Eye Health and Safety at Work

March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month! This month, we’ve got some tips to make your time at work more comfortable and safe for your eyes. Whether you work in an office or a potentially dangerous/hazardous environment, it’s important to take precautions to keep your vision healthy and safe.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology reports an estimated 25,000 cases of emergency room trips due to workplace eye injuries each year. Wearing proper eye protection can prevent up to 90% of these injuries.

The best option for eye protection in the workplace is polycarbonate lenses. These lenses are lightweight, but made of a much sturdier material than typical eyeglass lenses, making them comfortable to wear while still protective.

Polycarbonate lenses are built to withstand more impact than regular lenses, and are 10 times stronger than glass or regular plastic. They can also be customized to have UV protection and scratch resistance.

Dangerous Work Environments

If you work in an environment that involves metal, plastic, chemicals, dust, debris, or any particles floating around, you are at a higher risk of eye injury. When foreign bodies enter the eye, they can cause irritation, vision loss, and even blindness. Eye protection such as goggles or workplace-specific glasses can keep you from discomfort and damage. 

Typical environments that meet this criteria include construction, factories, welding, maintenance, mining, and laboratories.

If you work in a lab, you may frequently be working with or near dangerous chemicals. Make sure you know what to do if chemicals get in your eyes. The first thing to do is rinse them!

Use an eye-rinse station if available at your work. Otherwise, either use a sink or step into the shower and run a gentle stream of water over the eyes for 15-20 minutes. Do NOT rub your eyes, as it may lead to further damage.

Afterwards, be sure to thoroughly wash your hands and remove contact lenses if you wear them. After following these steps, contact an eye specialist or 911 for emergency care.

Office Workers and Computer Users

Those working in environments without typical irritants can still be at risk for damage, injury, and general eye discomfort. 

If you work at a computer for extended periods of time, you may start to notice some eye discomfort or other symptoms such as: 

• blurred vision

• dry eye

• headaches

• double vision

• itchy/watery eyes

These are signs of eye strain, which happens after long periods of intense eye usage - computers are a big perpetrator of eye strain, but it may also happen after long periods of reading or driving.

To prevent eye strain, the AAO recommends following the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look away from your screen and look at an object 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Doing so regularly gives your eyes a break and lets you focus on your work without getting interrupted by discomfort.

You may also find relief from some quick accommodations to your workspace or screen, such as adjusting your screen brightness to a comfortable level, increasing the text size on your screen, using a humidifier near your desk, and avoiding sitting right under fans or air conditioners. Make sure your monitor is at a comfortable height and distance - typically, an arm’s length away. You should not need to twist or bend your head or neck in order to look at the screen.

Work can be stressful enough - make things easier on yourself by prioritizing your eye safety and health in order to prevent injury and discomfort!