Organizational strategies for risk assessment in the user organisation

In 1993 new health and safety regulations were introduced in order to implement European Community directives on health and safety at work. Although many of the requirements specified were not really new they nevertheless represented an array of demands to be addressed systematically by work organisations. The legislation required a change in approach and procedure. In particular the new regulations emphasised both the duties and responsibilities of directors and those of all employees throughout the organisation. This tacit acknowledgement of the need to institutionalise or integrate health and safety considerations in all aspects of organisational life has made it inappropriate to charge single individuals such as safety officers with overall responsibility for safety within a company or division. Rather, the regulations have stated clearly that while employers are required to provide education and training regarding Display Screen Equipment (DSE) work and recommended practice to their employees, there is a reciprocal legal obligation for the employees to apply this expertise in the conduct of their work. The content of the regulations therefore has implications for induction, for Information Technology training, for performance assessment criteria, for reward systems, and for job design. A coordinated, integrated approach to implementing the regulations is thus required