3 ways to automate a DSE (display screen equipment) risk assessment

#1 - Simple assessment

Who it's for: Single-site businesses recording the DSE assessment themselves.

What it is: A DSE (display screen equipment) risk assessment records the risks for staff who use screens for a significant part of their work. This version is structured around the 7 areas a DSE assessment needs to cover: DSE users, workstation setup, supporting equipment, fatigue and strain, self-assessments, eye tests and health support, and monitoring and review. Each area is a small group of three prompts written for that area. DSE users asks you to identify who regularly uses DSE, decide who might be harmed and how, and evaluate the user list and decide on precautions; Workstation setup asks about the desk, chair and monitor arrangement and who is at risk from a poor setup; and so on through all 7, so every question tells you exactly what it's about.

In practice: A single-site office assesses a back-office workstation. Under Workstation setup: the hazard (a monitor set too low), who's affected (the bookings administrator), and the precaution (raise the monitor, order an adjustable chair). Under Eye tests and health support: staff confirmed they can book a test through the partnered optician, so the arrangement is noted as adequate. Three short answers per area, and the whole workstation gets covered.

Why it works: DSE risks build up slowly: posture, eye strain, repetitive strain. A structured assessment keeps each area clear, not lost in a tick-box.

Steps included:

• 7 assessment areas: from identifying DSE users through to monitoring and review
• Each area is a group of 3 prompts written for it: identify the issue, decide who might be harmed and how, evaluate and decide on precautions

#2 - With guidance

Who it's for: Businesses where a manager runs the DSE assessment with staff.

What it is: The same 7 areas and three prompts, but each area's group now carries its own written guidance: why that area matters and what to check before you answer. The Workstation setup group carries the prompts about desk height, monitor distance and glare; the Fatigue and strain group carries break policy and posture reminders; the Monitoring and review group carries review intervals and feedback collection.

What it adds to the simple assessment:

1. Guidance for every area, on screen exactly where you answer it
2. What to check before answering, not just a blank box
3. An assessment that's consistent whoever completes it

Why it works: Generic guidance at the top of a form gets skimmed once and forgotten by area 5. Guidance attached to each area gets read at the moment it's needed, so a manager who isn't a DSE specialist still asks the right questions about monitor height, break policy, and eye test access.

Steps included:

• The 7 assessment areas, each a group of 3 prompts
• 7 guidance notes, one per area: why it matters and what to check

#3 - With photo evidence

Who it's for: Businesses that want visual proof of the workstation setup.

What it is: The same 7 areas and three prompts, but each area's group now carries a photo step. As you assess each area you photograph it: the desk and chair, the monitor position, the equipment provided. The record shows the condition of each area at the time, not just a description of it.

In practice: An office manager works through the assessment with their phone. At Workstation setup they photograph the desk, chair and monitor arrangement; at Supporting equipment, the footrest and monitor arm in place; at Eye tests and health support, the notice showing how to book a test. Every answer now has a picture next to it.

What it adds to the simple assessment:

1. A photo per area, captured as you assess it
2. Proof of conditions that holds up to review, not just a written claim
3. A visual baseline to compare against at the next review

Why it works: A written assessment says the monitor was raised to eye level; a photo shows it. When the assessment is reviewed next year, the photos also show what changed. And because the photo step sits with its area, the evidence files itself against the right risk instead of landing in a camera roll.

Steps included:

• The 7 assessment areas, each a group of 3 prompts
• 7 photo steps, one per area: the workstation setup captured at the time

How to pick the right version

You don't need to know our product to choose. Every version here is the same 7-area assessment; the additions change who can run it and what the record proves.

Do other people run the assessment?

If you run it yourself and know the method, the plain steps are enough: #1. The moment a manager who isn't a DSE specialist does it, the guidance needs to be on screen next to each area: #2.

Do you need photo proof?

A written assessment meets the duty; photos show the actual condition of each workstation. If a written record is enough, #1 or #2. If you want the desk, the monitor, and the equipment on camera next to their answers, #3.

Need both? Open the version that matters most in the playground and add the other's steps. That is how the product works anyway: every option here is the same assessment with steps added.

Related workflows

• Stress risk assessment - the related risk for office and screen-heavy roles
• Fire risk assessment - the premises-wide assessment
• Manual handling risk assessment - another common workplace assessment

Conclusion

DSE risks build quietly: posture, eye strain, repetitive strain. A structured assessment is how you show you've checked the workstations. Every version above is the same 7-area assessment; the additions put guidance or a photo inside every area's group. Pick the one your business needs and build on it in the playground.

→ Build your own DSE risk assessment on Pilla.