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 providing workstation assessment, training, eye tests on request, and organising work to reduce continuous screen exposure.
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 by a qualified ergonomist of how a person's work, workstation, equipment and environment combine to produce musculoskeletal and visual risk. It differs from a DSE assessment by being broader (covering non-screen work), deeper (typically clinical or chartered-level practitioner), and case-specific (typically prompted by reported pain, injury, return-to-work or a high-risk role rather than as a routine compliance exercise). In Ireland, ergonomic assessments are commonly delivered as a two-stage engagement: a Stage 1 telephone or virtual consultation followed by a Stage 2 onsite assessment. The output is a report with specific corrective actions and, where required, equipment recommendations.
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 chartered physiotherapists and 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 lifting, carrying, lowering, pushing or pulling of a load (an inanimate object) by human effort. It includes related activities such as moving, holding or supporting. In Ireland, manual handling is regulated under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (SI 299/2007), which requires employers to avoid manual handling where reasonably practicable, assess the risk where it cannot be avoided, and provide information and training on safe handling techniques. Manual handling training in Ireland is typically QQI Level 6 accredited. It is distinct from people (or patient) handling, which specifically covers moving and positioning people.
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 — is the safe moving and positioning of patients, residents and clients in healthcare and care settings. It includes bed transfers, sit-to-stand, repositioning, hoist use, sliding-sheet technique and falls assistance. Patient handling is fundamentally distinct from manual handling because the load is alive: it can shift unpredictably, may resist or cooperate, and has dignity considerations that inanimate loads do not. In Ireland, patient handling training for healthcare workers is QQI Level 6 accredited and is required under the same Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Regulations that apply to manual handling. The HSE Single-Supplier Framework for Manual Handling and People Moving and Handling Training applies to HSE bodies.
Read definitionQQI Level 6
QQI Level 6 is a nationally recognised qualification level in the Irish National Framework of Qualifications, equivalent to an Advanced Certificate or Higher Certificate. In the context of manual handling and patient handling training in Ireland, QQI Level 6 refers to the standard at which instructors are accredited — a QQI Level 6 instructor is qualified to deliver manual handling and people handling training to employees in a recognised, compliant programme. QQI is the Quality and Qualifications Ireland body. A QQI Level 6 accredited course produces a recognised certificate that meets the Health and Safety Authority's expectations and the requirements of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Regulations 2007.
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. In Ireland these assessments are often delivered as a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) by a chartered physiotherapist, sometimes combined with an ergonomic assessment of the workstation. The output is an objective report that supports occupational health, the employer and, where relevant, insurers in making safe, defensible return-to-work decisions.
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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