|
Eyecare at Work
Although there is no reliable evidence to suggest
that even long-term intensive use of VDUs is damaging
to the eyes, it is true that VDU users tend to complain
of eye strain more than non-users. This is likely
to be due to fatigue through causes such as:
- Insufficient and infrequent rest periods.
- Incorrect positioning of the screen and/or
documents.
- Unsuitable lighting.
- Poorly designed work area.
- An uncorrected eyesight fault such as long
sight, short sight, astigmatism or presbyopia.
- The eyes not working ‘as a team’
Any of these conditions could lead to fatigue;
all can be overcome through good design of the
working environment and by regular eyecare.
Take
frequent breaks
When you work at a VDU
your eyes can be focused on the screen for long
periods so it is important to take a brief rest
and give your eyes a break every 20 minutes or
so. You should have sufficient space behind the
screen for you to be able to look beyond it and
relax your eyes.
Screen settings
and position
You should adjust your VDU
to levels of brightness and contrast that you find
comfortable. Keep the screen clean and free of
dust and fingermarks. If possible, position it
so that windows or other light sources are to the
side rather than in front or behind it – if
you can see a window or light unit reflected in
the screen, move the VDU until the reflections
disappear, or adjust blinds or curtains. The surface
of the screen should be between 33 and 100cm from
your eyes and if you are working from copy documents
these should be placed at roughly the same distance
to avoid continual re-focusing.
Lighting
Try to eliminate as much glare as possible
from the region around your screen. This is not
always straightforward, but as a general rule:
- The
office lighting should be set at a level which
allows the documents and screen to be read
easily.
- Additional lighting – such as an
Anglepoise lamp – may sometimes be
necessary to achieve this.
- Avoid an uncurtained window
directly in front of or behind your working
position.
- Any window reflected in the screen
should be fitted with blinds or curtains.
- Walls
and desk surfaces should be non-reflective
and neutral in colour
Your legal entitlement as a VDU user
Since 1993
EC legislation has placed responsibilities on employers
whose employees regularly use VDUs as part of their
work. These regulations are also designed to protect
users who may work for an employer from home, or
any other location which is not the employer’s
main office.
If you are classified as a user, your
employer must:
- Provide a full eye examination free of charge
to you when you commence VDU work and at regular
intervals thereafter.
- Provide a full eye examination free of charge
to you if you are experiencing visual problems
which may be due to working with a VDU.
- Pay for a pair of basic glasses if it is shown
that you require these specifically for VDU
use, or an equivalent amount of money towards
a pair of your choice.
- Provide adequate breaks or changes of activity
to reduce general visual fatigue.
- Provide health and safety training information
relating to the workstation. Keep you informed
about the Regulations, particularly those
relating to eyesight, rest breaks and guidance
on work station minimum requirements.
Spectacles
Only a small proportion
of users will need spectacles specifically for
working at a VDU and the majority of these will
be what is known as presbyopic. Presbyopia affects
us all as we get older. Around the age of 45 people
begin to find they lose the ability to focus on
objects that are close up.
Spectacles with single
vision, bifocal or varifocal lenses can all be
used successfully for VDU work. Contact lenses
are also suitable, but wearers should try to
blink regularly which keeps the lenses comfortable.
When you concentrate on the screen for long periods,
your normal blinking rate slows down. Presbyopic
contact lens wearers may need additional reading
glasses.
Reflection-free
lenses
Reflection-free lenses are well worth
considering for VDU users. Because they eliminate
almost all reflections VDU glare is considerably
reduced, providing clearer and sharper vision.
The
eye examination
If, as a VDU user, you are
entitled to a free eye examination, make a note
of the following points that will help your eyecare
practitioner assess the effect that VDU work may
be having on your sight:
- The date of your last eye examination
- How long you have worked with VDUs
- The number of hours per day that you work
at a VDU
- The distance from your eyes to the screen,
keyboard and any documents you refer to while
working
- The position of the screen (eg. above or
below eye level, to the left or right of
your sitting position)
- The size of the screen you use, its resolution
and refresh rates (if known)
- Any symptoms associated with VDU work
- We usually conduct all eye examinations
at our practice, but for larger companies
on-site examinations can be arranged,
subject to sufficient numbers being involved.
Health and Safety at work
As part of our commitment to offer eyecare for the whole community, we now offer eye examinations in the workplace advising on health and safety issues such as lighting etc. We look at the type of work the employee carries out along with its duration, equipment used and the environment so we can advise on the most appropriate form of eyewear and visual correction.
Examination
For companies with less than 20 Employees, we prefer
them to be seen individually at the practice (at a special discounted rate),
but for 20 and over we will carry out the examinations on site at your companies
premises which further reduces the cost to you.
A full examination is carried out, along with additional tests you may require that are task specific, such as VDU or colour vision testing. The employee will then be issued with a spectacle prescription if necessary along with a short report about the employees needs.
Please contact the practice for a competitive quote.
Spectacles
We are able to supply ordinary prescription glasses
or safety spectacles dependant on the employers request and all are to British
Safety Standards.
We offer a wide range of fashionable frames for men and women which can be supplied with single vision, Bifocal or Varifocal lenses in plastic, toughened Glass or Polycarbonate.
If your company has its own arrangement with a safety company, we are able to supply the safety spectacles if you provide us with the order form.
Please note - Safety spectacles are guaranteed for two years and to comply with EN certification must then be replaced even if they are in good condition. During this time appliances should be inspected for defects or damage and for all repairs, no matter how minor, the appliance must be returned to the manufacturer or the guarantee is void.
VDU
Under current legislation, employers have a duty to pay for an eye examination
when an employee uses a computer for a significant part of the day and also to
pay for a basic pair of spectacles if they are needed solely for VDU use. We
hold a basic range of VDU spectacles including metal and plastic frames that
come complete with reflection free coated plastic lenses.
Please contact the practice
for a quote. |
