Regarding DSE training. The regs state that relevant staff  (i.e. users) should be trained. All training providers suggest this should be renewed every 12 months. Is this best practice, or needless cash spent?

Now I know that changes in circumstances will necessitate a new assessement - which may also benefit from renewed training to jog people memories, but by-and-large I dont really see why this would simply need to be repeated otherwise.

The only thing I can think of is to maybe stop people falling into bad habits, but a few initiatives, notification and timely reminders would suffice in my book - though I do owork for a company where this would be easy to action.

I would be interested to get the opinion of others, take the temperature in the (for)room so to speak.

Edited by user 04 April 2023 14:28:32(UTC)  | Reason: spelling

Training providers always say that you need refresher training because that is how they make their money. It is unlikely that if you do  something regularly  like using a computer workstation  you forget how to do it. You may develop bad habits but that is down to  down to management to manage. In most cases most people know what they need to do most of the time.  The regs are over applied in most cases. It really boils down to asking  users if they are happy with their set up. Of course in some organisations the rule is “Put up and shut up”  and I am not sure it these regs (or any H&S regs)  actually help staff.

We have an online course which we ask people to complete before doing their first assessment. We only ask them to redo it if there are issues. It has been really important now we have hybrid workers as it is making them aware of the issues that could be happening by working off the sofa, dining room table etc. It has also proved useful to support staff who are having issues in getting them to look at how they use their equipment and make adjustments which have helped them.

OK let’s look at the regulations which of course date back to the 6 pack in 1992. Even then they seemed to be looking back to the early days of personal computing 10 years earlier.

The requirement for adequate H&S training( reg 6 ) does not describe be what this training involves or what adequate actually means. It also says that only “users” require this training.  Reg 1 sates that a user is  “user” means an employee who habitually uses display screen equipment as a significant part of his normal work;”

If you look at the Guidance (L26), which was last updated in 2003 it tries to restrict the definition of “user” to a smallish group of people. It mentions typists as being definitely users, receptionists probably are not. I have not  seen a pure bred typist in 20 years: as species they are extinct. Most organisations that apply DSE tend to take a blanket  approach and everybody I who uses a computer is treated as if they are a user. Those that don’t think about DSE  do not provide anything for anyone.  This of course provides massive   a opportunity for any offering “ adequate training” and refresher training is probably money for old rope. When the regs were conceived computers were for many people   a slightly scary novelty, so “training”  them probably made sense but nowadays its more to do with asking people if they are comfortable and reminding to take breaks which they are entitled to do. Some employers think that if they supply enough training and kit, they can get workers who will be able to sit in front of a screen for 8 hours non-stop. That is the way to store up loads of problems. And anyway in 10 to 15 years time the idea of sitting in front of screen typing will be as old hat as using a quill.

Since starting to use computers at work (just as the company typist was added to the endangered employments list) I have been at eight employers during which time I have filled three self assessment forms, the last of these was completed seven years ago at the last change of employer.

The only "training" during that whole period was a "setting up your work station" cine film right back at the start of the regulations (pre YouTube) and some abstracts of HSE literature when we all got sent to Work From Home during the public health event HM gov decided was a company H&S issue a couple of years ago.

Most of the employments following the widespread adoption of computers & touch screens seem to conduct the survey, follow up any significant issues e.g. damaged chairs and tick the box DSE assessment complete.

Never been at any employment where there is an annual or any other period of DSE refresher.