Looking After Your Eyes At Work

Is your job damaging your eyes? And could a visual impairment pose a serious danger at work? These are important questions to ask yourself if you notice that your eyesight is failing. Below are a few tips for looking after your eyes at work.

Wear necessary eye protection

In certain jobs where you may be dealing with bright lights, flying debri or harmful chemical fumes, it could be vital that you wear protective eyewear. About 800,000 eye injuries occur at work every year. Most of these are preventable simply by wearing eye protection. 

Eyewear could also help in some occupations when dealing with long-term hazards. If you work outside a lot in sunny weather, consider whether you should be wearing shades – constant exposure to bright sunlight can increase the risk of developing cataracts. When working at a computer for long periods of time, you could even consider blue light blocking glasses to reduce the risk of eye strain. 

Take a break from the screen

On the topic of computer-related eye strain (also known as ‘computer vision syndrome’ or CVS), it’s important to consider your screen time and how this could be having an effect on your vision. Spending long periods of uninterrupted time staring at a computer screen can cause dry and itchy eyes, blurry vision, headaches and fatigue. A way to overcome this is to frequently take breaks away from the screen.

The 20-20-20 rule could be worth taking up. This involves taking a break from the screen every 20 minutes and staring at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This has been shown to reduce eye strain.

Get the lighting right

Poor lighting can also contribute to eye strain. In some jobs, poor lighting could also create dangerous working conditions. Make sure that you are working in a well-lit environment. At the same time, make sure that the lighting is not too intense as this could be just as harmful for your eyes. When working at a computer, try to avoid having an intense light source behind you as this will likely cause screen glare, which could greatly contribute to eye strain. 

Get regular eye exams

Regular eye exams could be necessary if you work in a job that involves driving or using dangerous tools. There are companies such as National Vision Administrators that can provide eye exams for employees and coverage for eye-related treatment. Ideally you should be taking an eye exam on an annual basis to check that your vision is at a good level. 

Reduce the smoke breaks

Smoking is very bad for the eyes. It can increase the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. If you’re the type of person that takes lots of smoke breaks at work, consider the impact this could be having on your eye health and general health. Reducing or quitting smoking could decrease the chance of developing various eye problems