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Computer Eye Strain & Workplace Eye Injuries

Computer Eye Strain

Each day 140 million Americans spend time in front of a computer at work. The poor edge definition of the images on a computer screen can cause a repetitive refocusing effort for the eye muscles, leading to a variety of symptoms including blurred vision, headaches, or dry, irritated eyes as well as neck and back aches.

Nearly 90 percent of those who use a computer at least three hours a day suffer from these symptoms, known collectively as computer eye strain. In fact, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reports that such computer-related eye strain is the number one office-related complaint. It is even more common than carpal-tunnel syndrome, a repetitive strain injury associated with computer use that is estimated to cost over $8 billion annually in medical bills and lost work days, according to a 1999 article in Office World News.

Eye care professionals conduct more than 10 million eye exams every year to address computer use problems. According to the American Optometric Association, 70 to 75 percent of the 140 million Americans using computers would benefit from corrective computer eyewear.

The Vision Council has issued a report, Vision Care: Focusing on the Workplace Benefit (PDF, 805 KB), which examines consumer and business perspectives on vision care and trends in vision care coverage.

Click here for more information on computer eyewear.

Workplace Eye Injuries

There are nearly 800,000 work-related eye injuries each year. Every day, approximately 2,000 U.S. workers receive some form of medical treatment for eye injuries related to or sustained at work. While vision loss is one of the top ten disabilities, 90 percent of eye injuries are preventable. Men typically fall victim to eye injuries more often than women.

Eye injuries occur most often among those who operate heavy machinery or moving parts and those who work in construction. Seventy percent of eye injuries are a result of coming into contact with an object or piece of equipment, and 26 percent of eye injuries are due to exposure to harmful substances or environments. Each year, 15,000 welding equipment-related eye injuries and 10,000 power tool eye injuries occur.

 These injuries come with significant costs. An estimated $300 million annually in medical bills, compensation and downtime is the result of workplace eye injury. Lost productivity is another significant consequence, with more than 27,000 reported days away from work among private industry employees in 2008.

The Vision Council has issued a report, Eye Safety At-a-Glance: Protecting Your Vision at Work (PDF, 337 KB), which examines the impact of vision problems in the workplace.