In an effort to enlighten corporations and their workers about the necessity of eye health, and to spread safety tips on how to prevent vision-threatening eye mishaps, Prevent Blindness America (PBA) has set aside March as Workplace Vision Wellness Month.
Each day, employees suffer from workplace related eye injuries that demand the attention of an eye care professional or doctor. Safety experts and healthcare professionals say that the two most prevalent reasons that people experience eye injuries is either because they fail to shield their eyes or they are using the wrong form of eye protection.
Common Eye Injuries
The most frequent dangers found in the workplace include airborne particles or falling objects such as wood, metal, dust or concrete that can penetrate or scratch the eye. Chemicals, fumes and flames can also burn and damage the delicate eyes.
Making Work a Safe Site
Here are 4 important tips to protect your eyes from injury:
- Be aware of the eye safety risks related to your work.
- Limit your exposure to risks before starting work by obtaining machine guards, screens or other safety devices.
- Wear protective glasses that fit properly and provide sufficient coverage for what you are doing. Your eye doctor will be able to help in selecting the most suitable safety eyewear for your circumstances.
- Keep your protective eyewear in optimal condition.
Eye Safety with Screens
Those who spend a lot of time working on computers or using hand held devices are also at increased risk of vision problems. Because of the increase in the use of computers in everyday life, these dangers are becoming increasingly prevalent.
Here are some helpful suggestions to prevent eye strain and visual discomfort when working on a computer or using a hand held device:
Implement the 20-20-20 rule which will allow your eyes periodic rest. Roughly every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break to look at something about 20 feet in the distance. If you're using a hand-held device, increase the font size so you can use it at a distance more comfortable for your eyes.
In addition try to maintain the brightness of your monitor to a comfortable resolution and place your screen just below eye level to present less of a strain on your eyes. You may also want to speak to your eye doctor about computer glasses.
If you have any further questions concerning eye safety in the workplace, please contact us today!