Occupational Health Tips On Eye Protection For Good Visual Health

INTRODUCTION

Contemporary employees spend most of their working lives at the workplace. Work provides economic, social and psychological experiences that promote the mental wellbeing of individuals. The work environment should be devoid of hazards as much as possible to provide healthy and decent work for the workforce. However, numerous injuries, illnesses, property damages and process losses take place at different workplaces. There is the urgent need for guidelines to help manage and improve safety and health at the workplace .

Vision health is critically important for all aspects of a person’s life, including physical health, social engagement, education, employment, and socioeconomic position. Reduced vision affects a person’s ability to perform daily activities and increases a person’s risk of other health problems and premature death. It can also cause economic stress on individuals and society from direct medical expenses and indirect expenses related to loss of mobility and productivity. In the United States (US), direct and indirect expenses for eye disorders across all age groups were about $139 billion in 2013.

In 2015, about 3 million people aged 40 or older in the United States had vision impairment and 1 million were blind. More than 8 million people had vision impairment caused by an uncorrected refractive error, such as nearsightedness or astigmatism. These numbers are expected to double by 2050 because of the aging US population and the projected increase in chronic diseases, such as diabetes. An estimated 2.1 million children and adults younger than age 40 have an uncorrectable vision impairment or blindness.

Studies have consistently shown that loss of vision is one of the greatest health fears that people have. The leading causes of blindness and vision impairment are primarily age-related eye diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and glaucoma. More than 30 million adults aged 40 or older are affected by age-related eye diseases. More than 7 million adults are affected by diabetic retinopathy, which is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in working age adults.

Early diagnosis and timely treatment can often correct vision impairment and slow the progression of some conditions. Many interventions exist to help people with vision impairment, but information about and access to these services are often limited.

CHAPTER 1

ANATOMY OF HUMAN EYE

THE GLOBE OF THE EYE

THE HUMAN EYE IS ONE of the important sensory organs of the human body. It is very sensitive and exposed to various diseases, thus protection and prevention is necessary to keep the eye safe and healthy

The eye is a soft globular structure placed in the orbit of the skull. The outer parts of the eye include the eyelids, the conjunctiva, the tear glands and tear sac.

The conjunctiva is a membrane that lines the inside of the eyelids and extends over the front of the eyeball except the cornea. The tear gland lies at the upper outer corner of each eye cavity which produces a fluid that lubricates the eyeball.

The front of the eyeball is protected by the eyelids. Eyelashes on the eyelids screen out some of the dust and other particles that might otherwise enter the eye. Any sudden movement in front of the eye or sudden increase in light intensity causes the eyelids to blink in a protective reflex action.

The inner parts of the eye include the cornea, aqueous humour, ciliary muscle, lens, vitreous humour, retina and optic nerve.

Light rays enter the eye through the cornea and aqueous humour. The ciliary muscles adjust the shape of the lens to enable focusing. The lens focuses the light through the vitreous humour on to

the retina.

Light-sensitive cells in the retina absorb light rays and change them into electrical signals. Nerve

fibres join at the centre of the back of the retina and form the optic nerve. The optic nerve carries

the electrical signals produced in the retina to the brain which interprets them as visual images.

THREE LAYERS OF HUMAN EYE

The eyeball has three coats as given below.

External fibrous coat

The anterior, transparent, one-sixth part of the eyeball is called cornea. This refracts the rays