Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Policy

The Trustee Board has devolved day-to-day responsibility for Health, Safety and Welfare to the Managing Director.   

The MD, and those acting on their behalf, will ensure: 

• Ensure that adequate arrangements are in place to achieve compliance with the policy. 

• MD delegates responsibility for undertaking aspects of these duties through line management & identified roles. 

The Managing Director will delegate to the membership of the leadership team the following responsibility:  

• Monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of Health and Safety activities and the Union’s Health and Safety Policy and associated policies and procedures, and for ensuring that, at the strategic level, performance standards and timescales are adhered to.  

• Chairing the Students' Union’s Health and Safety Committee and ensuring it has the time, facilities and resources to carry out its business effectively.  

• Keeping under review this Health and Safety Policy and the Health and Safety performance of the Students' Union. 

The FHSM is appointed by the MD to undertake the following: 

• Appoint a competent person(s) to act as ICU Computer Health Assessor.

• Ensuring all work with computers in all ICU departments are managed to avoid health risks.  

• Ensuring all staff using computers are provided with information, and where required, training on associated health risks & their control. 

• Ensuring appropriate action is taken to resolve health risks identified through workstation assessments. 

• Ensuring workstations supplied for staff use, comply with Imperial London College standards and that sufficient resource is allocated to replace damaged or defective chairs and equipment. 

Health and Safety is a delegated line management responsibility requiring managers to undertake operational Health and Safety duties identified in this policy. Imperial College Union Line Managers to undertake the following:       

• Lead by example by following policies and challenging inappropriate behaviours, should check that staff have received information and encourage them encourage new staff to read and follow the guidance provided. 

• Ensuring staff have appropriate computer equipment to undertake the work they are employed to do.  

• Ensuring assessments of workstations in their area are carried out.

• Supporting Computer Health Assessors in resolving problems.

Computer Health Assessors are responsible for: 

• Monitoring the conduct & outcome of workstation self-assessments; 

• Assisting individuals with workstation assessments;

• Advising on the resolution of problems identified through workstation assessments;

• Promoting good practice amongst users;

• Reporting significant problems to ICU Line Managers and Facilities, Health and Safety Manger.

Individual members of staff, students and visitors have a legal duty to co-operate and comply at all times with the ICU Health and Safety Policy, instruction and training provided. Staff and students are responsible for: 

• Assisting with assessment of workstations supplied for their use;

• Follow appropriate guidance in setting up their workstation;

• Reporting problems identified through the workstation assessments;

• Following Imperial College: Computer Health Code of Practice in use of computers;

• Reporting health problems possibly induced through computer work.

The Students' Union, whilst an independent charity in its own right, is an integral part of the Imperial College community and could not exist without the College. The Union and College work in partnership to ensure that adequate measures are in place to ensure health, safety and welfare within the Union. The Union is committed to working with the Imperial College London Safety department and where appropriate, ensuring that the Union's Health and Safety Policy, Codes of Practice and arrangements are in accordance with the College Health and Safety Policy, Codes of Practice and arrangements.  

The Union is in an unusual position in that whilst Union staff work directly for the Students' Union their contracts of employment are with the College. Whilst the Union accepts its duty of care and responsibilities, the College also has a duty to ensure, and support, the safe management and operation of the Students’ Union.