PPE & WORKWEAR
EYE ON THE BALL
Specsavers Corporate Eyecare’s director of strategic alliances, Jim Lythgow, urges employers to bring workplace eyecare to life and reap the rewards of employee health, safety and satisfaction.
Eyecare at work is something that most employers have to provide and all employees should be aware of. The reality, however, is that many employers do not know their responsibilities and employees do not always have a clear understanding of their rights.
Eyecare may, therefore, fail to hit the mark in terms of provision and value. By bringing eyecare to life, employers are able to not only fulfil their health and safety responsibilities but also to demonstrate the value of eyecare and receive full appreciation for its worth.
SEEING SCREENS The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations were originally brought in when computers first came into widespread use at work, which led to genuine concern about damage to the eyes. Despite extensive research, this has never been proved to be the case and display screens have long since become an accepted part of the working environment.
The regulations had the positive effect, however, of bringing eyecare to the
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attention of employers and employees. While employers are still obliged to provide eyecare to all screen users, this now provides them with the opportunity to offer what is often widely received as an employee benefit.
For this to be effective, however, employers need to have a full understanding of what the regulations entail and what exactly they are obligated to provide. Research carried out by Specsavers Corporate Eyecare revealed that employers are generally in need of more support and information regarding DSE eyecare.
Less than half of all employers (46%) felt they fully understand the DSE regulations and nearly three quarters (73%) of companies failed to comply with the regulations, as they did not fully fund DSE eyecare. If they are not able to fully understand the regulations regarding DSE eyecare, then how can employers hope to be able to make the most of their provision?
This issue of gaining value for money from eyecare often comes down to communication. Despite it being a stipulation of the regulations, a
significant number of employers (26%) said they did not communicate their eyecare policy (or did not have an eyecare policy to communicate). It is the communication of eyecare that can help bring it to life for employees. It is important to relay the worth of eyecare in terms of monetary value, and the additional benefits it can supply.
HAZARD PROTECTION While bringing eyecare to life is important for DSE provision, it is vital with regards to safety eyewear. In Specsavers Corporate Eyecare’s own research a staggering 78% of employers disclosed that they worried staff removed safety eyewear because it was not comfortable.
This is interesting when considered alongside the fact that safety managers are also well aware of the benefits of safety eyewear being professionally fitted by an expert. While many safety frames are available to be ordered from a catalogue, 87% of safety managers stated that it is important to physically view and try on a range of safety glasses in store.
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