At some point in the day almost everyone looks at some form of screen. This could be your phone, computer, e-reader, TV, or monitors for the use of either work or leisure.
People who work with electronic screens are prone to eye diseases such as Computer Vision Syndrome. This is common among people who use VDU (Visual Display Units) screens at work. These screens can cause stress and issues with the eyes, symptoms associated with this include blurred vision and sore eyes.
If you have dry eyes, eyestrain, headaches, or even difficulty while focusing right after or during use of a VDU screen, then chances are you have Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) and may need to take measures to avoid it.
Eye Examinations
Your eye test will include questions regarding the kind of VDU screen you use at work or at home to check whether you’re facing any problems.
The amount of focus and muscle work your eyes do can be assessed through an eye examination and you will be advised accordingly.
Tips For Prevention
The main risk to your eyes comes from staring at a screen for too long. For this, it is important to take regular breaks every 20 minutes to look away from the screen. This should be sufficient rest for your eyes.
Make adjustments to your monitor or screen.
Most screens come with the option of adjusting contrast, this can be manipulated to a point where the stress being cause to the eyes is at bare minimum. In order to cause less stress, the font size on your screen can be zoomed in or adjusted.
Avoiding glare and check for lights around the screen.
It is important to make sure there aren’t any bright lights around your computer screen, and that you take steps to avoid any glare being reflected off. To alleviate this, anti-glare screen can be used to reduce the damaging reflections off the screen.
Blink consistently to avoid dry eyes.
Most people while concentrating on a screen for too long do not blink as much. This is one of the main causes of dry eyes among people. For people who get dry eyes whilst using computer screens, this is a major symptom of CVS. However, it can be reduced and relieved by consulting an optometrist to get recommended, appropriate eye drops. This symptom is more common among people who use contact lenses.
Make regular eye care appointments.
The recommended period for adults is once every two years, however, it doesn’t hurt to be careful and make more regular visits. An optometrist can tell if there is any oncoming eye disease or detect other minor problems early on.
The Law
It’s important to note that if you are using a VDU screen at work, you are entitled to regular eye checks by your employer. Under the European Legislation, employees using VDU screens at work should receive and eye examination when they start and throughout the course of their employment at regular intervals.
If a person faces any eye related issues, they are entitled to any eye examination funded by their employer. If the need arises for glasses, then your employer is duty bound to pay for a basic pair which is for the purpose of use with VDU screens only. You can make your own choice, but you will have to pay for the difference in cost.
Who Qualifies?
The Health and Safety Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Regulations 1992 implemented an EC Directive that came into effect January 1993. These regulations require employees to minimise the risk in VDU work by ensuring that workplaces and jobs are well designed. The regulations apply where staff habitually use VDU’s as a significant part of their normal work.
Regulation 1 of the DSE regulations states that a ‘user’ is “an employee who habitually uses DSE as a part of his or her normal work”. A ‘user’ may work from home. Some ‘users’ will be more obvious than others. The regulations require employers to minimise the risks on VDU work.
If most, or all, of the following criteria are met, the employee is a ‘user’:
• DSE is necessary for the job as alternative means are not readily available.
• There is no choice over the use of DSE.
• Significant training and/or specific skills in the use of the DSE are required.
• The Employee normally uses DSE for continuous spells of an hour or more at a time.
• DSE is used more or less daily.
• The fast transfer of information between the employee and screen is an important requirement of the job.
• The performance requirements of the system demand high levels of attention and concentration by the user, for example where the consequence of error may be critical.
