March is Workplace Vision Wellness Month, as marked by Prevent Blindness American (PBA). The purpose of this initiative is to educate companies and their employees about the necessity of vision wellness, with advice on how to avoid vision-endangering eye mishaps.
Every day, employees are inflicted by workplace related eye injuries that require medical attention. Workplace safety experts and doctors believe the two main reasons that employees sustain eye injuries is because they fail to protect their eyes or they are using the incorrect kind of eye protection.
The most frequent hazards present in the work environment include airborne particles or falling objects such as concrete, wood, metal or dust that can penetrate or cause abrasions on the eye. Chemical splashes, fumes and lasers can also scorch and seriously damage the eye tissues.
Making Work a Safe Site
Here are 4 steps you can take to avoid eye accidents at work:
- Know the eye hazards present in your workplace.
- Reduce your exposure to risks before even beginning work by requesting machine guards, work screens or other safety devices.
- Use safety goggles that sit properly and give sufficient protection for what you are doing. Your optometrist will be able to assist in determining the best safety eyewear for your profession.
- Make sure to keep your safety eyewear in great condition, and replace when broken.
Healthy Screen Vision
Working on computers or using mobile and hand held devices like phones or readers can also be dangerous for your vision. Because of the prevailing use of computers in everyday life, these dangers are becoming increasingly prevalent.
Below are a few helpful tips to avoid eye strain and visual discomfort when using hand held devices or working on a computer:
Implement the 20-20-20 rule to give your eyes a rest. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. If using a hand-held device, enlarge the text so you'll be able to use it at a distance better for your eyes.
Additionally try to maintain the light intensity of your screen to a resolution that is not too bright or too dim and place your screen just below eye level to reduce any pressure on your eyes. You should also speak to your eye doctor about computer glasses.
If you have further queries concerning eye safety at work, please give us a call today!