There is a quiet liability embedded in most Irish organisations today. It rarely gets flagged until it has already triggered a fine, a claim, or a significant reputational knock. It is not cyber, GDPR, or fire safety protocols. It is your display screen equipment (DSE) policy. And the uncomfortable reality is that for many organisations, it is no longer fit for purpose.
The issue is not lack of intent. It is inertia. Most Health & Safety leaders believe they are covered. Assessments are done, boxes ticked, and the policy was reviewed at some point last year. But in the regulatory and workforce environment of 2025, that is no longer enough. If your display screen equipment framework has not evolved to reflect the hybrid, remote, and transient nature of modern working, you are already carrying hidden risk. And your board may not even see it.
Compliance Is Not Static. Your Policy Should Not Be Either.
There is a fundamental misconception across many Irish organisations that DSE compliance is a fixed point in time. That once assessments have been conducted and training slides distributed, the matter is settled. In reality, compliance is a moving target. The Health and Safety Authority makes it clear that DSE policies must be continuous, evidence-based, and context-specific. That means addressing not just what work is being done, but where, how, and by whom.
Organisations still relying on legacy self-assessments, outdated training content or passive tracking systems are falling short. And the risk is very real. It is playing out in audit findings, employee claims, and rising absenteeism across industries.
If you cannot clearly demonstrate how your organisation is actively managing DSE compliance today, then you are not compliant. And the cost of that exposure can be significant.
Use the Free 2025 DSE Checklist to assess your company's compliance
The True Cost of Outdated Policies
For many organisations, DSE compliance remains an assumption. It is rarely challenged until a trigger event forces it into the spotlight. That could be a workplace injury, a regulatory inspection, or a legal claim. At that point, the lack of policy clarity, tracking, or evidence becomes visible and costly.
The direct financial penalties are only part of the problem. The reputational damage can undermine trust with employees, regulators, and senior stakeholders. There are also operational consequences. Poor DSE setups lead to fatigue, strain and productivity loss. These are not abstract risks. They are real, recurring and measurable.
We have worked with multiple organisations that believed they were covered, only to uncover significant gaps once the systems were tested. If your DSE policy cannot stand up to a live audit or litigation scenario, you are exposed.
Why 2025 Marks a Strategic Shift in Ergonomics
Hybrid and remote working have fundamentally changed the way we operate. The DSE environment is no longer a single, controlled office. It is a fluid ecosystem of home offices, hot desks, and mobile work setups. Yet most DSE policies are still designed for fixed workstations.
This disconnect is not just inconvenient. It is dangerous.
DSE compliance must now account for a distributed workforce, mobile devices, and employee movement between multiple work settings. It must be dynamic, not static. This is not about administrative compliance. It is about protecting organisational resilience, maintaining employee performance and staying ahead of regulatory expectations.
The smartest organisations are not just reacting. They are building forward-looking ergonomic frameworks that integrate with business strategy. That is where KOS operates. We do not deliver assessments and walk away. We work with you to embed ergonomic governance that scales, evolves and protects your organisation.
Five Strategic Gaps That Signal Risk
In the last year, over 67% of Irish companies we have assessed have shown key weaknesses in their DSE policies. The most common include:
Overreliance on self-assessment tools with no qualified validation.
Outdated or generic training that does not reflect current working realities.
No formal tracking of hybrid or remote worker assessments.
Lack of audit-ready records to support compliance during inspections.
Positioning ergonomics as a reactive cost rather than a strategic contributor.
Each of these issues increases risk exposure and decreases organisational agility. If any of them sound familiar, the time to act is now.
Take the KOS DSE Self-Audit Checklist to assess your company's current state.
What Leading Organisations Are Doing Differently
The most progressive organisations are not just running more assessments. They are reframing ergonomics as a strategic lever. They integrate DSE risk into board-level conversations. They treat ergonomic data as an early warning system for absenteeism and attrition. They audit regularly and use external partners to challenge internal blind spots.
These organisations are not spending more. They are aligning better. They see DSE compliance as an investment in culture, performance and legal assurance. And they are right.
KOS supports these organisations by delivering more than compliance. We build systems, frameworks and insight engines that transform DSE policy from a regulatory burden into a measurable asset.
KOS: Your Strategic Partner in Ergonomic Compliance
KOS is not a vendor. We are a partner. Our mission is to help future-facing organisations take control of their ergonomic risk and turn it into long-term advantage. We offer:
Comprehensive ergonomic compliance programmes built for the Irish regulatory landscape
Assessment frameworks tailored to remote, hybrid and site-based workers
Tracking and reporting tools that give you real-time visibility and audit readiness
Board-level guidance to align DSE with broader risk and wellbeing strategies
We are already supporting some of Ireland’s most trusted brands. We are ready to support yours.
🔗 Explore our ergonomic DSE assessment compliance services
Take Control Before Risk Takes Over
You would not leave data security or financial compliance to chance. Your Display screen equipment compliance should be no different. If your current policy is out of date, inconsistent, or disconnected from how people actually work, the risk is already present.
Now is the time to act.
✅ Identify your weak points
✅ Strengthen your policy
✅ Future-proof your compliance
Take Your Free 2025 DSE Self-Audit – to understand your companies compliance status
It is fast, practical, and built specifically for Irish organisations navigating the future of work.
KOS | For organisations that treat compliance as a strategy
www.kos.ie
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