ISPB and Prevent Blindness Illinois (PBIL) have declared March as Workplace Eye Wellness Month. The goal of the annual observance is to provide employers and employees with important information to help keep eyes safe and healthy at work. Prevent Blindness offers a variety of free resources including workplace eye safety fact sheets, shareable social media graphics, and webpages. Prevent Blindness also offers a Workplace Safety module as part of its Healthy Eyes Educational Series.
“Digital Eye Strain,” also referred to as “Computer Vision Syndrome,” is a group of symptoms experienced when using computers or other digital devices for long periods of time, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Symptoms may include dry eyes and/or irritated eyes, blurred or double vision, tearing or watery eyes, and headache.
Data from the “2025 Workplace Vision Health Report” from VSP Vision Care shows nearly 6 out of 10 employees say digital eye strain reduces their productivity and effectiveness at work. Around half say it affects their well-being and quality of life, makes them too tired to enjoy after-work activities, and causes them to be more irritable at work. And 27 percent have taken time off from work due to digital eye strain.
To help avoid eye strain, we recommend the following:
- Place your screen 20 to 26 inches away from your eyes and a little bit below eye level.
- Use a document holder placed next to your screen. It should be close enough so that you don’t have to swing your head back and forth or constantly change your eye focus.
- Change your lighting to lower glare and harsh reflections. Glare filters over your digital screens can also help.
- Get a chair you can adjust.
- Choose screens that can tilt and swivel. A keyboard that you can adjust is also helpful.
- Computer glasses with yellow-tinted lenses that block blue light can help ease digital eye strain by increasing contrast.
- Anti-reflective lenses reduce glare and increase contrast and also block blue light from digital devices.
Wearing the proper eye protection at work is important for keeping eyes safe at job sites. In the most recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers suffered 18,510 eye-related injuries and illnesses in 2020. Contact with objects or equipment led to the majority of eye injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work in 2020. Exposure to harmful substances or environments accounted for nearly 5,000 cases. Construction trades workers had 2,120 eye-related injury or illness cases in 2020, with electricians making up more than 20 percent of those cases.
Safety eyewear protection includes:
- Non-prescription and prescription safety glasses
- Goggles
- Face shields
- Welding helmets
- Full-face respirators
All eye safety gear should meet the eye protection standards set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). In the event of any eye injury, we offer the “First Aid for Eye Emergencies” resource.
