What this is
What is a workstation setup record?
What is a workstation setup record?
A workstation setup record documents that a workstation was physically adjusted and configured for a named person, including the settings used, whether the worker was present, and whether they can reproduce the adjustment themselves. It is the step after an assessment or an equipment request, not a substitute for either.
Who completes a workstation setup record?
A trained assessor or facilities carries it out, ideally with the worker present so settings are demonstrated and practised rather than only applied on their behalf. Where the worker is absent, the record should say so rather than imply a normal setup took place.
When is it needed?
At initial setup for a new starter, after equipment ordered through an equipment request arrives, or when a desk is shared or reallocated. Anywhere a workstation changes hands or gains new equipment, the previous settings can no longer be assumed to fit.
Scope
When is a workstation setup record required?
This record documents that a workstation was physically set up and verified for a specific person. Where the need is to decide what should be assessed, ordered or investigated rather than to record that a setup happened, a different template in the programme applies.
Use this template when
- Equipment ordered through an Ergonomic Equipment Request has arrived and needs fitting to the person
- A desk is being reassigned or reallocated and the new occupant's setup needs establishing and recording
- An assessment has specified adjustments that now need to be carried out and confirmed
- A shared desk needs its correct settings documented so they can be restored after each user
- Facilities or a trained assessor is completing the physical configuration rather than the underlying assessment
Do not use it for
- Office Workstation Self Assessment, which lets an office worker assess their own desk setup using guided questions and reference images, before any physical adjustment is made.
- Display Screen Assessment, which assesses screen height, distance, glare and eye comfort as a review, not as a record of adjustments carried out.
- Remote Work Assessment, which assesses a home or remote setup using photographs supplied by the worker, rather than a workstation set up on-site by a trained assessor.
- Ergonomic Equipment Request, which is the ordering record for a chair, monitor arm, footrest or sit stand desk, a separate step before this one.
- The task or risk assessment that specified the equipment, which records why a particular control was chosen; this record only shows that it was then fitted.
Compliance mapping
Which ISO 9241 requirements does this satisfy?
ISO 9241 sets what a correctly configured workstation looks like. This record is the evidence that a specific workstation was actually brought to that standard for the person using it, not merely delivered to them.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9241-5 | Workstation layout and postural requirements for the person, equipment and space around it | Setup |
| ISO 9241-400 series | Requirements for physical input devices including keyboard and pointing device positioning | Setup |
| ISO 9241-300 series | Requirements for the display, including height and distance from the user | Setup |
| ISO 9241-2 | Task requirements, including the user's ability to understand and control their own equipment | Verification |
| ISO 9241 (general) | User involvement in workstation design, reflected in demonstrating and practising adjustments with the worker present | Setup |
| UK DSE Regs 1992 reg.4 | Analysis of workstations to assess and reduce risks, reapplied when a workstation is modified or reallocated | Verification |
| OSHA 5(a)(1) | General Duty Clause obligation to address a recognised musculoskeletal hazard once identified | Header |
What it does not cover
- Office Workstation Self Assessment, which lets an office worker assess their own desk setup using guided questions and reference images, before any physical adjustment is made.
- Display Screen Assessment, which assesses screen height, distance, glare and eye comfort as a review, not as a record of adjustments carried out.
- Remote Work Assessment, which assesses a home or remote setup using photographs supplied by the worker, rather than a workstation set up on-site.
- Ergonomic Equipment Request, which is the ordering record for equipment, a separate step before this one.
- The task or risk assessment that specified the equipment, which records why a particular control was chosen; this record only shows that it was then fitted.
Global
Workstation Setup Record requirements by country
Few jurisdictions regulate the act of fitting a workstation as a distinct step. The duty is the underlying workstation standard; this record is the evidence that it was actually met for the person, not just specified for them.
OSH Act General Duty Clause; no setup-specific standard
There is no requirement to record a physical setup step, but a recognised hazard identified and not corrected can still be enforced through the General Duty Clause.
A setup record is what shows the identified hazard was actually addressed, not just noted in an assessment.
Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, as amended, reg.4
Workstation analysis duties are reapplied when a workstation changes, including reallocation to a new user.
A shared or reassigned desk needs its own setup evidence; the previous occupant's assessment does not carry over.
ISO 9241 (multi-part)
Defines the layout, input device and display requirements a workstation is judged against once configured.
