By: Kathy Hubbard
With a goal to provide both employers and employees with important information to help keep eyes safe and healthy at work, Prevent Blindness each year declares March as Workplace Eye Wellness Month. They estimate that 20,000 workers sustain eye injuries each year, and the frightening statistic is that 90 percent of them could have been avoided with proper eye protection or precautions.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) says that workplace eye injuries cost an estimated $300 million per year in worker’s compensation, medical treatment, and lost productivity. These injuries that force an employee to miss at least one day of work range from simple eye strain to severe trauma that can cause permanent eye damage or vision loss.
It’s no surprise that manufacturing and construction workers are high at risk. But those in the hospitality and healthcare industries are also in that category. Mining, welding and metal fabrication, chemical and pharmaceutical workers are at risk. Up-and-coming in the ranks are those of us who make our living looking at computer screens. The eye-opener is that just about every one of us can at one time or another fall victim to an eye injury.
“Whether working at a job site or in a home office, we must make sure to protect our eyes and vision in order to maintain productivity and independence,” Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness said. “Making vision a priority should be part of everyone’s daily routine to keep our eyes healthy today and for years to come.”
AAO recommends wearing the proper eye safety gear when working with hazards such as flying shards of metal or glass; tools that slip or malfunction; particles such as wood splinters, metal shavings or crystalline silica; spattered chemicals, and any combination of these or other hazards.
Todd also said, “Because many of us spend so much time at work, whether in an office setting or job site, Prevent Blindness encourages all workers to talk with their eyecare professional about the best ways to protect vision at work.”
The best protective eyewear depends on the hazards of the job. You should wear safety glasses with side protection if you work around particles, flying objects, or dust; wear goggles if you handle chemicals, and wear specially designed safety glasses, goggles, face shields or helmets if you work near hazardous radiation such as welding, lasers or fiber optics.
AAO also says that workers and employers should know how to recognize an eye injury and to enlist professional medical attention right away. Delaying treatment can result in permanent vision loss or blindness.
Although serious eye damage is not always immediately apparent, some signs to look out for if you or someone else gets injured include obvious pain or trouble seeing; a cut or torn eyelid; one eye doesn’t move as well as the other; one eye sticks out compared to the other; the eye has an unusual pupil size or shape; there is blood in the clear part of the eye, or there is something in the eye or under the eyelid that can’t be easily removed.
The most important message is, don’t waste time. Get that person to the emergency department as quickly as possible.
WebMD says that there’s no proof that computer use causes any long-term damage to the eyes, but regular use can lead to eye strain and discomfort. “Eye strain symptoms include sore or irritated eyes, trouble focusing, dry or watery eyes, blurred or double vision, increased sensitivity to light and pain in the neck, shoulders, or back.”
They say that these symptoms can lower your productivity. AAO says “to prevent eye strain, you should place your screen 20 to 26 inches away from your eyes and a little bit below eye level. Change your lighting to lower glare and harsh reflections. Get a chair you can adjust. Choose screens that can tilt and swivel. Use a keyboard that you can adjust. Wear computer glasses with yellow-tinted lenses that block blue light.”
WebMD has a lot of advice on their website if you’d like more information. I like the recommendation that says to put a note on your screen that says “blink.” I’ve been blinking a lot since I started this article. Bonner General Ophthalmology Clinic’s phone is 208-265-1011.
Kathy Hubbard is a member of the Bonner General Health Foundation Advisory Council. She can be reached at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com. This article was written for publication in the Bonner County Daily Bee on March 3, 2025.
