Eye Strain and COVID

Covid is increasingly changing the way we do work with many workers increasingly working from home. One emerging health issue due to this change in work regime is eye related conditions.

This has arisen as a result of more people using their personal digital devices to do routine work for longer periods of time.

The problem with this is that most personal devices are not designed or suitable for continuous work purposes. A typical example is when people use their smart phones for long periods for work meetings, thereby increasing their risk of developing eye strain.

 The condition is caused by staring at a digital screen at close and mid-range distance for a prolonged period of time. Some of its symptoms include headaches, dry eyes, tired eyes, blurred vision and possibly sleeping difficulty.

 The employer’s duty to provide a safe workplace and system of work is not limited to work done at the workplace, but includes work carried out remotely or at the worker’s home.

 Therefore, employers and safety professionals must consider putting measures in place to minimize the risk of a worker developing digital eye strain due to increased screen time on possibly inappropriate equipment or conditions. 

Suggested measures to help manage this risk:

1.    Ensure workers have a good desktop set up when working from home.

2.    Provide training and information on ergonomic standards e.g., how to conduct a workstation risk assessment and required lighting to do work.

3.    Encourage regular eye examinations for workers.

4.    Practice the 20-20-20 rule i.e., set a timer to remind you to look away from the screen every 20 minutes and relax the eye.

5.    Provide information on the required safety adjustments to prevent eye strain during work with laptop.

6.    Minimize the amount of surrounding light competing with the light coming from your device screen e.g., glare.

7.    Consult an optometrist if eye discomfort continues.

 References

Alabdulkader B. Effect of digital device use during COVID-19 on digital eye strain. Clin Exp Optom. 2021 Aug;104(6):698-704. doi: 10.1080/08164622.2021.1878843. Epub 2021 Feb 22. PMID: 33689614.

Vision Eye Institute. (2020).  From the COVID-19 pandemic emerges an increase in Digital Eye Strain complaints