Certification and supplier assurance schemes look for evidence the standard was met in practice, not only specified on paper.
How to complete it
How to complete a workstation setup record, step by step
The record is easy to complete as a set of yes answers. What determines whether the setup actually holds is whether the worker was there, what was written down, and whether anyone checked back.
A setup carried out on the worker's behalf, with settings chosen by the assessor while the desk is empty, produces a workstation configured for nobody in particular. Presence turns a generic adjustment into one fitted to the person and lets them practise making it themselves.
Seat and screen height fields exist because a shared or reallocated desk needs the actual figures to restore, not a confirmation that recording happened. 'Settings recorded: yes' with the height fields blank has recorded nothing usable by the next occupant.
A like-for-like chair or monitor arm swap that leaves the old item nearby quietly invites it back into use, particularly on a shared desk where another user may simply prefer it. Removal is part of the setup, not a housekeeping afterthought.
Posture checked once, at the point equipment is handed over, tells you the setup looked right on the day. A short follow-up after the worker has actually used it for a while tells you whether it held.
What auditors find
Most common workstation setup record findings
Findings here concern whether the setup was actually verified, rather than whether the record exists at all, since the record almost always exists once equipment has been ordered.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Settings recorded marked yes with seat height and screen height left blank. | ISO 9241-5 | Require the actual figures before the record can close, not just confirmation that recording happened. |
| Setup completed without the worker present. | ISO 9241 (general) | Reschedule where the worker was unavailable; a setup done to an empty desk is not fitted to anyone. |
| Old equipment not removed after a like-for-like replacement. | ISO 9241-5 | Make removal a required field alongside the new item, not an assumption that it happened. |
| Further adjustment needed marked yes with no follow-up scheduled. | UK DSE Regs 1992 reg.4 | Require a follow-up date whenever further adjustment is flagged; do not let it close as an open question. |
| Instructions not left with the worker after setup. | ISO 9241-2 | Leave written instructions or the setup photograph with the desk so the configuration survives without the assessor. |
| New equipment not linked to the asset register on a shared or reallocated desk. | OSHA 5(a)(1) | Record the asset reference at setup, so a shared desk's equipment history is traceable across occupants. |
Case in point
Case in point: the chair nobody adjusted
A distribution centre approved a new office chair for a picker who had reported lower back discomfort after long shifts at a planning desk. Facilities delivered the chair, the old one was wheeled to a corner, and the record was marked equipment provided, yes, with the setup date entered the same day.
Three months later the discomfort had not improved. The chair had never been adjusted from its factory height and the lumbar support had never been engaged, because nobody had shown the worker how, and the worker had assumed the chair simply did not suit them. The old chair, still sitting in the corner, had been quietly reused by a colleague on a different shift who preferred its lower seat. The fix was not a different chair; it was setting up the one already approved, with the worker present, and taking the old one away.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
3 sections
- Reference
- ERG-019
- Archetype
- Record
- Record ID
- WSR-2026-000
- Scoring
- Not scored
- Direction
- n/a
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- ISO 9241
- Links
- Links Worker, Site
- Tags
- Ergonomics, Office
- Sections
- 3
- Fields
- 32
- Follow up fields
- 0
- Repeating sections
- 0
- Links out
- 3
Header
14 fieldsRecord ID*
Auto sequence. Format WSR-2026-000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Completed By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Area
The area within the site.
Exact Location
Drop a pin for anything hard to find.
Worker*
Person ID*
Format PER-0000.
Links to FDN-003 Person ID
Setting It Up Is Half The Value
Equipment delivered in a box and left for the person to work out usually ends up wrong or unused. Set it up with them and show them the adjustments.
Equipment Provided*
- Yes3 pts
- Not needed3 pts
- No0 pts
Request ID
Links to ERG-018 Request ID
Setup Date*
Setup
8 fieldsSet Up With The Worker Present*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Adjustments Demonstrated*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Worker Practised Adjusting It*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Settings Recorded*
Write down the seat height and screen position. Shared desks and cleaning move everything.
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Seat Height
Screen Height
Photograph Of Correct Setup
A photo taped to the desk restores the setup in ten seconds after somebody moves it.
