To teach businesses and their workers about the importance of eye health, and to provide safety tips on how to avoid vision-threatening eye incidents, Prevent Blindness America (PBA) has designated the month of March as Workplace Vision Wellness Month.
Each day, workers are inflicted by workplace related eye injuries that demand medical attention. Safety experts and healthcare professionals say that the two most common reasons that workers experience eye injuries is either because they don't shield their eyes or they are taking the wrong sorts of safety precautions.
Most commonly, eye injuries that take place in the work environment are due to flying particles or falling objects such as building or craft materials that can penetrate or cause abrasions on the eye. Chemicals, fumes and radiation can also scorch and injure the delicate eye tissues.
Safe Sight on Site
There are 4 important tips to avoid eye accidents at work:
- Be aware of the eye hazards related to your workplace.
- Reduce your exposure to risks before you commence work by obtaining machine shields, work screens or other engineering controls.
- Request protective glasses that are fitted properly and provide sufficient protection for your job. Your optometrist will be able to help to determine the best protective eyewear for your particular situation.
- Keep your protective eyewear in good condition, and have it replaced if damaged.
Eye Safety with Screens
Those who spend a large portion of their day working at the computer or using hand held devices are also at increased risk of vision problems. Because of the prevailing use of computers in our lives, these dangers are becoming increasingly prevalent.
Below are some ways 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. At least every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. If using a hand-held device, enlarge the text so you can use it at a distance better for your eyes.
In addition try to maintain the light intensity of your screen to a comfortable resolution and position your monitor right under eye level to reduce any pressure on your eyes. You should also speak to your eye doctor about computer glasses.
If you think that you may be at risk of any eye or vision damage due to your work don't delay! Give us a call to discuss the hazards and solutions for a lifetime of eye and vision health!