Case Studies

In January 2024, Yuliya, the Health and Safety Coordinator at TT Electronics Ltd, engaged Fit4Work to deliver an IOSH Approved DSE Assessor Training Course in person. Although she had been conducting workstation risk assessments for some time, she noted that when employees reported ongoing lower back pain, her assessments did not always resolve the issue. In such cases, the company sought external expertise, which often resulted in specialist recommendations - including the purchase of new chairs. Over the previous year alone, this led to an investment of approximately £30,000 in replacement seating.

Yuliya’s key aim in attending the training was to refine her assessment skills and strengthen her confidence in addressing complex musculoskeletal concerns. By enhancing her ability to identify risks and implement effective solutions, she sought not only to improve employee wellbeing but also to reduce the organisation’s reliance on costly interventions. Ultimately, her goal was to deliver more effective workstation assessments that would both support staff health and generate meaningful cost savings for the business.

In addition to the topics mentioned above, a significant amount of time was devoted to preventing and managing lower back pain. For example, angle of the chair’s backrest, depth of the seat pan, how often and for how long micro breaks should be taken, the correct workstation set up, and when should height adjustable desks be used.

An end-of-course assessment process is part of the IOSH Approved DSE Assessor Training Course. This involved completing a theory assessment paper (multi format question paper) and a practical assessment paper, each of which required a 60% pass mark.