend the form at http://members.lycos.co.uk/sbsf on the downloads page Hope this helps
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Posted By John Ridd
Interpreting the wording used in the Regs (habitually, significant, normal) has always been a problem and as suggested in the above posts, there are criteria that can be used, but the companies that I have worked with have all interpreted these issues differently and (quite reasonably) to suit their manner of working.
'At the end of the day' you have to operate a system that is workable within your organisation; the options that I usually put to Companies are:
1. spend time categorising staff as per the criteria; but you will have to go around doing it again and again (perhaps every 1 month, 2 months - whatever is reasonable)in case people's usage alters; this is very bureaucratic and can be devisive (particularly if workers within the same office/dept are categorised differently).
2. categorise everyone who has DSE on their desk as a 'user'(and even those that don't, if they are regular users)- this is administratively much easier although possibly a little more costly - but the benefits, in my view, far outweigh the disadvantages. (And certainly, the vast majority of workers, for the foreseeable future, will only be increasing their use of a computer.)
Best of luck, JR
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Posted By Allan St.John Holt
Not to disagree with previous postings as to the current position - but you should be aware that the Regulations are very likely to change this year following EU review of the transpotion from the directive. See the recent HSC consultation. You should find that the user distinction will disappear and your question will therefore shortly be redundant.
In any case, I have found it to be an artificial distinction and one not worth making in the interests of the workers. It's cheaper for the employer of course (to define users tightly) but only in the short term, because they are just as likely to end up with a claim from anyone alleging an upper limb disorder regardless of being a 'user' or not.
Allan
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Posted By Laurie
I have never had any real problems using the guidance in the Guidance L 26, Page 10 "Application of User Criteria".
Simply add a blank line at the bottom for your own use if the job you are assessing is not listed, and then assess by analogy
I refused a sight test last week using this table (the first one I have ever had to turn down, incidentally)
Laurie
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Posted By Ken Taylor
- and, if in doubt, include them ('erring on the side of caution'). It's better to have included someone unnecessarily than to have excluded someone wrongly.
We used to have a points score system at one of my previous employments - but departments would adopt different scores to determine 'user' status!
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Posted By Robert Woods
Leeds Occupational Health Project produces an excellent booklet on the safe use of VDUs. Under the section what the law requires it says; the law is applicable in full to users, which are defined in the regulations.
If you can answer yes to any of the following criteria then you should certainly qualify as a user,
Do you often use a VDU for periods of an hour or more?
Do you use a VDU every day or most days?
I have NO discretion on whether I use a VDU.
My job could not be done without a VDU.
The ability to use a VDU is an important part of my job description/recruitment specification.
The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992
1(2)d:
"user" means an employee who habitually uses display screen equipment as a significant part of his normal work
The same definition is used in the Approved Codes of Practice [ACOPs].
Hope this helps.
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