Eyes at Work: Protecting Vision Across Every Workplace

Status: DRAFT

Wednesday 23 September 2026 : National Eye Health Week, day three: Eyes at work

Do your eyes feel dry after a day of emails? Do headaches arrive just as you finish your final video call? Or perhaps your workplace involves dust, chemicals, tools or bright light, and eye protection is treated as an afterthought.

Your eyes work hard. They deserve more than a quick rub and a promise to “sort it out later”.

Whether you work in an office, clinic, warehouse, laboratory, workshop, construction environment or from a spare room at home, protecting your sight starts with understanding the risks. The good news? Small changes can make a meaningful difference.

At NeedAnOptom Healthcare, we believe good eye care belongs in everyday working life. Here’s how employers, employees and optometrists can work together to create safer, more comfortable workplaces.

1. Digital eye strain is real : but it is not a reason to panic

Hours spent looking at computers, tablets and phones can cause digital eye strain. You might notice:

• Tired, dry, burning or watery eyes
• Blurred or fluctuating vision
• Headaches
• Difficulty changing focus between your screen and a distant object
• Increased sensitivity to light
• Neck, shoulder or back discomfort

It’s not usually the screen itself “damaging” your eyes. The problem is often the combination of prolonged near work, reduced blinking, glare, poor positioning, uncorrected vision and limited breaks.

When you concentrate on a screen, you may blink less often. That can allow the surface of the eye to dry out, particularly in offices with air conditioning, heating or fans.

The key here is to address the habit, not just the symptom.

2. Take display-screen breaks before your eyes complain

A break does not always mean abandoning your desk for half an hour. Short, regular changes of focus can help.

Try this simple approach:

• Every 20 minutes, look at something around 6 metres away for at least 20 seconds.
• During longer periods of screen work, stand up, move around or complete a non-screen task.
• Avoid scheduling back-to-back video calls without a few minutes between them.
• Look away from the screen while listening during a meeting.
• Close your eyes briefly and blink slowly several times.

The familiar “20-20-20” idea is useful, but do not treat it as a magic formula. The wider principle is to avoid long, uninterrupted periods of intense near work.

Employers should organise work so that staff can take appropriate breaks or carry out different tasks. This is part of sensible display-screen equipment guidance, not a perk reserved for particularly fortunate teams.

A useful script for managers is:

“Breaks are part of safe working, not a sign that you are less productive.”

That message matters. People often skip breaks because they feel guilty. Then they become uncomfortable, tired and less effective. Nobody wins.

3. Set up your workstation for comfortable vision

Your workstation does not need to look like a showroom. It does need to work for you.

Start with the screen:

• Keep it roughly an arm’s length away, adjusting the distance for your comfort and prescription.
• Position the top of the screen slightly below eye level.
• Increase text size rather than leaning towards the monitor.
• Adjust brightness so the screen is not dramatically brighter or darker than the room.
• Reduce reflections from windows and overhead lights.
• Position the screen at right angles to windows where possible.
• Keep the monitor clean.

Your chair, desk and keyboard position matter too. If you are constantly leaning forward, raising your chin or twisting to see the screen, your eyes may not be the only part of you suffering.

Home workers and hot-deskers should not be forgotten. A workstation risk assessment should reflect where work actually happens, not just the main office. The official DSE assessment guidance is a useful starting point for employers and staff.

4. Do not ignore dry, irritated eyes

Dry eye symptoms can be made worse by screen use, contact lenses, dry air, smoke, dust and direct airflow from fans or air conditioning.

You may experience dryness, grittiness, burning, redness, watering or fluctuating vision. Watery eyes can seem surprising, but the eye may produce excess tears in response to irritation.

Simple measures may help:

• Blink fully and regularly.
• Avoid air blowing directly towards your face.
• Take contact lenses out when your eyes need a rest, following professional advice.
• Keep your environment comfortably ventilated.
• Avoid rubbing your eyes.
• Ask a pharmacist or optometrist whether lubricating drops are suitable for you.

Persistent symptoms deserve proper attention. Our related guide to dry eye and cornea or external eye disease can help you understand the wider picture, but online information cannot replace an examination.

An optometrist can assess the eye’s surface, eyelids, tear film and vision. They can also identify whether the symptoms point to something other than simple workplace dryness.

5. Protective eyewear is essential where hazards exist

Screens are not the only workplace risk.

Construction, manufacturing, engineering, agriculture, laboratories, healthcare, cleaning and maintenance work can expose your eyes to:

• Flying particles and fragments
• Dust and debris
• Chemical splashes
• Biological fluids
• Intense light or ultraviolet radiation
• Heat, sparks and fumes
• High-speed impact

The right protective eyewear depends on the hazard. Safety spectacles may be suitable for some tasks. Goggles, visors or face protection may be needed for others.

