Office blinds and screen glare: what the DSE rules mean for windows

Office screen glare is one of the most common workplace complaints, and windows are usually the cause. UK health and safety law has a specific line about window coverings for screen users, and most people have never read it. Here is what it says, what it means in practice, and how the right roller blind helps you meet it.

This guide is a plain-English summary for general information. It is not legal advice. For your own workplace, check the regulations and HSE guidance directly or speak to a competent health and safety adviser.

What do the DSE Regulations say about windows?

The DSE Regulations, formally the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, include a schedule of minimum workstation requirements. On windows, it says they “shall be fitted with a suitable system of adjustable covering to attenuate the daylight that falls on the workstation”. In short: screen users need blinds they can adjust.

The same schedule goes further than the covering itself. It says workstations should be designed so that windows, other openings, transparent or translucent walls and brightly coloured fixtures or walls “cause no direct glare and no distracting reflections on the screen”. It also says glare and reflections should be prevented by coordinating the workplace and workstation layout. You can read the full wording in the schedule to the DSE Regulations on legislation.gov.uk.

Three points stand out:

• Adjustable matters. A fixed film or a covering stuck in one position does not let people respond as the sun moves.
• Attenuate means reduce, not eliminate. The law does not ask you to black out the office.
• Layout comes first. Blinds work alongside good desk positioning, not instead of it.

Who do the DSE rules apply to?

The DSE rules apply to workers who use screens daily, as part of their normal work, for continuous periods of an hour or more. HSE calls these people DSE users. For them, the employer must carry out a workstation assessment, reduce the risks it finds, and review it when the workstation or the way it is used changes.

That covers most office staff, receptionists, call handlers and anyone who works at a laptop for most of the day. HSE guidance says the assessment should look at the whole workstation, including equipment, furniture and work conditions, plus the job being done and any special needs of the person. Lighting and glare fall under work conditions, so windows and blinds are part of the assessment, not an optional extra.

Occasional screen use, such as checking a tablet on a shop floor for a few minutes, is generally outside the scope. If you are unsure whether someone counts as a user, the HSE guidance and the Regulations themselves are the place to check.

What kinds of glare affect people working at screens?

Glare at screens comes in two main forms. Direct glare is bright light from a window or lamp in your field of view, making you squint past it to see the screen. Reflected glare is a bright patch or mirror image on the screen itself, which washes out the display. Both cause eye strain and awkward posture.

There is also a subtler problem: poor contrast. When a window behind the monitor is much brighter than the screen, your eyes keep adjusting between the two. People often do not notice the cause, only that they feel tired or have a headache by mid-afternoon.

HSE’s L26 guidance on the Regulations makes a useful point here: poor posture may be a response to screen reflections or glare, rather than poor furniture. Someone hunched forward or twisted sideways may be dodging a reflection, not sitting in a bad chair. Fix the light and the posture often fixes itself.

How should screens be positioned relative to windows?

Screen position is the first line of defence against window glare. HSE’s leaflet Working with display screen equipment advises arranging the desk and screen to avoid glare or bright reflections, noting this is often easiest if the screen does not directly face windows or bright lights. Side-on to the window is usually the best starting point.

In practice, most offices settle on these rules of thumb:

• Side-on is best. Place desks so the window is to the side of the user, with the screen at roughly a right angle to the glass.
• Avoid a window behind the screen. The user stares into bright daylight around the monitor, which causes direct glare and contrast strain.
• Avoid a window behind the user. Daylight lands on the screen and bounces straight back as reflected glare.
• Tilt and adjust. A small change in screen tilt or brightness can remove a reflection that looked like a big problem.

Open-plan offices rarely let every desk sit perfectly. Glass-fronted buildings in places like Canary Wharf and Stratford often have glazing on several sides, and converted Victorian and Edwardian buildings across London and Essex have tall sash windows in awkward spots. That is exactly where adjustable blinds do the heavy lifting.

Which blinds work best for office screen glare?

Sunscreen roller blinds are usually the best blinds for office screen glare. The fabric has a fine open weave that cuts brightness and heat while keeping a view out, so staff can lower them without switching on every light. Blackout suits presentation rooms, while dim-out and day and night blinds fit smaller offices and home workspaces.

Our sunscreen roller blinds page explains the fabric in more detail, and our guide to blackout vs sunscreen roller blinds compares the two side by side. For larger workplaces, see our commercial roller blinds service, which also covers flame-retardant fabrics where a fire risk assessment calls for them.

What does openness factor mean for sunscreen fabrics?

Openness factor is the percentage of a sunscreen fabric that is open weave rather than yarn. A lower openness, such as 1 or 3 per cent, lets less light through and gives stronger glare control. A higher openness, such as 5 or 10 per cent, keeps more daylight and a clearer view out, but controls glare less.

