Computer Workstation OHS Rules in Poland

Employees — as well as trainees and interns — who work at a computer for at least 4 hours a day can require their employer to meet the obligations set out in the Regulation of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy of 1 December 1998 on occupational health and safety at workstations equipped with display screen monitors. These rules apply to employers in Poland.

Requirements and ergonomics of a computer workstation

Workstations equipped with display screen monitors are subject to the conditions set out in the annex to the above regulation. What should you take care of, also in terms of remote-work OHS? The regulation is clear:

• the workstation should be large enough to allow free use of all manually operated elements within arm’s reach,
• the distance between monitors should be 60 cm, and between an employee and the back of an adjacent monitor — 80 cm,
• the distance between the employee and the monitor should be 40 cm to 75 cm,
• each employee should have 2 m² of free floor space and 13 m³ of room volume, unobstructed by furniture, equipment, etc.,
• the monitor should meet specific requirements: characters on the screen clear and legible and the image stable, the screen covered with an anti-reflective layer or fitted with a suitable filter, etc.,
• the keyboard should be placed at least 10 cm from the edge of the desk and be a separate element of the basic workstation equipment; its surface should be matte and the characters contrasting and legible,
• all devices needed for computer work should be within the employee’s reach, without forcing a change of position.

Desk dimensions and setup

• the desk height should allow a comfortable posture in which a right angle is kept between the upper arm and the forearm during computer work,
• the height of the desk holding the monitor should allow an appropriate screen viewing angle of 20–50° downward (measured from the horizontal line at the employee’s eye level to the line drawn from their eyes to the centre of the screen), with the top edge of the screen not above the employee’s eyes,
• the knees of an employee seated at the desk should not touch the desktop, and the space under the desk should be free,
• the desktop surface should be matte, preferably light-coloured.

Computer workstation equipment: office chair and footrest

Under the regulations, an office chair should have:

• stability, thanks to a base with at least five supports fitted with castors;
• a backrest and seat of dimensions ensuring a comfortable body position and freedom of movement;
• seat height adjustment in the range of 400–500 mm from the floor;
• backrest height adjustment;
• backrest tilt adjustment in the range of 5° forward to 30° backward;
• a backrest and seat profiled to match the natural curve of the spine and the thigh section of the lower limbs;
• the ability to rotate 360° around the vertical axis;
• armrests placed 190 to 250 mm above the seat plate.

In addition: “The mechanisms for adjusting seat height and backrest tilt should be easily accessible and simple to operate, and positioned so that the adjustment can be made while seated.”

If an office chair does not meet the requirements set out in the regulation or is damaged, it must be replaced and may not be allowed for use at the employer’s premises.

Another important point in the regulation is the need for flat, resting placement of the feet on the floor while working at a display-screen workstation. Where this is not possible, footrests are used; however, the employer should provide them when asked to — even if the resting-foot condition is met. This is an employee’s right arising from the regulation. Footrest requirements:

• the footrest tilt angle should not exceed 15° (it may also be completely flat),
• the height should be adjusted to the employee’s anthropometric features,
• the surface must not be slippery,
• the footrest must not move during use.

Corrective glasses

An employer who employs workers at display-screen workstations is obliged to provide them, where necessary, with corrective glasses. The basis for the employer covering the cost of glasses is an ophthalmological examination confirmed by a certificate from an occupational-medicine doctor. Only in that case is the employer obliged to cover those costs. Otherwise — e.g. at the employee’s own wish, but without an appropriate medical certificate — the employer is not obliged to cover any costs of purchasing glasses.

The amount reimbursing the cost of glasses is set by the employer in the internal regulations of their workplace. Nevertheless, the amount must be set so as to allow the purchase of glasses in line with the doctor’s recommendations.

The regulations do not specify how often an employee may replace glasses using the employer’s subsidy. It is therefore assumed that glasses (or lenses) can be replaced when an ophthalmologist confirms the need, e.g. due to worsening eyesight.

Lighting of a computer workstation

In a permanent workroom, under § 25 of the Regulation of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy on general occupational health and safety provisions, daylight must be provided, unless this is impossible or inadvisable due to the production technology and the employer has obtained consent for electric-only lighting from the relevant State Voivodeship Sanitary Inspector, issued in agreement with the District Labour Inspector.

Lighting of a computer workstation in an office is governed by the standard PN-EN 12464-1:2003 and the Polish Labour Code. Every employer is therefore obliged to: guarantee employees artificial light of an intensity of no less than 500 lx. That is why a desk lamp is also an important element.

Breaks during computer work

It is the employer’s duty to organise work so that, after each hour of uninterrupted computer work, every employee can switch to a type of work that does not strain the eyes or is performed in a changed body position. If this is not possible, employees are entitled to a break of at least 5 minutes for every hour of work at the monitor screen (§ 7 of the regulation). Such a break counts towards the employee’s working time and does not reduce their pay.

OHS instructions for operating computers and other devices

Under Article 237⁴ § 2 of the Polish Labour Code, the employer is obliged to issue detailed instructions and guidance on occupational health and safety at workstations to ensure every employee’s safety while performing their duties. Requirements for OHS instructions are set out, among others, in the Regulation of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy of 26 September 1997 on general occupational health and safety provisions. Instructions for specific industries, in turn, are based on the regulations of the relevant ministries responsible for the given field.

So instructions for working with computers and other devices, e.g. printers, should be made available for employees to view and should contain the following:

• actions before starting work;
• rules and methods for performing work safely;
• actions after finishing work;
• procedures in emergency situations posing a danger.

Read also: OHS and remote work — what to keep in mind

Correct posture when working at a computer

Using the ergonomic conditions provided by the regulation, we can apply a few rules that will protect us from spinal curvature and painful ailments:

• The angle of the knees should be 90° — so adjust the seat height to the length of your lower legs.
• Keep a distance of about 25 cm between the chair seat and the lower edge of the desktop.
• Use office chairs with adjustable height and wide armrests.
• While working, your arms up to the elbows should rest on the desktop (the elbow joint bent at a right angle).
• Place the computer monitor about 50 cm from your face so that its top edge is at eye level.
• The monitor must be tilted to eliminate any glare from the lighting. The optimal setting: tilt the monitor so that your gaze, lowered at a 30° angle, forms a right angle with the screen surface.

Let’s not forget that your chair and monitor should be adjusted to individual needs. The factors above depend on the proportions between your height, the monitor tilt angle and the height of the desktop and seat. The most important thing is to ensure sitting upright on a chair positioned suitably close to the desk.

Have questions? Not sure how to organise safe work at a computer? Contact us.