COVER STORY
EYECARE IN THE WORKPLACE: AN HOLISTIC APPROACH
There are various different strands to eyecare in the workplace. Some are health and safety requirements, some are more about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and some are related to employee benefits. Specsavers believes that all aspects of eyecare are very closely linked and that businesses can benefit from an holistic approach.
SAFETY EYEWEAR Safety eyewear is perhaps the most clear-cut aspect of eyecare, being strictly placed under the health and safety banner. The provision of safety eyewear dates back as far as the 1937 Factories Act. Updates were made in 1974 to include specific processes for which eye protection was required and, in 1993, the UK Government introduced new legislation in line with the European Directive.
Potentially, things are about to change again. A new Personal Protective Equipment Regulation came into force in April this year. PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 replaces the previous
16
PPE Directive and tightens up details, such as certification and the retention of technical files, to ensure better control of products on the market.
The proposed timetable for the new PPE Regulation is that April 2016 to April 2018 will be a transition period. On 21 April 2018, the old PPE Directive 89/686/EEC will be repealed and the new PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 will apply. From April 2023 the old EC-type certificates to the PPE Directive will become invalid.
With the EU referendum result coming just a few weeks after the new EU PPE Regulation came into force, employers
may now be wondering where they stand. It is expected to be two years until the UK leaves the EU, so until then, the message is ‘business as usual’. With this is mind, the fact that UK organisations will want to continue to trade with Europe, that the PPE market in the UK has been based on EU directives for a generation, and that our health and safety system is so successful – it is unlikely that much will change.
DSE EYECARE The Display Screen Equipment eyecare legislation also comes under a health and safety remit. It is the 1992 Health and Safety (Display Screen
www.tomorrowshs.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56