The legal requirements that a workplace has to meet when doing computer work can be found in EU Directive 90/270/EEC which has been the basis for the national legislation drawn up in each EU member state. According to Regulation 3 of the Health and Safety Regulations, the screen and keyboard may not be a single unit. In addition, it should be easy to adjust the angle and height of the screen. This legislation applies in the United Kingdom and in all EU member states.
The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) regulations 19992 (amended 2002) apply to all display screen equipment (DSE) – computer screens:
- Employers must carry out a risk assessment of workstations used by employees to reduce any identified risks.
- Employers must ensure that employees take regular and adequate breaks from looking at their screens (The CompactLaw Risk Assessment Form recommends a five minute break to alternative work, either at an employee’s desk or away from their desk every 30 minutes).
Legislation stipulates no other requirements for how two or more monitors have to be used. To gain more insight into this, we examined various studies. The research findings show the impacts on health and performance when using two or more monitors.