EüM Regulation

Pursuant to the authorisation granted under Article 88 (2) of Act XCIII of 1993 on Occupational Safety and Health (hereinafter Mvt.), I hereby order the following in agreement with the Minister of Social Affairs and Family:

1. §

(1) This Regulation shall apply, subject to the exceptions set out in paragraph (2), to.
a., all the provisions of Mvt. employees employed in the framework of an organised work arrangement within the meaning of § 87, point 9, of the Mvt. who regularly use a display screen device for at least 4 hours of their daily working time, and
b., any employer employing a worker as referred to in a.
(2) This Regulation does not apply to employers and workers operating (using) the following machines or equipment:
a., driver’s cabs or operator’s cabs of vehicles or work machines,
b., computer systems on means of transport,
c., computer systems intended primarily for public use,
d., portable systems not permanently used in the workplace,
e., calculators, cash registers and other devices with small screens for the direct use of the user, showing data or measurement results, and
f., conventional typewriters of the electric electronic type, known as “window typewriters”.

2. §

For the purposes of this Regulation
a., screen device: a device for displaying a series of figures, letters, graphics, irrespective of the display process used;
b., screen-based workstation: a set of work equipment to which, in addition to the screen-based work equipment, a data input device (keyboard, scanner, camera, other data input device), other peripherals (pointing device, plotter, printer, diskette unit, modem, etc.), possible accessories, software defining the human-machine interface, filing cabinet, work chair, work desk or work surface, telephone, and the immediate work environment may be connected.

3. §

The employer is subject to the Mvt. 54. §-In the course of risk assessment and evaluation in accordance with paragraph (2) of Article §, and in the course of regular monitoring of the health and safety conditions of work at work with display screen equipment, the following risks are continuously examined:
a., factors causing visual impairment
b., psychological (mental) stress
c., factors causing physical impairment

4. §

The employer shall organise work processes in such a way that continuous work in front of the screen is interrupted by breaks of at least ten minutes per hour, which cannot be combined, and that the total actual time spent in front of the screen does not exceed six hours per day.

5. §

The employer must ensure the employee’s eyesight and send him/her for a vision test. In addition to the periodic medical examinations required by special legislation*, the employee must undergo such examinations. The examination is carried out by the doctor providing the occupational health service, who refers the worker for a specialist ophthalmological examination if justified.

6. §

If, as a result of a specialist ophthalmological examination, the glasses or contact lenses used by the employee are not suitable for working in front of a screen, the employer shall provide the employee with the necessary glasses for sharp vision in front of the screen, in accordance with the reimbursement rules laid down in a separate law.

7. §

Costs arising from the implementation of the provisions of § 5 and § 6 may not be recovered from the employee.

8. §

The requirements for the design of a workstation with a screen are set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

9. §

The State Public Health and Veterinary Service shall ensure the control of the implementation of the provisions of this Act.

10. §

(1) With the exception of paragraph (2), this Decree shall enter into force on the 60th day following its publication, at the same time point 8 of Decree No.26/1999 (VIII.28) of the NM on the limitation of the exposure time (daily, weekly) of workers employed under certain health risks shall be repealed.
(2) The provisions under § 6 shall apply from 31 December 2001. The special legislation under section 6 shall be published before 1 January 2001.
(3) A new workplace with screens established after 1 January 2001 shall comply with the health and safety requirements set out in the Annex.
(4) A workplace with display screen equipment established before 1 January 2001 shall comply with the health and safety requirements set out in the Annex from 31 December 2001. In the case of programmes using a font which complies with the Hungarian spelling rules, it shall be ensured that this font is displayed on the screen or in print from the first day of the thirteenth month following the entry into force of this Regulation.
(5) This Decree contains provisions compatible with the provisions of Council Directive 90/270/EEC on the minimum safety and health requirements for work with display screen equipment, in the context of the European Agreement establishing an association between the Republic of Hungary and the European Communities and their Member States, signed in Brussels on 16 December 1991, in accordance with Article 3 of Act I of 1994 promulgating the said Agreement.

