Definitions
Glossary
Plain-language definitions of Irish health and safety terms. Built for HR teams, safety officers, students and employees who just want to understand what the words actually mean.
Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
Display Screen Equipment (DSE) is the regulatory term used in Irish health and safety law to describe any alphanumeric or graphic display screen used at work — typically desktop monitors, laptops, tablets and other visual displays. It originated in EU Directive 90/270/EEC and was transposed into Irish law via the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (SI 299/2007). The term covers the screen itself and the associated workstation: chair, desk, keyboard, mouse and the immediate working environment. An employer in Ireland has specific duties for staff who use DSE for significant parts of their normal work, including workstation analysis, training, making appropriate eye and eyesight tests known and available, and organising work to allow breaks or changes of activity.
Read definitionDSE assessment
A DSE (Display Screen Equipment) assessment is a structured evaluation of a person's workstation and work tasks involving display screen equipment — typically desktop computers, laptops and tablets. It identifies risk factors for musculoskeletal symptoms and visual fatigue, and specifies practical controls including workstation setup, equipment adjustment and work organisation. In Ireland the assessment is required under Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (SI 299/2007). Most assessments take 30 to 45 minutes and can be delivered remotely (typically via Microsoft Teams) or onsite. The output is a report with corrective actions, equipment recommendations and a record of the assessment for compliance evidence.
Read definitionErgonomic assessment
An ergonomic assessment is a structured evaluation of how a person's work, tasks, workstation, equipment and environment interact and where changes may reduce musculoskeletal or other ergonomic risks. It is broader than a DSE assessment when it covers non-screen work, complex cases or task-specific demands. Depending on the issue, an assessment may include an initial consultation, observation of the work, measurements, review of equipment and work organisation, and a written report with practical controls. The International Ergonomics Association describes ergonomics and human factors as both a scientific discipline concerned with interactions between people and other elements of a system and a profession that applies evidence to optimise human wellbeing and system performance.
Read definitionFunctional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)
A Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is a structured clinical assessment that measures an individual's physical capacity to perform work-related tasks. It is typically used in return-to-work planning after injury or illness, workplace accommodation design, disability assessment, and pre-employment fitness screening for physically demanding roles. FCEs are delivered by appropriately qualified clinicians and can involve standardised physical tests including lifting, carrying, reaching, postural tolerance and task simulation. The output is a detailed report suitable for medical professionals, employers and insurers. In Ireland a standard FCE assessment takes 2 to 3.5 hours and produces a written report; the engagement requires occupational-health input, the job description, and the participant's informed consent.
Read definitionHSA (Health and Safety Authority)
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is the Irish state body responsible for enforcing workplace health and safety law. It oversees the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and its regulations, including the General Application Regulations 2007 that cover manual handling and display screen equipment. The HSA inspects workplaces, investigates incidents, issues improvement and prohibition notices, publishes guidance, and can prosecute employers for serious breaches. For employers, the HSA is the regulator whose expectations shape what compliant manual handling training, DSE assessment and ergonomic risk management look like in practice.
Read definitionManual handling
Manual handling is the transporting or supporting of a load by one or more employees and includes lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving. Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (SI 299/2007), the specific duties apply where the activity, because of the load or unfavourable ergonomic conditions, involves risk, particularly of back injury. Employers must first seek to avoid the need for hazardous manual handling and, where it cannot be avoided, assess and reduce the risk. HSA guidance says workplace manual handling training should be delivered by an instructor who holds the QQI Level 6 Manual Handling Instruction award; this instructor qualification does not make an ordinary employee course a QQI Level 6 award.
Read definitionMSK risk (workplace musculoskeletal risk)
Workplace musculoskeletal (MSK) risk is the risk that work tasks, environments or equipment cause or contribute to disorders of the muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, nerves and supporting structures. MSK disorders are consistently the most common category of work-related ill health in Ireland and across the EU, accounting for the largest share of reported work-related health issues each year per the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). MSK risk in workplaces is typically managed through ergonomic risk assessment, manual handling training, workstation design, workload organisation and early intervention on reported symptoms. The legal foundation in Ireland for MSK risk management is the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007.
Read definitionPatient handling
Patient handling, also called people moving and handling, covers the safe moving and positioning of patients, residents, clients and other service users in healthcare and care settings. It can include bed transfers, repositioning and the use of handling aids such as hoists, slings and sliding sheets. HSA guidance says staff involved in people moving and handling must receive appropriate training from a competent person that is specific to the setting; instructors should hold the QQI Level 6 People Handling Instruction award. That is an instructor qualification, not a QQI Level 6 award for every employee who attends workplace training. HSE booking guidance says its classroom-based theory and practical training is delivered by HSE instructors where available, or by Usafety.
Read definitionQQI Level 6
QQI Level 6 is a level in Ireland's National Framework of Qualifications. In manual handling and people handling, the relevant QQI Level 6 awards are instructor awards: Manual Handling Instruction and People Handling Instruction. HSA guidance says workplace manual handling training should be delivered by a person with the appropriate instructor award, or by someone who can otherwise demonstrate equivalent competence. An employee who completes ordinary workplace manual handling or people handling training does not receive a QQI Level 6 award merely because the instructor holds that qualification.
Read definitionReturn-to-work assessment
A return-to-work assessment evaluates whether and how an employee can safely resume their role after injury, illness or extended absence. It considers the physical demands of the role, the employee's current capacity, and any workplace adjustments or phased-return arrangements needed. Depending on the question being assessed, it may include a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) by an appropriately qualified clinician and an ergonomic assessment of the work or workstation. The output is a report that supports occupational health, the employer and, where relevant, insurers in planning a safe return to work.
Read definitionVDU assessment
A VDU (Visual Display Unit) assessment is the same thing as a DSE (Display Screen Equipment) assessment — VDU is the older term still used in some Irish workplaces and documentation. It is a structured evaluation of a screen-based workstation and the user's posture, equipment and work patterns, carried out to meet the employer's duties under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (SI 299/2007). "DSE" is the term used in the current Regulations; "VDU" survives from earlier guidance. If a supplier or employer refers to a VDU assessment, they mean a DSE assessment.
Read definitionWorkstation assessment
A workstation assessment is an evaluation of an individual's working position and equipment to identify and reduce musculoskeletal and visual risk. For screen-based roles it is synonymous with a DSE assessment and is required under SI 299/2007 in Ireland. For non-screen roles — production lines, laboratories, clinical settings — a workstation assessment forms part of a broader ergonomic assessment. The assessment looks at the chair, desk or bench, screen or task surface, input devices, lighting, posture and work organisation, and produces corrective actions and equipment recommendations.
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