When people experience headaches, tired eyes or blurred vision at work, they often assume the problem is “too much screen time.”

In reality, it is frequently poor contrast and mismatched lighting.

As a physiotherapist delivering DSE Assessor training across NHS, corporate and home-working environments, I regularly see workstations where:

These minor setup issues can cause significant visual fatigue over time.

Under the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 employers must ensure that:

The regulations do not specify exact brightness levels; instead, they require that workstations be ergonomically suitable.

The most important rule is simple:

Your screen should match the brightness of your surrounding environment.

If your screen looks like a torch in a dark room, your eyes constantly adapt between two light levels. If your screen is too dim in a bright office, you strain to read.

Both situations increase fatigue.

In a typical office:

For most users:

Position screens at 90 degrees to windows where possible and ensure blinds are available.

Modern LED lighting and laptop screens do not always complement each other.

Warm home lighting (2700K) combined with a bright, cool-toned screen can increase glare and discomfort. Many home workers simply increase brightness instead of adjusting room lighting, which worsens the problem.

A good DSE assessment should always consider:

…in that order!

At Fit4Work, our DSE Assessor Training goes beyond basic checklist compliance.

We teach assessors to:

Good workstation design is not just about chairs and desks.

It is about designing work around human limits – including visual capacity.