It’s often said that the best assets of a company are its employees, and if this is so, then it should be the priority of every business owner or CEO to keep them healthy and fit. Fewer absences mean more days at work, more days at work can mean an increase in productivity, hopefully contributing to the growth of a company.
Normally, companies offer health insurances to their regular employees, but does this promote the good health of employees? Not really. Although it’s beneficial for employees, this does not guarantee their good health. Maintaining good health should be proactive. It should be practiced every day and acted upon. Hence, one tip for business owners– you should invest in your employees’ health especially their eyesight. In order to promote healthy eyes to employees, here is a list of things you might want to try:
How Can Employers Promote Healthy Eyesight in The Workplace?
So, what should business owners do? How can they help their employees maintain healthy vision? To ease the digital strain, a business owner should implement these tips:
- Allow them to take an ‘eye rest’ with the 20-20-20 rule
Every 20 minutes, let them take a 20-second break. Allow them to look at objects at a 20-feet distance. Break time is significant for employees as it also serves as their break from computer radiation. A short walk can greatly help them as well. The computer screen of every employee should be located 20 inches away from their eyes and should be a little below their eye level. It must not be too dim nor bright. If possible, position the screen where it can’t have any glare.
- Employees should know about different eye exercises
Eyes need exercise to improve the blood circulation, flexibility, and vision. Some of these exercises include focusing on an object like your thumb for 20 seconds after this focus on the view behind that is more than 15 feet away. You’ll be surprised how this can be helpful in improving your employee’s vision for the next couple of days or weeks.
- Improve the lighting in their workplace
Another crucial environmental factor which greatly affects employee’s work is lighting. Research reveals that several workers have issues with workplace lighting, images, and the glare reflected on their computer screen. Most problems associated with lighting can be due to the introduction of computers into workplaces where the lighting is designed originally for traditional desktop work.
Thus, as business owners, check whether the surrounding room and brightness of the screen are balanced. For dark or dim background screen, it requires lower light levels. Nevertheless, lighting requirement will still depend on the task of the employee, so adjust it accordingly.
- Promote proper ergonomic design and adjustment of the computer
Promoting a good overall display legibility can increase worker’s productivity and comfort. Regularly cleaning the computer screen based on the instruction of the manufacturer would eliminate dirt and dust interfering with their screen visibility. Moreover, reducing screen brightness would lessen problems related to character flicker or image stability.
In connection to that, musculoskeletal problems that are associated with employee’s posture every time they work with a computer are common. This can be alleviated using proper workstation adjustment. Desk, chair, and other office furniture should be tailored and adjusted so employees can change their posture easily.
Furthermore, utilization of computer is also related to the reduced frequency of blinking, resulting in dry eyes. With the help of artificial tears, it can temporarily relieve its symptoms.
- Employer should fund employee’s eye care
Eye problems, which are often experienced by computer operators, are temporary and would decline after they stop their work. But some individuals might experience reduced visual abilities or continued impaired. If you don’t do anything to address this, they will continue to recur or perhaps, get worse in the future. That’s why it is important for employers to fund their employee’s eye care. By this, it will ensure higher productivity and job satisfaction, as well as reduced error rate.
For Non-Digital Workplace
Because of the nature of other jobs in settings like manufacturing, constructions, as well as laboratories, they are often prone to eye injuries. Objects like wood chips, metal silver, and dirt hitting their eye can cause eye injuries. It also includes contagious eye infections and chemical burns.
Business owners for these industries can help their employees’ vision safe and healthy using:
- Make every protective eyewear accessible to employees if it is necessary on the job. It shouldn’t just end there. They have to educate them how to use protective eyewear appropriately.
- Create signage and post it in your workplace to remind everyone that they need to wear protective eyewear.
- Make sure you have a plan during emergencies. Keep in mind that an eyewash station should be easy to get into. Employees should also know how to apply first-aid procedure when one gets an eye injury.
- Eye safety should be an integral part of new hire orientation and employee training.
- Business owners must not hesitate to accept any feedback about the workplace since it has a big role in their employee’s productivity.
- Know the right type of eye safety protection that suits your work. This will depend on the hazards present in the workplace. In a workplace, which has flying objects, particles, or even dust, your employees should wear glasses which have side shields. However, if you are working along with chemicals, goggles are the best option.
What to keep in mind?
We have our own ways to adapt to an environment. Same thing happens with our eyes. Each pair is unique, and the way they react to a working place environment is significant. Most potential eye problems linked with the workplace can be eliminated or reduced through appropriate placement and adjustment of the computer, lighting control, and workplace design. Regular preventive care habits and right safety protection for your employees’ eyes play a significant role too.
As a business owner, it’s good that you know how you can help your assets (employees). To improve your public understanding on why healthy eyesight is important and how to develop legislation or policy related to it, better talk to the best eye physician in town. They can greatly help you create an effective guideline and safety program for your employees.
