The government is moving to safeguard workers from health issues associated with prolonged use of computers and other screen-based equipment in the workplace.
On Monday, the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Agency hosted the nation’s first public stakeholder consultation on proposed legislation governing the use of Display Screen Equipment (DSE).
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development, Natalie Willis, highlighted the importance of the initiative, noting that the legislation will address long-term physical and mental health impacts linked to screen-based work environments.
“Computers, tablets, and other devices support a more efficient workflow and help us to stay connected, but without proper safeguards, they can also contribute to health risks such as computer vision syndrome, including eye strain and musculoskeletal injuries. This concern is supported by a 2023 study conducted by the University of the West Indies which showed that 74.7% of bank workers suffered from symptoms related to computer vision syndrome.”
PS Willis added that T&T is “definitely considered to be digital natives” with a high usage and adoption of information technologies.
“This is supported by the fact that at the start of 2025, the Global Digital Report cited that there were a total of 2.03 million cellular mobile connections which are active, equivalent to 135% of the total population, and 1.28 million persons in our country using the internet, with close to 60% of the population being social media users.”
The Ministry of Labour’s Permanent Secretary noted that technology is now the backbone of many workplaces and will continue to be so in the foreseeable future.
“To bring this point closer to home: just consider your own household and the number of smartphones, computers, tablets, touchscreen devices, and other visual display equipment you have around. Also consider the length of time you spend on social media each day, which I am sure could exceed the daily average estimated at three hours and 18 minutes. Added to this picture is the number of hours we spend using our computers and tablets each day in order to get our jobs done.”
The consultation looked at the United Kingdom’s Display Screen Equipment Regulations as a guide to shape the proposed legislation.