The Health
& Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulation 1992 stipulates
that habitual users of computers at work should have regular
eye tests paid for by their employer, and that if they need
spectacles solely for the visual display unit (VDU) they should
also be provided by the employer.
Some employers are understandably reluctant to pay for all their
VDU users to have an eyetest when they are not experiencing any
difficulties. This is why Martyn Kemp Opticians invested in a Vision
Screener. This screener measures your vision at 3 different
distances, assesses whether you have a muscle imbalance between
your eyes which can cause eyestrain, plus a few other tests. |
 |
We are able to use this screener at your place
of work and currently we are visiting businesses and screening
all their employees whether they are VDU users or not FREE OF
CHARGE. Those who "fail" are then referred for a
full eye examination to any one of our branches. We have 10
in the Sheffield and Rotherham area - so there should be one
close to where you live or work. The employer is obliged to pay for
this examination for the VDU workers. Special rates can be negotiated
with our general manager Ron Dolman on 0114 2313778 or
.
This screening is very popular with employers as they can be seen to
be providing their employees with a service for which they do not have
to pay and also at the same time they are fulfilling a legal obligation.
There are very few people who need a specific
spectacle prescription for the VDU- usually their normal distance or
reading glasses will suffice. However people who wear bifocals very
often experience neck-ache if they have to tilt their head back to view
the screen through the bifocal part of their specs: so they would be
eligible for specs solely for the VDU, as would people for whom the
screen is out of focus with both their distance and reading glasses
ie: they require an intermediate prescription. In our experience less
than 5% of VDU users who wear glasses require this specific pair of
specs. It is for these people that the employer has to provide VDU spectacles.
We can supply a basic pair of VDU specs for less than £45 and
if the wearer wishes to upgrade then they pay the difference themselves.
So if you're on the computer a lot at work get your boss to phone Ron,
and if there are only a few of you in the office give him a ring anyway
and we might be able to manage a small-group discount.
|
