World Sight Day 2023 (October 12) carries the theme of Love Your Eyes At Work and is all about promoting good eye health practices in the workplace.
By encouraging employers and employees to take steps to promote and adopt strong eye health practices in the workplace, World Sight Day 2023 aims to benefit the well-being, safety and productivity of millions of people across the world.
Below are some handy tips that can help you, your employees, or colleagues to #LoveTheirEyes at work.
Reduce eye strain
For many, the workday consists of plenty of time in from of a computer screen and it's important your workstation is set up correctly to minimise eye strain this can cause.
Most people benefit if the computer screen is 15 to 20 degrees below eye level (about 10cm or 12cm) as measured from the centre of the screen and 50cm to 70cm away from the eyes.
You should also position your computer screen to avoid glare. Antiglare screens or screen protectors are also available.
More information on preventing eye strain and fatigue is available from WorkSafe Queensland.
The 20/20/20 rule
Giving your eyes a regular break is important to their health and the 20/20/20 rule is great way to do it.
There are three simple steps to the rule. Every 20 minutes you should take a 20 second break from your screen and look at an object that's 20 feet (around six metres) away.
Eye protection
Depending on your work environment, you may also need to be aware of physical risks to your health.
According to the Victorian government's Better Health Channel, workplaces that pose a high risk for eye injuries include those that involve:
- chemicals
- dusty environments
- excessively bright lights or UV lights
- compressed air
- machines or tools that chip, chisel, cut, drill, grind, hammer, sand, smelt, spray or weld.
Workplaces have an obligation to put preventative measures in place to minimise the risk of eye injuries. Employees should always follow these measures at all times.
More information on preventing eye injuries at work is available from The Better Health Channel.
Eye health in general
Good eye health practices don't stop once you've finished work. Check out some of our handy advice about everyday things you can do to #LoveYourEyes.
Want more information? Get in touch with Vision Australia today on 1300 84 74 66 or email [email protected].