A Guide to Celebrating Workplace Eye Wellness Month at Work

What is Workplace Eye Wellness Month?

Workplace Eye Wellness Month is an annual observance in March dedicated to promoting eye health and safety in the workplace. It highlights the importance of preventing eye strain, injuries, and vision problems caused by digital screens and hazardous work environments. Companies often participate by providing eye safety training, encouraging the use of protective eyewear, and promoting best practices for reducing digital eye strain.

Importance

An essential to workplace safety, Workplace Eye Wellness Month was established in 2015 by Prevent Blindness to highlight the importance of protecting vision in professional environments. Originally created in the US, it is now celebrated in many nations worldwide across different industries. With thousands of workplace eye injuries occurring annually, this observance raises awareness about preventive measures, from safety goggles to reducing digital eye strain.

By promoting workplace safety, this initiative helps employers and employees take proactive steps to prevent long-term vision problems. Companies use this month to educate workers, implement better safety protocols, and encourage regular eye checkups.

A Look at Workplace Eye Injuries

Eye injuries at work are fairly common, with close to 20,000 occurring annually in the US alone. These injuries often result in employees missing a day or two of work, which affects productivity in the long run. On top of that, certain industries such as construction, healthcare, and manufacturing put workers at higher risk of these injuries. This is why companies should embrace the opportunity to improve overall eye health during Workplace Eye Wellness Month.

To do that, it will be helpful for teams to understand some of the common causes of workplace eye injuries and address them during this month and other times of the year. Some of which include the following:

• Flying Debris – Particles from wood, metal, or concrete can strike the eye, causing serious injuries.

• Chemical Splashes – Hazardous liquids like acids and solvents can burn or irritate the eyes upon contact.

• Radiation Exposure – Ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) radiation from welding, lasers, or strong light sources can damage eye tissues.

• Digital Eye Strain – Prolonged screen use leads to dryness, fatigue, and blurred vision due to excessive blue light exposure.

• Dust and Airborne Particles – Fine dust from industrial work or construction can irritate or scratch the eye’s surface.

How Workplaces Can Observe Workplace Eye Wellness Month

Companies observe Workplace Eye Wellness month in various ways, as the main goal of the observance is to raise awareness for workplace eye health. It’s always best to tailor the approach to the organization’s needs and the unique eye risks that the workers face. To get you started, here are a few different ways for workplaces to observe eye wellness month:

Host Safety Meetings

Holding safety meetings during Workplace Eye Wellness Month helps reinforce the importance of eye protection in the workplace. These meetings also provide an opportunity for employees to ask questions and learn best practices for maintaining eye health on the job. Teams can also enhance these meetings with digital checklists that ensure all key topics are covered without missing critical details

Update Safety Signages

Clear and visible safety signage reminds employees to follow proper eye protection protocols. Updating signs with fresh designs and easy-to-understand messaging can improve compliance in hazardous areas. Additionally, placing signs near workstations, break rooms, and high-risk zones ensures that eye safety remains a priority throughout the workplace.

Encourage Screen Breaks

Frequent breaks from screens help reduce digital eye strain, which can cause headaches, dry eyes, and blurred vision. Employers can use this month to promote the 20-20-20 rule —every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds—to ease strain. Encouraging employees to adjust screen brightness and use blue light filters further supports long-term eye health.

Provide Protective Equipment

Ensuring employees have access to proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) reduces the risk of workplace eye injuries. Essential PPE includes safety goggles, face shields, welding helmets, and prescription safety glasses for those who need them. Regularly inspecting and replacing damaged equipment helps maintain a safe work environment.

Distribute Educational Materials

Providing employees with educational materials increases awareness of workplace eye safety risks and prevention strategies. Digital training materials, such as online courses, videos, and interactive guides, make learning more accessible and engaging. These resources can be updated easily and accessed immediately, ensuring employees always have the most current eye safety information.

Tips for Easing Eye Strain While at Work

The main goal of Workplace Eye Wellness Month is to reduce eye strain and improve the overall optical health and safety of employees. To supplement company efforts in ensuring eye safety, here are a few more tips for employees to keep in mind to enhance their eye health during this month:

Get Regular Eye Exams

Scheduling routine eye exams helps detect vision problems early and ensures your prescription is up-to-date. Eye strain can sometimes be caused by uncorrected vision issues, which an optometrist can address with the right lenses. Regular checkups also allow professionals to recommend personalized strategies for reducing eye fatigue at work.

Adjust Lighting Set-ups

Proper lighting minimizes glare and prevents excessive contrast that can strain the eyes. Overhead lighting should be soft and evenly distributed, avoiding harsh reflections on screens. If possible, use adjustable desk lamps and position them to reduce shadows and glare.

Position Screens Properly

Keeping your monitor at eye level and about an arm’s length away helps reduce neck and eye strain. The top of the screen should be at or just below eye level to promote a natural, comfortable viewing angle. Tilting the screen slightly back and adjusting the height of your chair can also further improve ergonomics.

Adjust Monitor Display Settings

Optimizing brightness, contrast, and text size can reduce strain and make reading easier. A screen that is too bright or too dim forces the eyes to work harder, leading to fatigue. Increasing font size and using dark mode or blue light filters can also improve comfort during prolonged screen use.

Reduce Glare

Glare from windows, overhead lights, or glossy screens can cause discomfort and strain the eyes. Positioning screens away from direct light sources and using anti-glare screen protectors can help. Adjusting blinds or using matte screen filters further reduces reflections that contribute to eye fatigue.