Workplace Eye Wellness Month: Protecting Your Eyes On The Job

March is typically associated with spring, St. Patrick’s Day, and, love it or hate it, the switch to Daylight Savings Time. It’s also Workplace Eye Wellness Month! The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) is responsible for March getting this official designation. Almost 25,000 Americans end up in the ER due to workplace eye injuries every year. The AAO estimates that a whopping 90% of workplace eye injuries could have been prevented with the use of appropriate protective eyewear. Read on as a local Bella Vista CA  eye doctor offers some advice on keeping your eyes safe at work.

How Do I Avoid Eye Strain At Work?

Those who work in offices aren’t spared from the possibility of work-related eye problems, though in many cases the damage will be cumulative, rather than injury caused.

Computer-related eye fatigue is quite common these days. That’s no surprise: the average smartphone user spends almost 4 hours online daily, just on their phones. While the jury is still out on how much permanent damage all that screen time is doing, there is no doubt that being online for hours on end can be rough on the eyes.

Prevent Blindness, one of the foundations that promotes March as Workplace Eye Wellness Month, offers the following recommendations:

• Use A Stand: If you’re typing from a document, use a document stand. It should be close enough to your monitor so that you don’t have to move your head to look from one to the other.
• Get Good Lights: Adjust your lighting to reduce the amount of glare.
• Pick A Good Chair: Ideally, you’d want to get an adjustable chair. Ideally, if you hold your arms straight out, your fingers should just touch the top of your monitor, or about 20 to 26 inches away from  your head, and slightly down from what you would see if staring straight ahead.
• Use adjustable monitors.

We would also offer the following tips: 

• Take regular breaks: The 20/20/20 rule may not give you 20/20 vision, but it’s still a good one to follow. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This just gives your eyes a bit of a break. 

• Reduce Glare: Good lighting is everything. If you have glare, consider getting a glare filter for your screen. Positioning lights so that they are just to the side, rather than directly above, behind, or in front of you, may help. If you have a say in office paint, opt for a matte, rather than gloss. 
• Avoid Dry Eye: Eye drops can help keep your eyes lubricated, but be careful. Using the wrong kind may cause irritation, ultimately doing more harm than good. Talk to your eye doctor and get some specific recommendations. You may also want to consider a humidifier.

Of course, no matter what environment you work in, it’s important to regularly visit your Happy Valley, CA eye doctor. 

What Does Osha Say About Eye Protection?

OSHA—the Occupational Safety And Health Administration, has some more general guidelines, which do not only apply to those who work on computers. In some cases, OSHA has laid out some very clear guidelines. For instance, if there is any chance of injury from flying objects at your workplace, then your employer must make sure that all employees in that area wear eye protection. Moreover, that protection needs to provide cover from the side as well as the front. 

The official statement reads as follows: The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation.

Some examples of safety wear would include the following: 

• Non-prescription safety glasses
• Prescription safety glasses
• Goggles
• Face shields
• Welding helmets
• Full-face respirators

Be sure to ask your Bella Vista CA eye doctor for more tips about protecting your eyes at work.

How Widespread Are Workplace Eye Injuries? 

According to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 18,510 eye-related injuries in 2020. That translates to about 2000 workers getting injured daily!

Let’s take a closer look at some of the numbers:

• About 5000 cases were related to exposure to dangerous chemicals or environments
• There were 2,120 eye injuries among construction/trades workers. Electricians made up about a fifth of those. 
• About 60 percent of the injuries were the result of the worker rubbing their eye, or getting foreign matter into their eye.
• About 35 percent happened when an object struck the person’s eye. 
• There were 4,830 cases related to exposure to dangerous substances.
• Attacks by persons or animals accounted for about 1,200 cases.
• Roughly one out of ten eye injuries resulted in the worker missing at least one day. 
• About 10 to 20 percent of workplace eye injuries cause vision loss, which may be temporary or permanent.

These numbers certainly underscore the importance of taking proper safety precautions while on the job. Always follow safety protocols. As the saying goes, better safe than sorry!

What Industries Have The Most Eye Injuries? 

Eye injuries can happen in any industry. However, the highest number of incidents take place in manufacturing, mining, and construction. Some of the high-risk positions include welding, farming, metal work, construction, and manufacturing. Don’t assume other jobs are safe, though: injuries also happen in offices, hospitals, laboratories, and salons.

How Do I Protect My Eyes At Work? 

There’s unfortunately no way to completely guarantee you’ll never have an eye injury. However, following some basic safety precautions will go a long way in keeping your peepers safe. 

If you are working on or near a construction or manufacturing site, or in any place that has a lot of dust, grit, or paint, always wear protective eye wear. Keeping your work area clean matters as well. It’s a good idea to brush or vacuum any dust or debris away from your area before removing that eyewear. Be sure to wash that safety gear after every use.  Last but not least, wash your hands thoroughly after handling any toxins or chemicals, and avoid rubbing your eyes. 

Your Anderson, CA optometrist can give you more tips about protecting your eyes at work.

And, speaking of eye doctors, that is also something you can do to preserve your vision. Eye exams are very important, not just for monitoring any changes to your vision but also for screening for signs of developing issues. 

Conclusion: Workplace eye safety is key to preventing eye injuries and also preserving one’s vision. Those who are working near dust, chemicals, tools, or any other type of debris should always wear eye protection and follow all proper safety protocols. Computer users should follow general protocols, such as taking steps to reduce glare, getting up for regular breaks, and routinely looking away from their screens to let their eyes refocus.  

Visit Our Bella Vista CA  Eye Care Clinic

Are you in the market for a great eye doctor in the Bella Vista CA area? Do you need an eye exam, contacts, or vision wear? Please feel free to reach out to us anytime.