Promoting eye health in the workplace

March 16, 2011

Prevent Blindness America (PBA) is working to promote eye health and safety in the workplace this month, and will be enacting measures to educate companies and workers on ways they can maintain their vision, according to ModernMedicine.com. Those who want to participate in the non-profit's Healthy Eyes Vision Wellness Program can ask their employer to enroll at no cost.

Those who do enlist in the effort will receive educational materials including printed posters that promote eye health and safety. The posters, which cover topics such as common eye diseases and protective eye wear tips, can be hung in common areas in a work space so they are accessible to all employees.

"By promoting eye health and safety in the workplace, companies can actually help reduce their annual health-care costs," Hugh R. Parry, chief officer of PBA, told the website. This is due to the fact that workers who are more aware of eye health will not need to visit doctor's offices as much to be treated for vision issues.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 2,000 U.S. workers have a job-related eye injury that requires medical treatment every day.