Facilities team reviewing installation checklist

Facilities Teams: HSE Ready Office Furniture Installation Checklist

Follow this checklist and your installation will meet HSE DSE expectations and the ergonomic minima every workstation needs, with BS EN 527-2 desk standards and ALXR’s fitting experience built in. Start today by scheduling a site walk and assigning an assessor or lead installer before a single box arrives, setting the pace for the installation process.

TL;DR:

  • Correctly confirming SKUs and measuring access points before delivery prevents confusion and avoids lift or space issues during installation.
  • Photographing desks before and after assembly streamlines damage disputes and helps maintain quality across multiple workstations.
  • Conducting ergonomic and DSE assessments immediately after installation ensures compliance and reduces the risk of safe use issues.
  • Keeping fire escape routes clear and coordinating electrical work with building management reduces safety hazards and legal risks during setup.
  • Providing comprehensive handover documentation, including signed-off checklists and warranty details, facilitates quick issue resolution and ongoing support.
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Table of Contents

Pre-installation planning and site preparation checklist

A smooth installation day is decided a week beforehand, not on the morning the van turns up. Confirm the scope and exact SKUs first, especially when your order includes ALXR’s Twin Upright Rectangular Desk + High Mobile Pedestal 3 Drawer (FSC) 800, Twin Upright Rectangular Desk + Mobile 2 Drawer Pedestal (FSC) 800 or Twin Upright Rectangular Desk + Under Desk Steel Pedestal 3 Drawers (FSC) 800. Recording the correct SKU against each workstation on your floor plan saves confusion later when you’re matching pedestals to desks.

Work through these checks before delivery day:

  1. Walk the site and confirm loading bay access, lift dimensions, staircases and parking restrictions for the delivery vehicle.
  2. Verify power sockets and data points sit where each desk will land, and order extra sockets or data drops if the floor plan has moved since the last survey.
  3. Map fire exit routes and agree a temporary storage zone for packaging that keeps those routes clear throughout the job.
  4. Agree who removes packaging and when, so pallets and cardboard don’t become a hazard by the second day.
  5. Assign named roles: an installation lead, a safety lead who owns fire route checks, and a warranty contact who logs any damaged deliveries.

Two things trip up more installations than anything else: assuming lift access without checking dimensions against boxed desk lengths, and forgetting that DSE assessments legally need documenting once a business has five or more employees, a requirement HSE sets out in its DSE guidance. Build that documentation step into your plan now rather than retrofitting it after handover.

  • Confirm desk and storage quantities against the purchase order before goods arrive on site.
  • Check that communication lines between installers, facilities and the client are agreed and shared in writing.

Step-by-step assembly and installation checklist

Run the same sequence at every desk so quality stays consistent across a floor of forty workstations or four.

  1. Unpack each desk and check the parts list against the manufacturer’s manifest before touching a screwdriver.
  2. Photograph any damage or missing components immediately, before assembly starts, so warranty claims have evidence.
  3. Assemble the frame and worktop following the manufacturer’s sequence, checking fixings, glide alignment and pedestal fit as you go.
  4. Test mechanical parts: run the sit-stand mechanism through a full cycle on motorised desks and check drawers and pedestals glide and lock properly.
  5. Route and label cables for power and data, then secure them clear of walkways to remove trip and fire hazards.
  6. Complete a stability and load check, photograph the finished workstation and log the serial number or SKU against the floor plan.

Pro Tip: Photograph every desk from the same angle before and after assembly, it turns a dispute over damaged goods into a five-minute email instead of a site revisit.

Ergonomic setup and DSE workstation checks after installation

Assembly finishes the furniture. Ergonomic setup is what makes it a workstation someone can use safely for eight hours a day. Once a desk is built, run through HSE’s DSE workstation checklist, covering screen position, keyboard height, chair adjustment, leg room, glare control and document-holder placement.

Practical targets worth writing on your checklist:

  • Top of the screen level with the user’s eyes, following HSE’s posture guidance.
  • Keyboard positioned just below elbow height, with the screen roughly an arm’s length away.
  • A gap of 2 to 3 centimetres between the seat front and the back of the knee.
  • Footrests and laptop risers supplied where a user’s feet don’t reach the floor or a laptop screen sits too low.

