Graham Smithers, VDU Assessment Optician

Why are VDU assessments necessary?

• Employees will be more productive if their vision is checked on a regular basis and if any issues are dealt with.
• Working regularly with computers strains your eyes more than paper-based work.
• Eyes tend to stare more at computers than paper, and that can lead to:
  • tired eyes;
  • dryness;
  • redness;
  • a feeling of eyestrain.
• VDU assessments will confirm the status of an employee’s eyesight and what needs to be done.

What happens during on-site VDU assessments?

1. The company provides one reasonably-sized room with:
   • power points;
   • a telephone and a list of employees to be tested with their extension numbers;
   • 2 fixed chairs and 1 chair with wheels;
   • a table.
2. The optician takes roughly 10 minutes to carry out a VDU assessment for each employee, covering:
   • compatibility for working with VDUs;
   • the eyes’ vision standard for all ranges (long distance, middle distance, and reading);
   • muscle balance;
   • colour vision;
   • binocular balancing;
   • stereopsis;
   • ergonomic issues.
3. The next employee arrives for their VDU assessment:
   • at an agreed time, or
   • after the previous employee phones them, or
   • after the optician phones them.
4. The optician sends a full report to the company.

The “Health and Safety at Work Act” (1993) says that any employee working for at least 1 hour per day on a VDU on a regular basis is entitled to an eyesight test paid for by their employer. VDU eye testing should be made available every 2 years.

VDU Spectacles

Employees who require spectacles specifically for VDU use are entitled to a free, basic set of spectacles from their employer. Typically this would be 5% of employees tested.

Graham Smithers can supply suitable spectacles directly to employees who require spectacles specifically for VDU use, and send an invoice to the employer.

The minimum allowances payable by the company are:

• €60 for single vision spectacles;
• €100 for bifocal spectacles or varifocal spectacles.

Regulations and information

• “VDU Eye Examination Form” from the The Health & Safety Authority Code of Standards and Behaviour
• Health and safety at work from Citizens Information
• Health and safety at work from the Citizens Information Board
• A Short Guide to The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005
• Display Screen Equipment — (DSE/VDU) — Frequently Asked Questions
• Guide to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 Chapter 5 of Part 2: Display Screen Equipment

Graham Smithers supplies prescription safety glasses for people who normally wear glasses. Graham also supplies a wide variety of styles, including inserts for full face masks and clean room environs.

Bolle safety products

Bolle are Graham Smithers’s main safety product provider because their products have:

• the highest quality;
• the best service;
• a very appealing and modern range of frames.

• Sit at arms’ length from your monitor.
• Never stare at your monitor for long periods:
  • Re-focus your eyes on a distant object every 45 minutes;
  • Get up and move around for 2 minutes every hour.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Keep a glass of water on your desk to help to humidify the air.
• Your monitor:
  • should be level with your eyes or slightly below your eyes;
  • should have its contrast and brightness at a low level;
  • should not have reflections from windows or overhead lights;
  • does not need special filters or glare guards (unless it’s old).
• Your spectacles:
  • should be clean;
  • should not have scratches;
  • should have an anti-reflection coat.