Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Assessment Template for Ireland
In the Republic of Ireland, employers must analyse the workstations of employees who habitually use display screen equipment as a significant part of normal work, identify risks and take appropriate steps. The relevant rules are Chapter 5 of Part 2 (regulations 70–73) and Schedule 4 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, as amended. The HSA says an employee-only software questionnaire is not enough: a competent person must complete the workstation analysis with active employer involvement, share results with the employee, retain a written record and note the changes required. HSA DSE guide; HSA DSE FAQs.
Direct answer: the employer must assess the actual workstation
This template gathers the facts and actions. It is not a diagnosis, ergonomic certification or replacement for a competent assessment. It works for an office or home workstation when the applicable DSE duties are triggered; the assessor must inspect the actual setup and work pattern rather than accepting boxes ticked remotely without review.
Assessment header
| Item | Entry |
|---|---|
| Employer, team and workstation location | [ ] |
| Employee, role and main screen tasks | [ ] |
| Assessment date, assessor and competence/role | [ ] |
| Typical DSE hours, task pattern and other locations | [ ] |
| Equipment and software used | [ ] |
| Previous assessment and changes since then | [ ] |
| Employee consultation and concerns | [ ] |
Ask the employee what they actually do: sustained typing, reading, calls, design work, dual monitors, portable-device use or switching between home and office. Note any change in task, workstation, symptoms or equipment. Do not infer that a laptop is exempt just because it is portable. The HSA's FAQ addresses laptop use under the DSE framework. HSA DSE FAQs.
Workstation review: record yes/no, issue and action
| Area | Questions for the assessor | Result / action |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | Is text readable? Are brightness, contrast, position and glare suitable? | [ ] |
| Keyboard/input | Can arms and hands work comfortably? Is there room to rest and change posture? | [ ] |
| Desk/work surface | Enough space for task materials and safe arrangement? | [ ] |
| Chair | Stable, adjustable, supportive and suited to the user? | [ ] |
| Foot support | Feet comfortably supported; footrest if needed? | [ ] |
| Space/posture | Can user vary posture without obstruction? | [ ] |
| Lighting/glare | Task visible without reflections or uncomfortable contrast? | [ ] |
| Noise/thermal conditions | Any environmental factor interfering with safe work? | [ ] |
| Software/workflow | Usable software, manageable pace and ability to take task changes? | [ ] |
| Portable/second workstation | Docking/input/screen and layout adequate for sustained use? | [ ] |
The assessor should observe the worker at the workstation. A photo can help explain an arrangement but should be used with an appropriate privacy basis and should not replace observation. Assess the whole workstation: rearranging only the monitor while leaving a poor chair, keyboard position or glare problem unresolved can simply move the discomfort elsewhere. Schedule 4 sets minimum workstation requirements; use the current HSA guide to interpret them for the task. HSA DSE guide.
Work pattern, breaks and eyesight
Record opportunities to vary work or take breaks from intensive DSE activity. The rules require work to be planned so that daily DSE work is periodically interrupted by breaks or changes of activity that reduce workload at the screen. Avoid quoting a universal legal “five minutes every hour” or “20-20-20” rule as though Irish legislation prescribes it; decide the pattern from the work and current HSA guidance. HSA DSE guide; HSA FAQs.
Employees covered by the DSE rules have an entitlement to appropriate eye and eyesight tests provided at the employer's expense in the circumstances set out by the regulations. Record that the employee was informed of the route to request one; do not record medical results in an open workstation form. Where special corrective appliances are necessary for DSE work, apply the legal process and professional advice. This form should track only the administrative action and a restricted reference, not clinical details.
| Work-pattern item | Entry |
|---|---|
| Typical continuous screen tasks | [ ] |
| Break/task-change arrangement | [ ] |
| Employee understands eye-test request route | [ ] |
| Confidential concern referral, if needed | [restricted contact/reference] |
Action and verification log
| Finding | Immediate control | Longer action | Owner | Due | Worker consulted | Verified closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
Prioritise immediate discomfort, unsuitable equipment and visual problems. A purchase order is not closure: verify the change with the user in the actual task. Share the analysis outcome and required changes with the employee. Keep the assessment under the employer's record and review it when the workstation, work pattern or health concern changes. Store personal information with restricted access and a justified retention schedule.
Example: hybrid worker using a laptop
A worker spends most of the day editing documents at home on a laptop and two days weekly in an office. The assessor reviews both regular workstations and notices prolonged use of the laptop keyboard and screen at home, glare from a window and no clear task-change plan. After consulting the worker, the employer supplies or arranges suitable input and screen positioning, changes the room layout, agrees a work pattern and later checks whether the changes work. Merely emailing a self-assessment form would not complete the employer-led analysis described by the HSA.
Common mistakes
- Treating “I filled in the online questionnaire” as the entire legal assessment.
- Excluding laptops or home workstations automatically.
- Copying a UK DSE form without checking Irish Chapter 5 and Schedule 4.
- Recording private eye-test or health details in a widely accessible form.
- Setting a rigid break frequency and calling it a statutory Irish requirement.
- Closing an action when equipment is ordered, before the worker has tried it.
Sources, links and writer-side QA
Primary sources: HSA guide to Chapter 5, regulations 70–73 and Schedule 4; HSA DSE FAQs; HSA General Application Regulations overview. Reviewed 6 October 2026. No invented screen-hour threshold, medical result, break interval or Complys capability.
Owner boundary: No exact live Irish DSE assessment owner observed; final repository/gated owner and proposed route check required. The country switcher confirms https://www.getcomplys.com/ie as the Irish site. A general risk-assessment or UK DSE page should not silently own the Irish statutory form. Product/link: Use the observed Complys Ireland homepage only after Irish product claims pass implementation QA. Do not route Irish visitors to the UK risk-assessment page, which is explicitly UK-specific. This draft does not claim employer-led assessment can be automated away. Disposition: READY writer-side; competent site-specific completion required.