Every year, approximately 700,000 workers sustain workplace-related eye injuries. That amounts to 2000 people a day and a lot of money in compensation and damages.
2,000 people is a lot, and it shouldn't come as a surprise.
After all, the average adult spends the bulk of his day at his workplace. What's surprising, however, people know little to nothing about protecting their vision at work.
It doesn't matter if you work in construction or other overtly dangerous places; even the 'safe' workplaces aren't as safe as you might think.
Vision Damage in the Workplace
Vision damage in the workplace is not limited to potentially dangerous workplaces like construction areas, electricity, or mines. But these workplaces do pose an extremely high risk for damage to the eye.
The reason these sites are more dangerous than others is because stray objects can easily find their way into unsuspecting eyes and cause severe damage. Other causes of eye damage in these places include exposure to radioactive light and bright sparks from welding operations.
But sedate workplaces pose their own threat to your vision. Whether you're in an office setting or working from home, if you spend the bulk of your day staring at a computer screen, you're at high risk for eye damage due to prolonged exposure to harmful blue light.
With constant and sustained exposure to the bright light from devices, employees can develop serious eye damage that can take years to manifest.
Without any exceptions, something needs to be done about protecting the eyesight of workers in their workplaces. For this to happen, everyone has a role to play.
What Can Employers Do?
A somewhat safe estimation keeps damages and compensation at $900 million-plus. That is how much companies spend to compensate people with work-related injuries.
It is therefore in the best interest of employers to know how they can make the workplace safe for everyone.
Here are a few things you can do:
- Raise more awareness amongst your employees on vision safety in the workplace.
- Willingly make provisions for your employees that reduce the risks of them getting eye damage.
- Provide eye protection for specific tasks that may cause eye damage. 90 percent of all workplace eye injuries can be avoided by using proper safety eyewear, according to Prevent Blindness.
What Part Should Employees Play?
The ball is not in the court of the employers alone. Employees have a responsibility to ensure that the vision for an eye-safe workplace is fulfilled.
What can you do as an employee to encourage eye health in the workplace?
- Take breaks away from your screen every 20 minutes.
- Keep your screen angled away from your eyes.
- Go for regular eye check-ups.
- Use eye protective gear and make sure you are using it properly.
- Take all precautions necessary to protect your eyes from damage.
The eye is a vital organ, and any damage can adversely affect the quality of life. Therefore, all hands must be on deck. We all need to protect our eyes from workplace injuries by practicing the suggestions above.
One action you can take right away is upgrading your workplace lighting to Dr. Lite lamps which were designed by doctors to illuminate your workspace while giving your eyes an extra layer of protection. Our lamps are guarenteed to keep your eyes healthy, improve your focus, reduce eye strain, boost your mood and prevent damage caused by blue light exposure.
