Here is the ergonomics legislation from
Estonia
The information here was collated from official online sources by Ergo Global ergonomists. All information is for general purposes and cannot be considered 1-to-1 legal advice. Ergo Global disclaim any liability relating to the information provided on this page.
To Note
Estonia does not have a single “ergonomics act,” but ergonomics regulation is integrated into its Occupational health and safety requirements for working with a display screen and its Occupational Health and Safety Act.
In the former, article 1 states that 'these requirements apply to workplaces in all areas of activity where the employee's duties include working with a display screen', indicating that the legislation below also applies to remote workers.
Page last updated: 22/05/2026
The Duties of
The Employer
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Occupational health and safety requirements for working with a display screen, Article 3 - Employer's duties
(1) During the work environment risk analysis, the employer is required to assess the employee's workplace, taking into account:
1) factors that endanger the employee's vision;
2) physical or mental overload that may occur during work;
3) work environment hazards, including lighting, noise, electromagnetic radiation and the indoor climate of the work space;
4) the ergonomics of the design of the workplace and its suitability for the employee.
(2) Based on the results of the risk analysis, the employer must, if necessary, implement measures to improve the employee's working conditions, based on the requirements set out in §§ 4 and 5.
(3) Each employee must receive the necessary guidance and training before starting to work with the display and also after making significant changes to the workplace.
(4) The employer must organize work in such a way that the employee can alternate working with a display screen with performing other types of work tasks in order to prevent eye strain and discomfort caused by working in a forced position. If this is not possible, the employee must be able to take periodic breaks. The duration of the breaks must constitute at least 10% of the time spent working with a display screen.
(5) The employer must organise a health check-up for an employee who works with a display screen for at least half of their working time, which includes:
1) an eye and vision check-up, taking into account the deadline set by the occupational health doctor or ophthalmologist for a specific employee, but not less than once every three years, or at the employee's request in the event of visual disturbances arising from working with a display screen;
2) a check-up of the condition of the musculoskeletal system, in particular to detect ailments related to being in a forced position, with a frequency not less than once every three years, or at the employee's request in the event of ailments arising from working with a display screen.
(6) If the examination specified in clause 1 of subsection 5 reveals that the employee's visual acuity has decreased, the employer must, in order to comply with subsection 2 of section 3, obtain glasses or other visual acuity-correcting aids for the employee on the basis of a doctor's certificate or, upon agreement with the employee, reimburse the cost of such glasses or other visual acuity-correcting aids.
(7) If the inspection referred to in clause 2 of subsection 5 reveals that the health of the employee has deteriorated due to non-ergonomic working conditions, the employer must immediately take measures to improve the ergonomic design of the workplace.
(8) The health examinations specified in subsection 5 shall be performed and the measures specified in subsections 6 and 7 shall be implemented at the employer's expense. -
Occupational health and safety requirements for working with a display screen, Article 5 -Requirements for the workplace
(1) The workplace must be designed and arranged ergonomically. The employee must be able to achieve a suitable and comfortable working position.
(2) When working with a display, the following must be done:
1) the desk or surface must be large enough to allow for the appropriate placement of the display, keyboard and pointing devices (mouse), document holder and external devices connected to the display;
2) the work chair must be stable, the seat height and backrest position must be adjustable, and the employee must be able to use a footrest if necessary;
3) the document holder must be on a solid base and movable to avoid uncomfortable head and eye movements.
(3) The characters on the display screen must be clear both within a single line and across different lines. To ensure legibility:
1) the distance between the characters and lines must be sufficiently large;
2) the visibility and contrast of the characters with respect to the background of the screen image must be adjustable;
3) the screen image must be stable and free from flickering;
4) the height and angle of the screen must be adjustable.
(4) The keyboard must be separate, inclined and with a matte surface and placed on the desk in such a way that the employee does not experience discomfort in the hands and arms. To this end, there must be sufficient free space in front of and next to the keyboard for supporting the hands and arms and for using pointing devices. The keyboard and pointing devices must be located on the same plane, if possible.
(5) Character identifiers on the keyboard must stand out from the background color and be clearly visible.
(6) When developing and selecting software, the employer must take into account the following principles:
1) the software must be suitable for the task;
2) the software must be easy to use and, where possible, adaptable to the user's level of knowledge and skills;
3) the computer system must provide the user with feedback on performance;
4) the software must have a good ergonomic design, especially if it is used for word or data processing. -
Occupational Health and Safety Act, Chapter 3, Article 12 - General provisions
An employer shall ensure the conformity with occupational health and safety requirements in every work-related situation. If duties are performed by way of temporary agency work, the user undertaking shall guarantee the conformity with occupational health and safety requirements in the user undertaking. -
Occupational Health and Safety Act, Chapter 3, Article 12¹ - Prevention activities of employer
(1) Prevention activities of an employer are the planning and implementation of measures for preventing or minimising health risks at all stages of work in the enterprise and for promoting the physical, mental and social well-being of an employee.
(2) An employer shall implement the measures specified in subsection (1) of this section on the basis of the following general principles of prevention:
1) avoidance of risks;
2) assessment of unavoidable risks;
3) elimination of risks at their source or, if this is not possible, reduction thereof to an acceptable level;
4) replacement of a dangerous factor with a non-dangerous or less dangerous one;
5) adaptation of the work, workplace and organisation of work to suit the employee as much as possible;
6) adaptation of work equipment and working methods to technical progress;
7) giving of collective protective measures priority over personal protective measures;
8) development of a coherent overall prevention policy which covers technology, organisation of work, working conditions, social relationships and the influence of factors related to the working environment.
(3) The planning and implementation of measures related to occupational health, safety and hygiene may not involve the employees in financial cost. -
Occupational Health and Safety Act, Chapter 3, Article 13 - Obligations and rights of employer
(1) An employer is required to:
1) conduct regular internal control of the working environment in the process of which the employer plans, organises and monitors the occupational health and safety situation in the enterprise in accordance with the requirements provided for in this Act or in legislation established on the basis thereof. Internal control of the working environment forms an integral part of the operation of an enterprise, and all employees shall be involved in the control which shall be based on the results of a risk assessment of the working environment;
2) review the organisation of internal control of the working environment annually and analyse its results and, if necessary, adjust measures to the changed situation;
3) organise risk assessment of the working environment to ascertain working environment hazards, measure their parameters as necessary and assess the risks to the health and safety of an employee, taking account of the gender and age characteristics of the employee, including special risks to the employees specified in sections 10 and 101 of this Act and risks related to the use of workplaces and work equipment and to work organisation. Risk assessment results shall be formalised in writing and they shall be retained for 55 years;
4) based on a risk assessment of the working environment, prepare a written action plan designating the activities organised in all fields of activities and at all management levels of the enterprise to prevent or reduce employees’ health risks, and the schedule and executors thereof, and allocate the necessary resources.
The Duties of
The Employee
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Occupational Health and Safety Act, Article 14 - Obligations and rights of employee
(1) An employee is required to:
1) contribute to the creation of a safe working environment by observing the occupational health and safety requirements;
2) observe the working and rest time regime established by the employer;
3) undergo medical examinations pursuant to the established procedure;
4) make correct use of the prescribed personal protective equipment and keep it in working order;
5) ensure in accordance with his or her training and the employer’s instructions that his or her work is not harmful to his or her own life or health or that of other persons, and does not contaminate the environment; etc.
What's next?
Step 1
Run an ergonomics audit following these regulations.
Step 2
List out the gaps in your ergonomics policy.
Step 4
Contact Ergo Global for more support where needed.
