How To Protect Your Eyes At Work?

Regardless of your occupation, the way to protect your eyes plays a vital role in keeping them healthy.  From jobs that require extended use of computers monitor or device screens to those in construction or mining factory where exposure to low light, dust, concrete, particles, or flying debris is a concern, taking proper care of the eyes should be a priority.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), around 2,000 American workers incur job-related eye injuries per day. Most of them happen because of two reasons, either they were not wearing eye protection, or they were wearing the wrong kind of protection for the job.

For construction, manufacturing or mining factories, chemicals or flying particles in the eye and cuts or scrapes on the cornea are common eye injuries. To protect your eyes wear safety glasses with side shields if you work in such dusty conditions or dealing with chemicals and other harmful substances.

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Healthcare professionals, laboratory and janitorial staff, and other workers may be at risk of acquiring infectious diseases from eye exposure. For them wearing protective eye-wear can prevent blood spills, respiratory droplets generated during coughing, or from touching the eyes with contaminated fingers or other body fluids from coming into contact with their eyes. Some infections, like hepatitis or HIV, can be transmitted this way through the mucous membranes of the eye.

If your work requires spending extended periods at a desk staring at a monitor, it can put a strain on your eyes. To protect your eyes  from strain, follow these guidelines:

• Don’t wear glasses with an old prescription. For maximum comfort, ask your eye doctor about custom computer eyeglasses.
• Eye strain can be caused by excessive lighting. Overhead lighting should be no brighter than your screen.
• Old monitors and low-resolution screens are hard on the eyes. Upgrade to a high-resolution flat panel display for less eye fatigue.
• Avoid “turtling” – sitting with your back rounded, chin jutting forward, and head tilted back – to get closer to your screen. If you can’t see your screen clearly with good posture, visit an eye doctor.  
• Sitting too close to the screen can cause eye fatigue and blurred vision.
• Having your mouse too far away will make you lean closer to your screen, increasing focusing strain.
• Are you sitting in the wrong chair? Your back should be supported so you can sit upright and at a comfortable viewing distance from your screen.

Employers and managers should raise awareness about taking the protection and maintaining proper eye health at work. They should –

• Make proper protective equipment available at work
• Train and encourage employees on how and when to use them
• Replace toxic substances with safer ones
• Hide/replace high-risk equipment

Our eyesight is one of our most important senses that impacts our quality of life and productivity at work. That’s why it is the responsibility of both workers and their employers to take proactive steps to ensure the safety of the eyes at work. For more employee health and wellness ideas contact CircleCare team. CircleCare corporate wellness app offers a platform and tools to motivate healthy living.