Tips for Eye Wellness at Work

Workplace eye wellness is a priority for every employee and supervisor, but do you know how to prevent injury and illness at work? Eye injuries in the workplace cause 20,000 incidents each year,¹ resulting in $300 million in losses to both the employee and the company.² Eye injuries and eye strain can contribute to long-lasting damage and vision loss. That’s why the board-certified ophthalmologists at Colorado Ophthalmology Associates of Denver, CO, have joined with the American Academy of Ophthalmology in designating March as Workplace Eye Wellness month.

Workplace eye strain from computer fatigue or concentrated bookkeeping can be eased by following these tips:²

• Sit properly at an arm’s length away from the computer screen and keep the screen below eye level
• Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds
• Ensure direct sunlight is behind you with no glare and your room has proper lighting in relation to your computer screen or desk
• Blink frequently and use artificial tears for dryness, especially in arid environments

Machine guarding and controls can protect you from workplace eye injuries with hazards like flying shards of sharp materials, tools that slip during use, broken parts, particulates released from production such as wood splinters, metal shavings or silica shards, or chemical spills or sprays.¹

Proper eye protection is the best way to prevent 90% of workplace eye injuries.¹ Safety glasses protect against general hazards. But safety glasses with side shields can help deflect airborne particles and dust. Goggles can protect against chemical overspray. Hazardous environments may require specialized eye protection such as welder’s mask, helmets, face shields, or special safety glasses. Computer glasses reduce glare while increasing contrast, blocking harmful blue light from your digital devices.³ Full face respirators can help repel chemicals from the eye, nose and face.⁴

Whatever the hazards are in your workplace—striking, scraping, penetration, chemical or thermal burns⁴—there are safety glasses to help. Your ophthalmologist can specialize prescription safety glasses and computer glasses for you to ensure you have the proper eye protection at work.

If a fellow employee suffers an eye injury at work, you need to be able to rapidly identify the problem and get help. It is recommended to go to the emergency room right away or come to Colorado Ophthalmology Associates for an emergency visit. Eye injuries can include trouble seeing, pain in one or both eyes, a cut eyelid, each eye moving in different ways, unusual shape or size of the pupil, blood in the eye, or a foreign object in the eye.¹

For a specialized fitting of personal eye protection or computer glasses, call one of our two Colorado locations in Denver or Lakewood today to schedule an appointment. For emergency visits, call or come in right away to get help for your injury. Our qualified, caring ophthalmologists are ready to help you when you need it the most.

            Denver: 303-320-1777

            Lakewood: 303-989-2023

¹ https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/injuries-work

²  https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/workplace-eye-wellness-printable-infographics

³ https://preventblindness.org/protect-your-vision-at-work/

⁴ https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/eye/default.html