Workstation safety and assessments

I work in a blended way, do I need to complete a workstation assessment?

You should complete separate workstation assessments for working in the office and for working at home.  We need to make sure that staff who use PCs, laptops or mobile devices for a significant part of their role are safe and not at risk of injury or harm regardless of where they work, and this is also a legal requirement.  Workstations in blended working areas are set up in a similar way which makes it easy to carry out an assessment no matter where you sit. 

How do I log on to ErgoPro?

A link to our online assessment software, ErgoPro is sent annually to all permanent staff whose roles require them to use computers for a significant amount of time. Links are unique to the individual and cannot be shared.  If you are a new member of staff, your manager should inform the Health and Safety Team of your appointment, and you will be sent a unique link. 

I previously completed an assessment, I was OK, but I now have some issues: what should I do?

You should re-do your workstation assessment. If you have forgotten your password or have difficulties resetting the password online, please contact us. 

What happens after I’ve completed the online assessment?

If your assessment identifies any issues, you will be sent guidance and information from the system that will help you to work more comfortably. If the assessment identifies you as being at high risk of injury, you will also be invited for a face to face assessment with our external ergonomic assessor. These can be in person or on Teams. 

What happens if I have a face to face assessment?

The assessor will discuss your issues and may make immediate recommendations which will help you. These are often recommendations to reposition equipment or to take frequent breaks and move around more. For office workstations the assessor may recommend furniture or equipment from an agreed list to alleviate more serious issues. There is no longer a central fund for home working furniture, this should now be funded from departmental budgets. 

I have significant problems, why do I have to complete an online assessment first?

The assessor uses the information you provide in the online assessment as a starting point for your face to face assessment. 

Is there anything else I should know?

Staff with more complicated issues or disabilities may be referred to HR who have access to specialist assessments via the Access to Work scheme. 

Here are some tips to help you get started. You can also contact the Health and Safety Team for further information. 

• Your chair should be height adjustable and have an adjustable seat and backrest. The backrest should give you adequate lumbar support.
• Your seat height should be adjusted so that you can sit with your shoulders in a relaxed position with elbows at a 90-degree angle.  Your forearms and upper arms should be at right angles while typing. Hands should just rest on the keyboard in a neutral position avoiding excessive flexion, extension or deviation of the wrists. The mouse should be positioned so that you can use it while keeping your elbow at a 90-degree angle. There should be space in front of the keyboard for you to rest their hands in between keying.
• The screen should be positioned directly in front of the user and be at a height so that the user's line of vision is approximately five centimetres from the top of the screen.
• The chair seat should have sufficient depth to accommodate the user without pressure on the backs of the thighs or knees. The angle of the seat should enable the user to sit with their hips raised slightly above their knees, so that their pelvis is rotated forward thereby helping the spine to maintain its natural 'S' shaped curve. The user's feet should be able to rest flat on the floor, or they should be provided with a footrest. There should be sufficient space on the work surface to accommodate any equipment or items the user may need to perform their job. There should be sufficient space under the desk or workstation for the user's legs to enable them to change position as required.
• It is vital that computer users take regular breaks (e.g. four or five minutes every hour) from screen-based work, stretch and reposition in order to avoid excessive static loading of their muscles and tendons, which leads to fatigue and upper limb disorders. It is important to take breaks before fatigue sets in, otherwise there will be insufficient time to recover. Users should also take frequent mini breaks from viewing the screen by focusing on something different from the screen in order to avoid visual fatigue.

The School has a duty to provide an eyesight test, or cost towards an eye test, for employees who regularly use display screen equipment for a significant part of their normal working hours.  Full details of the scheme can be found on the Human Resources webpages.