Protective eyewear should:

• Be selected through a suitable workplace risk assessment.
• Fit securely and comfortably.
• Be compatible with other personal protective equipment.
• Be cleaned and maintained properly.
• Be replaced if scratched, cracked or damaged.
• Work with prescription needs where required.

Prescription glasses alone are not automatically safety glasses. Nor are ordinary sunglasses a substitute for task-specific protection.

Employers need to make eye protection practical. If the equipment fogs, pinches, slips or makes it difficult to see, people may be tempted to remove it. Comfort, fit and training are not minor details. They are central to compliance.

6. A workplace risk assessment should cover more than screens

A good eye-health review asks two questions:

1. Could this work cause visual discomfort or fatigue?
2. Could this work physically injure the eye?

For screen-based roles, review the display, lighting, glare, posture, breaks and access to eye tests. For higher-risk roles, review the task, materials, machinery, chemicals, protective eyewear, training and emergency procedures.

Risk assessments should also consider:

• New starters and temporary staff
• Contractors and visitors
• Home workers
• Staff who hot-desk
• Employees with disabilities or visual impairment
• Changes to equipment, processes or working environments

National Eye Health Week is an excellent opportunity to refresh your approach. Employers can use the Vision Matters resources to support workplace education, but the aim should be lasting change rather than a single awareness email.

7. Where optometrists can support employers and staff

Optometrists do much more than check whether someone can read a letter chart.

They can support workplace eye health by helping employees with:

• Routine sight examinations
• Screen-related visual discomfort
• Advice about working distances and spectacles
• Occupational or task-specific visual needs
• Contact lens and dry eye concerns
• Referral when further investigation is needed
• Advice about appropriate protective eyewear alongside prescription requirements

Under UK display-screen rules, eligible DSE users can request an employer-funded eye test. If the examination shows that special glasses are needed specifically for DSE work, an employer may also have responsibilities towards basic DSE-only spectacles. Employers should check the current official requirements and make the process clear to staff through their workplace policy.

A comprehensive eye examination may also identify signs of wider health concerns. This is why workplace eye care should not be reduced to “computer glasses” alone.

You can explore related information about refractive care and display-screen work, retinal warning signs and comprehensive eye care. These areas are connected. Clearer vision, healthier eye surfaces and timely referral all contribute to safer working.

8. Bespoke systems can make education easier to manage

Good intentions are helpful. Systems make them repeatable.

Bespoke ZPC and MyGentic systems could help an employer coordinate workplace eye-health activity by supporting:

• Workforce education campaigns
• Reminder schedules for DSE assessments
• Prompts about eye-test entitlements
• Training completion and acknowledgement
• Protective eyewear checks
• Referral and follow-up workflows
• Different messages for office, clinical and higher-risk teams

The important word is bespoke. These systems would be shaped around the employer’s workforce, processes and clinical governance. They are not being presented as an off-the-shelf platform, and they should not replace professional judgement, formal risk assessments or urgent clinical care.

The purpose is simple: help the right person receive the right information at the right time.

9. Know when workplace symptoms need professional help

Book an eye examination if you have ongoing blur, headaches, discomfort, difficulty focusing or symptoms that repeatedly return during work.

Seek urgent advice for:

• Sudden loss or major change of vision
• New flashes or a sudden increase in floaters
• A dark curtain or shadow across your sight
• A red, painful eye with reduced vision
• A serious eye injury
• A chemical splash
• A sharp object embedded in or near the eye

For chemical exposure, begin rinsing the eye immediately with plenty of clean water and seek urgent medical care. Do not wait to see whether the irritation settles.

Read the guidance on eye injuries and emergency symptoms and use NHS 111, urgent eye care or A&E as appropriate.

A practical Eyes at Work checklist

For employers

• Review DSE assessments.
• Make break guidance visible and realistic.
• Check lighting, glare and workstation set-up.
• Explain how staff can request an eye test.
• Audit protective eyewear and replace damaged equipment.
• Provide task-specific training.
• Include home workers and hot-deskers.
• Invite optometric input where useful.

For employees

• Blink, look away and vary your tasks.
• Adjust your screen rather than your posture alone.
• Do not work through persistent symptoms.
• Wear the correct protective eyewear for the task.
• Report damaged or uncomfortable PPE.
• Arrange an eye examination when vision or comfort changes.
• Treat sudden symptoms and injuries as urgent.

Your eyes are part of your working equipment, but they are not replaceable components. Look after them properly.

NeedAnOptom Healthcare supports optical professionals and employers who understand that better care begins with better people, better processes and the right clinical support. You can contact our team to discuss optical recruitment and workforce needs.

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Medical information disclaimer: This article provides general educational information and is not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a qualified optometrist, ophthalmologist, GP or other healthcare professional. Workplace requirements can vary according to the role, equipment and risk assessment. If you have sudden vision loss, a serious injury, chemical exposure or severe eye pain, seek urgent medical attention.