In honor of Workplace Eye Wellness Month, it’s time for a look at the steps we can all take to protect our eyes while we work.
Depending on what type of job you have, your eyes will face different risks of health issues or injury, so we want to approach this in two broad categories: office jobs and jobs that involve physical labor.
Eye Health in the Office
Eye health might not be something you think about too much if you have an office job. You might not be working with dangerous machinery or chemicals, but there is still a significant chance for someone who works at a computer for most of the day to develop digital eye strain, also called computer vision syndrome.
When we spend hours at a time staring at a computer screen, it doesn’t cause permanent damage, but it can leave your eyes tired and irritated. Common symptoms include neck pain, headaches, back strain, dry eye, and inattentiveness. It can also have a negative impact on productivity!
There are several things we can do to minimize or eliminate the effects of digital eye strain, such as repositioning the computer screen, making a conscious effort to blink more often, drinking more water, using an anti-glare screen or computer glasses, and following the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds looking at something 20 feet away). We can also fight digital eye strain by scheduling regular eye exams!
Eye Safety and Physical Labor
Not all jobs are in an office. Jobs like carpentry, construction, manufacturing, auto repair, electrical work, maintenance, welding, plumbing, mining, and even working in a lab pose a significant risk of eye injury. Every day, at least two thousand workers in these fields are treated for eye injuries.
That’s a pretty big number, but 90% of eye injuries are preventable when we use the right safety equipment. If you work in one of these fields and are vulnerable to eye injuries, make sure you’re wearing your goggles, safety glasses, face shield, welding helmet, or full-face respirator. Your eyes will thank you!
Have Questions About Workplace Eye Safety? Just Ask!
Whether you’ve been experiencing symptoms of eye strain or are concerned about the eye protection you’ve been using at your worksite, we’re here to answer all of your questions about eye safety. Give us a call or stop by, and schedule an appointment if it’s been a long time since your last one!