Tips Improving Visual Health In The Workplace

If you own or manage a business, then it is in your best interest to look out for your employees' visual health. Vision problems can reduce your business' productivity when they lead to more sick days, increased incidences of accidents, as well as increased rates of workers compensation claims. Here are some of the measures to help you protect your workers' visual health:

Keep Eyewash Accessible

Many eye injuries consist of debris or liquids getting into the eye. The extent of the injury may be mitigated by providing first aid to the victims. The first aid instructions for these types of injuries involve irrigating the eye with eyewash or water. If there is a risk of chemical spillage or exposure to small particles (such as ground pepper), then you should provide access to eyewash or sterilized water. That way you reduce the risk of permanent damage to your employee's eyes.

Provide Adequate Lighting  

Eye injuries are not just caused by traumatic injuries such as chemical spillages; even chronic issues can lead to some problems. For example, constantly working in a poorly lit environment may not cause permanent damage to the eye, but it can lead to eye strain and dryness. This leads to reduced concentration because it takes more hours to complete a task in a poorly lit environment than it would take to accomplish the same task in a well-lit room.

Enforce Your No Smoking Policy

Most businesses have no smoking policies, but it is their enforcement that is usually wanting. Unfortunately, smoking has been linked to increased risks of cataracts, macular degeneration, dry eyes and other health problems. One way in which this happens is by reducing blood flow through the capillaries of the eye. Therefore, it's important to have and enforce a no smoking policy whether or not it is mandated by your local or state's laws.

Reduce Incidences of Falling Objects

Falling objects can either cause blunt injuries to the eye or pierce it. Blunt injuries cause internal bleeding and may lead to serious or permanent damage, even though this may not be apparent at the time of the accident. Tools are common causes of this type of injury. Therefore, you should ensure that everything is stored in its rightful place at the end of a shift or business day. 

Every incident of eye injury should be handled by a medical professional. The first aid given at the scene of the accident is for mitigating the injury, not for treating it. An eye doctor's approval is needed before the victim returns to his or her workplace. 

To learn more, contact an eye company like Modern Eyez.