HSE’s DSE workstation checklist requires records to be kept for businesses with five or more employees, and that same guidance applies whenever a new workstation is installed or an existing one changes, which makes installation day the natural point to complete the paperwork rather than leaving it for later.

Safety, fire and manual-handling checks during installation

Installation days carry their own risks, separate from the furniture itself.

  • Keep fire escape routes clear throughout the job and log exactly where temporary packaging is stored, since Gov flags furniture and layout changes as a trigger for reviewing escape routes.
  • Brief the team on fire procedures for the building before work starts, not halfway through.
  • Use team lifts and trolleys for heavy items, and treat anything awkward or bulky as a two-person lift by default.
  • Coordinate with building management before touching any live electrical work, and never plug in unapproved power devices outside the facilities team’s own PAT-tested kit.
  • Stop work and escalate immediately if you find structural damage or exposed wiring, rather than working around it.

Handover, training and documentation

The job isn’t finished when the last desk is built, it’s finished when the client has everything they need to run the space.

  1. Hand over a sign-off sheet listing every SKU installed, photos of completed workstations and any unresolved snags.
  2. Provide completed DSE workstation check records for each desk, and explain the documentation duty for organisations with five or more staff.
  3. Give brief guidance on adjusting desks and chairs, plus a named contact for reporting defects.
  4. Explain warranty terms and expected turnaround for remedial visits, using warranty-backed aftercare as a working example of what good practice looks like.
  5. Book a short follow-up window for any remedial fixes flagged on the sign-off sheet.

Pro Tip: Leave the client one printed copy of the DSE checklist per desk, it turns a legal obligation into something the office manager can act on immediately.

Practitioner perspective: common pitfalls and quick fixes

Skipped DSE checks, tangled cables and packaging left blocking a fire route account for most rework requests. Fix each on the day: run the DSE checklist before you leave the desk, route cables before the chair arrives, and clear packaging as you go rather than at the end. Stop work for unsafe electrics, structural concerns or repeated damaged deliveries. A supervisor’s 60 second walk, checking stability, cables and sign-off paperwork, catches most of what gets missed.

— Syed

ALXR installation and aftercare services

If you’d rather hand the logistics to someone else, ALXR’s nationwide delivery and installation service covers everything from the site walk to the final DSE-documented handover, backed by space planning support and warranty aftercare. Twin Upright Rectangular Desk + High Mobile Pedestal 3 Drawer (FSC) 800

  • A single supplier managing delivery, installation and documentation cuts the coordination gap between separate movers, assemblers and facilities teams.
  • Every installation leaves your team with a recorded DSE setup and a clear route to report faults under warranty.
  • Installation standards are applied consistently across commercial, healthcare and education sites.

Browse the ALXR furniture and installation range to plan your next fit-out, or ask about space planning for your current floor before you order.

Authoritative resources and printable checklists

Authoritative resources and printable checklists — overview diagram

Print HSE’s DSE workstation checklist, keep gov.uk’s fire safety guidance on hand, and reference BS EN 527-2 for desk strength standards. For layout planning once furniture is in, this return-to-office team building guide covers desk positioning for occupancy.

Sources

FAQ

What are the basic requirements for setting up an office?

An office setup needs desks, seating and storage positioned with enough space for safe movement and fire egress, along with confirmed power and data points at each workstation. Once furniture is in place, HSE requires a DSE workstation assessment for every new setup, with records kept where a business has five or more employees.

What should be included in an office moving checklist?

A moving checklist should cover site access and delivery logistics, power and data readiness, fire route clearance, manual handling arrangements and a documented handover. It should also include DSE assessments for each workstation, since HSE guidance treats a house move or reconfiguration as a trigger for reassessment.

What are the essential items for a basic furniture checklist?

At minimum, check that every desk, chair and storage unit matches the purchase order by SKU, that assembly fixings and mechanisms are tested, and that cables are secured away from walkways. Add a DSE check per desk, using HSE’s workstation checklist to confirm screen height, keyboard position and chair adjustment.

What is the best way to arrange office furniture?

Arrange desks so screens sit at eye level with enough legroom and clearance for chairs, and keep fire exit routes and walkways free of cables or storage. HSE’s posture guidance recommends positioning screens roughly an arm’s length away with the keyboard just below elbow height, and that principle should guide desk spacing as much as desk position.

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