March 2, 2023 — To keep eyes healthy, safe, and protected on the job, Prevent Blindness has declared March as Workplace Eye Wellness Month to educate employers and workers from industrial or construction sites and office spaces.
 
Prevent Blindness offers a Workplace Safety module as part of its Healthy Eyes Educational Series, a free program that includes presentation resources to help employers educate their workers about eye protection and safety. The nonprofit also offers a variety of workplace eye safety fact sheets and shareable social media graphics.
 
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 90% of job-related eye injuries could be avoided by wearing the proper eye protection. Common causes for workplace eye injuries are flying objects, tools, particles, chemicals, and harmful radiation.
 
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires employers to ensure the safety of all employees in the workplace, which includes providing eye protection against any irritants and hazards. All eye safety gear should meet the protection standards set by the American National Standards Institute.
 
Eye strain, headaches, and eye fatigue are risks for workers who use digital devices for a few hours or more a day. That risk increases when workers are too close to their device’s screen, view the screen at the wrong angle, have bad posture while using their device, have eye issues that are not being treated, use eyewear that is not suitable for the viewing distance of their device, and don’t take breaks while working.
 
“Maintaining healthy vision is a critical part of maintaining overall good health for working adults,” says Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “We strongly urge everyone to talk to their eye doctor about the best ways to keep eyes healthy at their jobs today and for years to come.”
 
For more information: preventblindness.org.