Which one suits an office depends on orientation and screen work:

• South and west-facing glazing with low afternoon sun usually needs a tighter weave. Low sun hits screens directly and is the hardest glare to tame.
• North-facing windows get softer, indirect light. A more open fabric often keeps the room bright without screen problems.
• East-facing rooms get strong early sun, which matters if people start early.
• Screen-heavy roles, such as design, finance or control rooms, usually benefit from the tighter end of the range.

The fabric samples we bring to a measure let you hold different openness levels up to the actual window, which is far more reliable than judging from a photo. You can also order free fabric samples by post to test at a desk.

Should office sunscreen blinds be dark or light coloured?

Dark sunscreen fabrics usually give better glare control and a clearer view out, because a dark surface absorbs light rather than scattering it across the room. Light fabrics reflect more heat back through the glass but glow when the sun hits them, which can itself become a source of glare behind a screen.

This is a trade-off many offices do not realise they are making:

• Dark colours (charcoal, black, dark bronze): better view-through, less glow, stronger glare control. They absorb more heat into the fabric.
• Light colours (white, pale grey): reflect more solar heat and brighten the room, but can look luminous in direct sun.
• Two-tone fabrics: some sunscreen fabrics have a lighter outward face and a darker room face, aiming for both effects.

For desks facing onto the window wall, a darker fabric is usually kinder on the eyes. For a warm south-facing reception with few screens, a lighter fabric may help more with heat. When we measure, we ask how the space is used before recommending a colour.

What blinds suit meeting rooms and presentation rooms?

Meeting and presentation rooms with projectors or large screens usually need blackout roller blinds. Projected images wash out quickly in daylight, and even a sunscreen fabric can leave the picture looking faded. Blackout lets you darken the room fully for presentations, then raise the blind for normal meetings.

A few points worth thinking about for these rooms:

• Side light gaps. A roller blind inside the recess leaves a small gap at each side. Fitting outside the recess with an overlap reduces light spill.
• Glass partitions. Rooms with internal glass walls may need blinds on those too, for privacy as much as light.
• Motorisation. Motorised roller blinds let a presenter lower every blind together, which is handy in rooms with several windows.

Do the DSE rules cover people working from home?

The DSE rules do cover home workers who meet the definition of a DSE user. HSE says the Regulations apply to people who work at home on a permanent or long-term basis, or who routinely split their time between the workplace and home. Employers must assess those workstations too, though HSE says a visit is not usually needed.

HSE’s guidance on DSE and home working explains that trained workers can often complete a self-assessment. Windows are a frequent problem at home because the desk goes wherever it fits: a spare bedroom in a 1930s semi, a kitchen table, or a corner of a new-build flat with floor-to-ceiling glass.

Practical fixes for home offices are the same as in the office. Turn the desk side-on to the window if you can, and fit a blind that dims the light without making the room gloomy. Dim-out and day and night fabrics are popular for home offices that double as guest rooms, while sunscreen suits rooms where you want to keep the view.

How do you include windows in a workstation assessment?

Including windows in a workstation assessment means checking, at each desk, whether daylight causes glare or reflections, whether the blinds work and can be adjusted by the user, and whether moving the screen would help. Checking at different times of day matters, because a desk that is fine at 9am can be unusable at 3pm.

1. Sit in the user’s position. Look at the screen and past it. Note any bright window in view or any reflection on the display.
2. Note the orientation. Record which way the window faces and when the sun reaches it.
3. Check the covering. Is there a blind? Does it go up and down freely? Can the user reach the control?
4. Check the fabric. Does it actually reduce glare enough, or does the screen still wash out with the blind down?
5. Try layout changes first. Rotate the screen, move the desk or adjust brightness and tilt.
6. Record the action. If blinds need adding, repairing or replacing, note it with a target date.
7. Review after changes. Recheck after new blinds go in or desks move, and when users report discomfort.

Common mistakes

• Relying on overhead lights to compete with the sun. Turning lights up does not fix a bright window behind the screen.
• Blinds that do not work. A broken chain or jammed roller means no adjustable covering, whatever is at the window.
• One fabric for the whole building. North and south elevations often need different openness levels.
• Ignoring the afternoon. Assessments done in the morning miss low west sun.
• Forgetting home workers. Regular home workers need their workstation assessed too.

Where can you get office blinds measured in London, Essex and North Kent?

Office roller blinds are best measured on site, so the fabric, openness and fit match each window and how the room is used. HD Blinds measures, supplies and fits made-to-measure roller blinds across London, Essex and North Kent, with a free measure, fabric samples on the day and a written, no-obligation quote.

We cover everything from single home offices to multi-room workplaces. Blinds with cords or chains are fitted with the child safety devices required by BS EN 13120, which matters in mixed-use buildings and homes. To arrange a visit, request a free quote.

Frequently asked questions