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References to and/or interpretations of HSE Guidance Documents - Binns - v - Speechly Bircham

Display Screen Equipment Work: Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992. Guidance on Regulations: L26 1992
Regulation 4	Binns - v - Speechly Bircham | Find Other Cases

In the Judgment on the 3rd July 1997, at C on page 7, HH Judge Rich states:

I think that the regulation means no more than a plan must be produced such that the work at the equipment is periodically interrupted either by such breaks, or by such changes of activity as reduce the employees workload at the equipment. I think that that understanding is in conformity with the guidance which was issued by the Health and Safety Executive in advance of the regulations,......... That guidance notes that in most tasks natural breaks or pauses occur as a consequence of an inherent organisation of the work. Therefore, whenever possible, jobs at the display screen should be designed to consist of a mix of screen based and non-screen based work to prevent fatigue and to vary visual and mental demands.

The guidance goes on to deal with the circumstances where it is inevitable that the work should contain intensive displays of screen work which are not interrupted. The ordinary course of the Plaintiff's work, in spite of the fact that the majority of her time was in front of the VDU, did not involve uninterrupted periods of work exclusively at the screen. There were therefore changes of activity which reduced her workload at the equipment.

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Last updated: 14/05/2013