Breaks for computer/VDU users?

There is no requirement under Victorian OHS legislation to provide specific breaks to computer/VDU users. However, all workers are entitled to breaks under their award/agreement (see this FAQ on Rest/Meal breaks). 

In addition to this, under Section 21 of the OHS Act, an employer has to provide safe and healthy systems of work - so what might this mean with respect to breaks and computer users?

The WorkSafe publication Office health and safety gives the following advice in relation to reducing the job demands of VDU work through good design:

The physical, social and psychological capabilities and needs of people should be considered in the design of work.

Task variety

It is important to include task variety in the design of work. Task variety is best done by mixing intensive keyboard use and other computer use
with a variety of other work. The different tasks should involve a change in posture and muscles used.

Breaks

Rest or work breaks can range from short pauses to defined breaks, such as meal breaks.
Answering the phone or collecting a document from the printer are short breaks that provide an opportunity for:
• muscles to rest and recover from screen, keyboard and
mouse use
• muscles and joints to move after being in fixed
positions.

Where a variety of alternative tasks is not available, it is important to have more work breaks away from the task. The length and frequency of these breaks depends on the work, the person and other factors. Frequent short pauses are preferable to infrequent longer pauses

Management and unions in some organisations have developed agreements and guidelines which take account of the factors at individual workplaces and provide for pauses for fixed lengths of time.

Further, there are now many health issues to do with sedentary work (read more) which the employer needs to be aware of.

The ACTU Guidelines on Screen Based Work were written to assist in negotiating policies on screen-based work generally. With regard to breaks, the Guidelines recommend the following:

Job design should be used to limit both the length of continuous periods spent at screen based work, and the total time spent at screen based work. Designing breaks between periods of screen based work allows for periods of recovery following periods of exposure, and limits the total exposure to the hazards of screen based work.

Limiting Exposure to Screen Based Work

It is recommended that workers should be provided with other work that takes them right away from the screen for at least half their working time.

Job design for screen based work should make provision for regular breaks of at least 15 minutes per hour for concentrated screen based work, and 15 minutes per 2 hours for less strenuous work.

Some workplaces have adopted a standard of 10 minutes break after 50 minutes of screen-based work, or 5 minutes break after 25 minutes work.

Consider the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, stop work and focus on an object 20 metres away for 20 seconds.

There is evidence to suggest that more frequent but shorter breaks are more beneficial.

Rest breaks should be recuperative, and take place away from the VDU. Breaks should not involve any visually demanding tasks (ones that require sustained focus at a distance less than 30 cm or between 50 and 150 cm, according to Comcare Australia), nor should they involve repetitive motions. During breaks, the eyes should refocus at a variety of distances, and expansive movements that exercise different muscle groups in the neck, shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers, will help to relieve muscular fatigue.

If there is no policy on screen based work at your workplace, this could be something to be negotiated at the OHS Committee level.

Contact your union for further information and advice.

More information

 Last amended January 2025