What is office ergonomics?

It is not just concerning about computer workstation setup!
It is more.

Office ergonomics includes the following focus:

• Office Furniture Selection
• Furniture Fitting to User/Workplace Mock-up Evaluation
• Office Storage and Environmental Design
• Workload Assessment
• Computer Workstation Setup and Assessment
• Prevention Strategies on Musculoskeletal Disorders of Prolonged Using Computer
• Office Ergonomics Training
• Healthy Office Systems of Work


Office ergonomics is:

(a) Valuing human resources

(b) Preventing musculoskeletal disorders/discomfort

(c) Reducing costs in employees' compensation or
other hidden costs

(d) Improving productivity and efficiency

(e) Enhancing employees' well being and job satisfaction

Contact us now at telephone number 852 – 3625 2024852 – 3625 2024 or via e-mail to: enquiry @my-ergonomics.com for equire about any ergonomics service!

Occupational Safety and Health (Display Screen Equipment) Regulation in Hong Kong

The Occupational Safety and Health (Display Screen Equipment) (DSE) Regulation comes into operation on 4 July 2003. The aim of the DSE Regulation is to protect the safety and health of employees who use display screen equipment at work for prolonged periods of time.

It requires that the person responsible for a workplace to perform a risk assessment of a workstation and to take steps to reduce risks to the lowest extent as is reasonably practicable. An employer shall also ensure that the employees are provided with necessary safety and health training. The employee on the other hand shall conform to the system of work and work practice; and comply with the risk reduction measures.

Interpretation:

"display screen equipment" (顯示屏幕設備) means any display screen which shows letters, numbers, characters or graphics, regardless of the display process involved;
"user" (使用者) means an employee who, by reason of the nature of his work, is required to use display screen equipment for a prolonged period of time almost every day;

(a) continuously for at least 4 hours during a day;

OR

(b) cumulatively for at least 6 hours during a day

Break not exceeding 10 minutes in an hour away for the display screen equipment shall not be regarded as breaking the continuity of use of the display screen equipment


"workstation" (工作間) means an assembly comprising-

(a)  display screen equipment;

(b)  any chair, desk, work surface, printer, document holder or other item peripheral to the display screen equipment; and

(c)  the immediate working environment around the display screen equipment.

Risk assessment

The person responsible for a workplace shall perform a risk assessment of a workstation in the workplace before it is first used by users. The risk assessment shall consist of a process of:

(a)  identifying and assessing the risk to the safety and health of users of a workstation;

(b)  deciding whether existing precautions are adequate; and

(c)  recording the findings.


When the person responsible for a workplace shall be re-assessed of a workstation, if:

(a)  the person responsible for a workplace has reason to believe that there has been a significant change in the conditions of a previous assessment; or

(b)  there has been a significant change in a workstation, the person responsible for the workplace shall review the risk assessment performed in respect of the workstation and revise the record of findings accordingly.


Record Keeping

The person responsible for a workplace shall, so far as reasonably practicable, keep a record of all risk assessments performed by him in respect of a workstation, which shall include all findings recorded or revised under subsections (3)(c) and (4), and shall retain that record for a period of at least 2 years after that workstation ceases to be used by any user.

The person responsible for a workplace shall:

(a)  upon request by an occupational safety officer, produce for inspection any record kept and retained by him under subsection (5); or

(b)  in case he is unable to comply with paragraph

(c) deliver a copy of the record to the officer for inspection within such period as may be specified in a request in writing sent by the officer.

Reduction of risks

The person responsible for a workplace shall take steps to reduce any risks identified in a risk assessment performed by him under risk assessment results to the lowest extent as is reasonably practicable.

Requirements for workstation

The person responsible for a workplace shall so far as reasonably practicable ensure that the workstations in the workplace are suitable having regard to the safety and health of users of those workstations.

Provision of safety and health training

An employer shall, so far as reasonably practicable, ensure that a user employed by him is provided with necessary safety and health training in the use of workstations.

Users to co-operate with responsible person

A user of a workstation in a workplace shall, so far as reasonably practicable-

(a)  conform to any system of work and work practice that the person responsible for the workplace has established in order to comply with the requirements imposed by this Regulation; and

(b)  comply with any risk reduction measure taken as a result of any risk identified in a risk assessment performed under the risk assessment section as above.