What You Need to Know
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work, (General Application) Regulations 2007, outlines the requirements in relation to Display Screen Equipment where the employee uses the VDU for continuous periods of more than one hour
The key requirements are to:
Provide training to employees in the use of workstations
Carry out an ergonomic risk assessment of employee workstations
Provide an appropriate eye and eyesight test
Every employee who uses a VDU as a significant part of normal work has a right to opt for an appropriate eye test and an eyesight test which must be made available and paid for by the employer.
MedWise will provide a simple 1-page vision health questionnaire to be completed by the employee.
Medwise will provide a competent person at our client’s site, qualified in the use of the vision screening machine.
MedWise carry out the Vision tests using a state-of-the-art vision screening platform, with custom programs for VDU users, General Operatives, FLT drivers and HGV drivers.
Abnormal results will be referred to the employee’s optician (or on occasion to their GP) using a letter of referral.
A vision test certificate will be issued to the employer.
Regular breaks are required to rest the eyes and break from continuously using a single focus to avoid eyestrain and fatigue. Struggling with uncorrected vision will make eyestrain and eye fatigue worse and diminish performance.
There is no evidence that Display Screen Equipment (DSE) work causes any permanent damage to eyes. However, long spells of DSE work can lead to tired eyes, discomfort, temporary short-sightedness and headaches. DSE work is visually demanding, so it can make you aware of eyesight problems not noticed before (including changes in eyesight that happen with age)
Should there be a requirement for more in-depth colour perception testing MedWise can carry out the Ishihara plate test
The Ishihara plate test consists of either 24 colour plates. It is the most widely used screening test for red-green deficiency and has been shown to be the most efficient test for this purpose. A very general indication of protan (Red-green colour blindness) and deutan defects is given in this test, but it is not, as such, a diagnostic test.
MedWise Mobile Medicals can provide an OH Nurse or Test Technician qualified in Vision Testing
A vision Questionnaire is used to inquire about symptoms.
The Keystone Vision Screener is capable of testing several different parameters of vision in a short test time:
Acuity Right Eye – Far and Near
Acuity Left Eye – Far and Near
Acuity Binocular – At Far, Intermediate, Night and Near
Phoria (eye co-ordination) – Far and Near
Fusion – Far and Near
Stereopsis – Far and Near
Colour Perception – Severe and Mild
The Nurse / Tech will refer employees who do not pass the eyesight tests at the screening level to an optician or optometrist.
