Did you know that March is the workplace eye wellness month? Well, it is and we are here to remind you and offer you some tips on how to keep your eyes safe and healthy while you are working, especially behind a computer screen. And of course, as eye doctors, we will also tell you to pay attention to your eye health each and every month of the year, not just March.
Did you know that every day, more than 2,000 workers suffer an eye injury on the job? Thus far, more than 1 million people have lost their eye sight due to work-related eye injuries and this according to Prevent Blindness America (PBA) organization. And these injuries have cost more than 300 million dollars in medical bills, lost hours and worker compensation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
So here are a few things to keep in mind this month:
Please wear safety goggles and eye wear when called for: If you work at a factory or a lab where you may be surrounded by flying objects, harmful chemicals and toxins, you are most likely required to wear safety goggles. So please make sure that you do. This is not only required by your employer, but also by law enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA). And according to them, more than 90% of work-related eye injuries could be avoided by proper eye safety wear. You may think, it’s ok, it won’t happen to me. But better be safe than sorry, you never know.
Reduce the risk of infection on the job: There are a large number of jobs that will exposure you to an increased risk of eye infection, including research labs, hospitals, most jobs on farms and working with animals as well as janitorial work. So please be sure to wear eye safety equipment and/or avoid touching and rubbing your eyes unless you always wash your hands first.
Just because you work at the office, it does not mean your eyes are safe: office workers are just as much likely to sustain eye injuries and eye infections as those working at factories and fields. While office work will not cause permanent damage to your eyes (most of the time), it can still cause significant discomfort. If you work at an office, you are at an increased risk for computer vision syndrome and dry eye. Computer vision syndrome will give you headaches and difficulty focusing. To prevent this, please take regular brakes and move the computer screen at eye level. Dry eye will make your vision blurry, painful and your eyes may feel like you have sand in them. To prevent this, please drink lots of water and use over-the-counter lubricated eye drops.
Keep your eyes safe year around: Please schedule regular eye exams with your eye doctor to keep your eyes safe and functioning at their optimal level. This is especially important for aging workers who may in addition to being exposed to work-related eye injuries, develop age-related eye conditions such as presbyopia and cataracts.
We wish you a happy March eye health month and should you have any trouble with your eyes or vision or to schedule an eye exam, please contact us today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Hakimzadeh, the premier Rochester Hills eye doctor and Detroit LASIK provider.