March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month. Employers and employees are encouraged to observe this month as an opportunity to improve working conditions relative to eye health and safety. As an employer, what can you do for your employees to make sure their eyes do not suffer injuries at work?
Here are some good suggestions:
Your employees will surely appreciate a visit to an eye doctor. Many people do not realize they are at risk for an eye condition or already have symptoms. An eye health checkup can nip problems in the bud. If an employee is suffering from computer vision syndrome (CVS), for example, a doctor may recommend some healthy practices to protect the employee’s eyes, as well as prescribe a treatment, such as wearing eyeglasses that protect against the blue light coming from computer and device screens which causes eyestrain.
You can provide your employees some new protective hardware, especially if their work involves operating machinery. Many workplace eye injuries are caused by flying debris, including broken glass, chemicals, tools and pieces of metal or wood.
You can help your employees improve their awareness about eye safety at work by hosting a meeting about it. Discuss the measures they should take to prevent eye injuries.
Fashion your topics around specific measures for your industry. For example, if you have a landscaping company, discuss hand protection, ladder safety, as well as recognizing poisonous plants and avoiding them.
You can invite an eye doctor to discuss eye safety measures with your team, or consult one before holding your meeting.
To remind your employees about eye safety, put up some highly visible signs wherever needed. For example, you can put up “HELMET AND EYE PROTECTION AREA” signs at the entrance and several other sites in your production area.
The first safety protocol your employees should follow is to start the day by performing a check on their protective equipment. You can also assign a buddy system so that two people can check each other’s gear before they start working.
Have protocols in place also in case something goes wrong. For example, the employees should know what to do or how to call for help if they find themselves in a caught-in situation.
Your employees will surely appreciate how you’re helping them with their eye health. You can also avoid expensive lawsuits and liabilities.
To find out more, get in touch with your eye doctor at Alderwood Optical & Canyon Park Vision Clinic. Call us at (425) 771-8472 or leave a message here. We’re ready to help you in Redmond and Kirkland, WA.