DSE Assessments

Important workplace guidance

A DSE assessment is a legal requirement under the Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992. Any employee who uses a screen for an hour or more a day needs one, and a height-adjustable sit-stand desk is one of the most common recommendations that comes out of it.

So, What Actually Is a DSE Assessment?

If your team spends most of their day at a screen, you've probably heard the term "DSE assessment" — but what does it actually mean, and do you really need to worry about it?

The short answer is yes, and it's simpler than you might think.

DSE stands for Display Screen Equipment — basically any screen used for work. That includes desktop monitors, laptops, tablets, and even smartphones. Under the Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, if someone in your team uses a screen for an hour or more a day on a regular basis, you're legally required to assess their workstation.

The whole point of a DSE assessment isn't to tick a box. It's to catch the small things — a monitor that's slightly too low, a chair that's a touch too high, a desk that forces someone to hunch — before they quietly become big problems. Aches, eye strain, and repetitive strain injuries rarely appear overnight. They build up over months and years. A good DSE assessment spots the warning signs early.

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What the Law Says

Most employers know DSE assessments exist. Fewer know exactly what they're obligated to do — so here it is, plainly.

The Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, updated in 2002, require you to:

  • Assess the workstation of every employee who regularly uses a screen
  • Ensure workstations meet ergonomic standards - desk height, monitor position, chair setup
  • Give people proper breaks or opportunities to vary their tasks
  • Offer eye tests to anyone who requests one
  • Provide training so employees understand correct workstation setup

You also need to update assessments whenever something changes — a new starter joins, someone moves desks, new equipment arrives, or an employee reports discomfort.

What About Home Workers?

This is the bit that catches many employers out. The DSE Regulations apply equally to people working from home. If someone is working at a kitchen table with a laptop propped on books, that's your responsibility too.

Since 2020, millions of people set up home offices in whatever space was available — and many have never had their setup properly assessed. If your team is hybrid or fully remote, don't assume they're covered. They almost certainly need a home DSE assessment, and you're required to provide one.

7 Things a DSE Assessment Covers

A DSE assessment covers seven key areas. Here's what each one involves — and where a Yo-Yo DESK® makes the biggest difference.

  1. Desk height and working space. Can the person sit or stand comfortably, with everything within easy reach? A Yo-Yo DESK® adjusts precisely to each user — sit at the right height, stand at the right height, and move between the two throughout the day.
  2. Chair height and posture. Is the chair set up so feet are flat, thighs level, and the lower back supported? Getting this right is far easier when the desk height isn't fixed.
  3. Monitor height and angle. Is the screen at eye level and free from glare? A monitor arm — compatible with all Yo-Yo DESK® frames — moves with the desk as it adjusts.
  4. Keyboard and mouse placement. Can the person reach everything without stretching? Yo-Yo DESK® surfaces offer generous depth and built-in cable management.
  5. Lighting and glare. Can the screen and surroundings be positioned to minimise glare? Height-adjustable desks give users more control than fixed alternatives.
  6. Posture and movement. Can the person change position regularly? A Yo-Yo DESK® makes movement the natural default — addressing the root cause of most DSE-related health problems.
  7. Keyboard and screen use. Is the keyboard comfortable and the screen clear? Worth checking for anyone experiencing eye strain or headaches.
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Why Businesses Choose Yo-Yo DESK®

When a DSE assessment recommends a height-adjustable desk, you want to get it right first time. Here's why so many UK organisations choose Yo-Yo DESK®.

We've been making height-adjustable desks since 2014, supplying over 300,000 to organisations including the NHS, Google, the BBC, Microsoft, and Oxford University. In 2026, The Independent named the Yo-Yo ALERT 2+ Best Standing Desk Overall after independent testing. The Daily Telegraph awarded us a Best Buy. We're rated Excellent on Trustpilot.

Our founder, Gavin Bradley, created Get Britain Standing® and Active Working® — the UK's leading campaigns against sedentary working. The science behind sit-stand desks isn't something we've borrowed; we've been communicating it to employers, occupational health professionals, and government for over a decade.

Here's what you get:

  • Swedish-engineered frames built for commercial use
  • 10-year warranty with UK aftercare
  • In-house installation by our own uniformed teams for £50 per desk
  • Immediate 30-day business accounts for procurement teams
  • FSC-certified materials and a solar-powered warehouse for ESG reporting

Download Your Free DSE Checklist

We've put together a Yo-Yo DESK® DSE assessment checklist you can use straight away — no training required, no consultants needed, and no cost.

It covers all seven assessment areas with simple guidance notes on what to look for and how to fix the most common issues. It's designed to be used by a line manager, an HR lead, or the employee themselves — and it takes about ten minutes per workstation.

For larger rollouts, or where an employee has a specific health condition or disability, a specialist DSE assessor may be more appropriate. [Get in touch] and we can point you in the right direction.

Download the Yo-Yo DESK® DSE Checklist - Free PDF
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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — if your employees regularly use screens for work, you're legally required to carry out DSE assessments under the Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992. The trigger is roughly an hour or more of daily screen use. If that sounds like most of your team, the obligation applies.

It works through seven areas: the screen itself, keyboard and mouse, desk and work surface, chair, working environment (lighting, temperature, noise), software usability, and daily routine (breaks and task variety). The goal is to spot anything that could cause harm over time — and fix it before it does.

Yes. The DSE Regulations follow your employees wherever they work, including their home. If someone is working from home on a regular basis — even a few days a week — you have the same duty of care for their home workstation as you do for their office one. A lot of employers don't realise this, but it's been the legal position since the regulations came in.

Absolutely. You don't need specialist qualifications to carry one out. Our free checklist above gives you everything you need. A structured walkthrough by a line manager or the employee themselves satisfies the legal requirement in the vast majority of cases. Specialist assessors are generally only needed when someone has a disability, a health condition, or a particularly complex setup.

More than almost anything else you can do. The most common DSE findings are about desk height, posture, and the absence of movement — and a height-adjustable sit-stand desk addresses all three in one product. It also has the advantage of adapting to each person, which means it works for the whole team rather than fitting some people and not others.

There's no fixed interval in law, but you should review it whenever something changes: a new joiner, a new desk or piece of equipment, a workspace move, or if someone raises a concern about discomfort or pain. In practice, an annual check-in is a sensible habit — it takes very little time and means issues are caught early.

Find Your DSE-Compliant Desk

Whether you're sorting out one person's home office or kitting out a whole floor, we can help.

Most popular choices following a DSE assessment:

Yo-Yo DESK® ALERT 2+
IndyBest Best Standing Desk Overall
Dual-motor, commercial-grade, built for full-time daily use.
Yo-Yo DESK® PRO 1
Single Motor Standing Desk Standing Desk
Cost-effective Electric Height Adjustable Desk.
Yo-Yo DESK® PRO 3
Heavy-duty Commercial Solution
Heavy-duty frame for multi-monitor workstations.
Yo-Yo DESK® 90
Best For Converting an Existing Desk
Ideal for home offices and smaller workstations.
Want it installed properly?
Our own uniformed installation teams will deliver, assemble and set up your desks, including cable management and height calibration.
It costs £50 per desk and removes every hassle from your facilities team. Expert Installations
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Yo-Yo DESK® was founded in 2014 by Gavin Bradley, the person behind Get Britain Standing® and Active Working®.
Everything we make is built around one idea, people do better work when they’re not sitting still all day. Get To Know Yo-Yo