Dr Árpád Gógl s.k.,
Minister of Health

Annex

to Decree 50/1999 (XI.3.) of the Ministry of the Economy

Minimum requirements for the design of a screen-based workplace

1. Equipment

1.1. General provision

Display screen equipment must be designed, installed and maintained in such a way that its intended use does not present a health risk or an accident hazard to workers.

1.2. Screenshot from

a., On-screen symbols should be well-defined and clear in shape, of appropriate size, with adequate spacing between symbols and lines.
b., The on-screen image should be stable, with no flicker or other forms of instability.
c., The brightness and contrast between symbols and background should be easily adjustable by the user and easily adapted to the environmental conditions.
d., The screen should be easily and freely tiltable to suit the user’s needs.
e., A separate monitor shelf or adjustable table should be provided.
f., The screen should be free from glare and reflections which may cause discomfort or visual difficulties to the user.

1.3. Keyboard

a., The keyboard should be tilted and separate from the monitor to allow the user to assume a comfortable working posture without arm and hand fatigue.
b., There should be enough space in front of the keyboard to support the computer operator’s hands and wrists.
c., The surface of the keyboard should be gloss-free to avoid glare and reflections.
d., The symbols on the keys should be easily distinguishable and clearly legible from the workstation.

1.4. Work table or work surface

a., The desk or work surface should be of a non-reflective surface and size to allow flexible arrangement of the monitor, keyboard, documents and connecting devices.
b., The desk or work surface should be adjustable and can be fixed in a position that is comfortable for the user to read.

1.5. Work chair

a., The work chair should be stable and ensure easy, free movement and a comfortable posture for the user.
b., The height of the chair should be easily adjustable
c., The backrest of the chair should be height adjustable and tilting.
d., If required, a footrest or a heel support should be provided.

2. Environment

2.1. Space requirements

The workstation must be designed and dimensioned to allow the user sufficient space to change his or her position and movements.

2.2. Illumination

a., The general or local lighting (work lamp) should provide satisfactory illumination and adequate contrast between the screen and the background environment, taking into account the nature of the work and the visual requirements of the user.
b., Distracting glare and reflections from screens and other work equipment should be prevented by coordinating the design of the work space and workstation with the positioning and technical characteristics of artificial light sources when installing a workstation with screens.

2.3. Reflection and glare

a., Workstations with screens should be designed so that light sources (windows and other openings, transparent or translucent walls), light-coloured fixtures or walls do not cause direct reflections and, as far as possible, do not cause glare on the screen.
b., Windows should be provided with an appropriate system of adjustable screens to reduce the amount of daylight falling on the workstation with screens.

2.4. Noise

Noise from equipment at the workplace must be taken into account when furnishing the workplace, particularly so as not to interfere with attention and speech understanding.

2.5. Air conditioning

a., Workplace equipment must not generate heat in such quantities as to cause discomfort to the worker.
b., The user must be protected from radiant and flux heat and from under-desk heat generating equipment.

2.6. Radiation

All radiation, except visible light radiation, must be limited to a level that is negligible for the health and safety of the user.

3. Human-machine interaction

In designing, selecting, implementing and modifying software, and in designing on-screen work tasks, employers should take the following principles into account:
a., the software must be fit for purpose
b., the software should display all letters on the screen and in print in a form that conforms to Hungarian spelling,
c., the software should be easy to use and, if necessary, adaptable to the level of knowledge and experience of the computer operator, have a help function in Hungarian, and no quantitative or qualitative control of the employee’s performance should be used without the knowledge of the employee,
d., systems should display information in a format and at a pace that adapts to the worker in front of the screen,
e., software ergonomics principles should be applied, especially in human data entry and data processing tasks,
f., systems should provide feedback to the worker on their performance.

* Decree No 33/1998 (VI. 24.) NM on the medical examination and assessment of fitness for employment, occupational and personal hygiene.