Instructions Left With Worker*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Verification
10 fieldsPosture Checked After Setup*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Worker Comfortable*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Further Adjustment Needed*
- No3 pts
- Yes1 pt
Old Equipment Removed
- Yes3 pts
- No1 pt
Asset Recorded
Follow Up Scheduled*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Assessor*
Signature*
Worker*
Second Signature*
ERG-019 · record IDs look like WSR-2026-000 · Links Worker, Site
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The form is the easy part. Confirming the worker was present, that figures were actually entered, and that old equipment did not quietly stay in circulation is the work that actually slips.
Holds the setup record against the equipment request and assessment that preceded it, and flags records closed with seat or screen height left blank.
Tracks old equipment removal against the asset register, so a replaced chair or monitor arm does not quietly reappear on another desk.
Confirms the instructions left with the worker match the adjustment actually demonstrated, so a new starter is not handed a workstation with no explanation.
Watches for further adjustment flagged with no follow-up scheduled, and raises the check rather than letting it wait for the next assessment cycle.
This template lives in KnowErgo — ergonomics. Task assessment, video posture analysis, rotation and workstation redesign.
Meet KnowErgo→Glossary
Workstation Setup Record definitions and key terms
- Workstation
- The combination of desk, seating, screen, input devices and immediate surroundings that a person uses to do desk-based work.
- Neutral posture
- A working position that keeps joints near their mid-range rather than at the end of their movement, reducing sustained load on muscles and tendons.
- Reach envelope
- The zone within comfortable arm's reach from a seated position, within which frequently used items and controls should sit.
- Monitor arm
- An adjustable mount that lets a screen's height, distance and angle be set independently of the desk surface it stands on.
- Asset register
- The record linking a physical item of equipment to the desk or person it is currently assigned to, used to trace shared or reallocated equipment.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about workstation setup record
Is a workstation setup record the same as an assessment?+
No. An assessment decides what is needed and why; this record shows that the resulting equipment was actually fitted, adjusted and demonstrated to the person using it. A site can have a correct assessment and a poorly executed setup, and the setup record is what would show that gap.
Does the worker need to be present for the setup?+
Yes, wherever practical. A setup carried out on an empty desk cannot demonstrate adjustments to anyone or let the worker practise making them, and a record completed without the worker present should say so rather than imply a normal setup took place.
Why record the exact seat and screen height?+
Because a desk that is shared or later reallocated needs the actual figures to restore the setup, not just a note that it was done. A photograph or written figures let anyone put the workstation back to the configuration it was verified at, after cleaning, a shared-desk day or a new occupant.
What happens to the equipment being replaced?+
It should be removed, not left nearby. Old equipment left in place after a like-for-like swap tends to get reused, particularly on a shared desk, which quietly reintroduces the hazard the replacement was meant to remove.
How soon should the setup be checked again after completion?+
Sooner than the next annual assessment cycle if the worker flagged any discomfort or if further adjustment was noted at setup. A short follow-up after real use is what shows whether the configuration actually held, rather than only looked right on the day.
Who should carry out the setup?+
A trained assessor, or facilities where the adjustment is straightforward and does not require ergonomic judgement. Either way, demonstrating the adjustment and having the worker practise it is what distinguishes a setup from a delivery.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Ergonomics and MSD Prevention
Discomfort Report
Lets a worker report aches, pain or discomfort early, before it becomes an injury
Body Part Symptom Survey
Maps where in the body workers are experiencing discomfort, across a team or area
MSD Injury Report
Records a diagnosed musculoskeletal injury, including affected body part and suspected task
Early Intervention Record
Records the actions taken when discomfort is reported, before it becomes an injury
MSD Trend Review
Reviews discomfort reports and MSD injuries across areas and tasks
Task Ergonomic Assessment
Assesses a work task using video, applying the methods you configure such as RULA, REBA or WISHA
More in Office Ergo
Office Workstation Self Assessment
Lets an office worker assess their own desk setup using guided questions and reference images
Display Screen Assessment
Assesses screen height, distance, glare and eye comfort for computer based work
Remote Work Assessment
Assesses a home or remote work setup using photographs supplied by the worker
Ergonomic Equipment Request
Requests equipment such as a chair, monitor arm, footrest or sit stand desk
Office Ergo Follow Up
Checks whether office ergonomic changes actually helped, some weeks after they were made
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- ISO 9241 (multi-part) — Ergonomics of human-system interaction
- Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, as amended (UK)
- OSH Act Section 5(a)(1), General Duty Clause (US)
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.