Protect eye health for your employees

Working in an office can lead to several health implications if due diligence has not been done to prevent it. One of the most common health risks is eye strain – given that a growing number of workers sit for most of their day at a desk, gazing into computer screens, Smartphones and paperwork.

The good news is that there are measures you can put in place at your place of work to minimize the risks of eye-strain in employees. Here we have put together three key tips on how to remove risk and protect eye health in your office.

Improve office lighting

Having good-quality lighting in the office can make a big difference to your employees’ eye health. When staring at a computer for hours on end, often you don’t realise you’re working in dark conditions and that the light isn’t bright enough to enable you to see clearly.

Similarly, it can be excessively bright lights that cause eye problems, when shining into computers, causing users to squint or strain to avoid the beams. Installing LED panels can help to create a bright environment for employees, enabling them to see clearly at all times of the day, even when natural light is not available.

Installing dimmable LED bulbs will mean that LED lights can be dimmed appropriately, according to the amount of light required.

Offer eye tests

As a caring employer, you should encourage your employees to go for regular eye tests to ensure their vision hasn’t deteriorated, or to ensure that they don’t need glasses or contact lenses to help to correct their vision, when at work.

Why not offer to reimburse employees for the cost of the eye test, or ask a local optician to come in and carry out routine eye tests for the whole office in one go.

Upgrade your computer displays

Desk-based workers spend most of each day staring at their computer screen, so make sure equipment is upgraded regularly to ensure eye health is maintained.

LCD screens are generally much easier on the eyes and usually have an anti-reflective surface, compared to old-fashioned CRT screens, which tend to flicker and move, causing eye strain and fatigue. If you must use a CRT at work, adjust the display settings to the highest possible refresh rate, to minimize symptoms.

When choosing a new flat panel display, select a screen with the highest resolution possible – choose a display with a dot pitch of .28 mm or smaller for best results. Finally, choose a relatively large display. For a desktop computer, select a display that has a diagonal screen size of at least 19 inches, and consider dual screens for workers who would benefit from this added help.