Recently, eye care protection for employees using visual display units (VDUs) has been discussed for more than one reason. Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations gives the right to employees working on VDUs to ask for eye tests as well as glasses, if needed, and employers are obliged to provide for them. However, new reports have shown that businesses are, more often than not, not clear about the stipulations of these regulations.

Most employers, however well versed with the Regulations, do not find them to be clear enough, which results in needless expenditure on eyecare as well as poor implementation of the regulations. Specsavers Corporate Eyecare recently released a report reasserting the fact that though most employers know that they should bear the responsibility of such eye tests, only 60% are of the view that they should provide for the glasses too. About a quarter seem to think that they need to make payments only if they wish to.

Despite the Regulations being clear on the point that employers must provide for the costs of an eye test as well as basic glasses, only a little over 15% of employers believe that they must pay for the glasses for VDU use. DSE assessor training might be of benefit to your organisation in helping to assess the workstations and the working environment meet your responsibilities under health and safety legislation.

Around 50% of employers hold the view that employees are entitled to visit the optician of their choice, which makes these provisions quite costly. This is again a result of the lack of understanding of the Health & Safety Regulations which provide that a company can nominate an optician for the purpose.

With respect to the prices of eye examinations and glasses, a majority of respondents believe that the cost for one employee would be over £50, completely oblivious of the fact that these tests and glasses can be availed for less than £20. Further, the Regulations provide that employers should provide for single-vision glasses as bifocal glasses might not be suitable for VDU work, but over 25% of employers said that their company would provide varifocal or bifocal spectacles.