Eye Examination for Employees Using Computers

New regulations on occupational health and safety legislation are being published for a while now and the applications are becoming clear. With the "Regulation on Health and Safety Measures in Working with Screened Tools" published in the Official Gazette on April 16, 2013, new regulations were introduced. It is aimed to take occupational health and safety measures for the people working with these tools in the workplaces and thus to create a healthy working environment and thus to protect the health of the employees.

Regardless of the content of the process applied, any tool that displays letters, numbers, figures, graphics and pictures on the screen is considered as a screened tool within the scope of the regulation.

The working area where the employee sits and where, the operator/employee-machine interface software, the monitor, keyboard, printer, telephone, fax, modem and similar accessories and all equipment related to the screened tools are located along with the table or surface on which the screened tool is placed will be considered as a work center in this regulation. The regulation includes how the work center should be arranged in order to prevent and protect the health of the employees.

The employer is obliged to take all kinds of health and safety precautions in order to eliminate or minimize adverse effects, taking into account the risks arising from the use of screened tools in the workplace, in the risk assessment to be carried out at the workplace. These risks include primarily vision, physical problems, mental stress, as well as negative effects that may result from the combination of risks. In order to fulfill these obligations, the employer must inform and train the employees.

In these trainings;

The employer will provide information to the employees and their representatives on all matters related to health and safety at the workplace and especially on the issues specified in this regulation. The employer should also take into account the provisions of the legislation on occupational health and safety training of employees. Occupational health and safety training of the employees will be repeated in the periods specified in the relevant legislation and when required by the results of the risk assessment carried out at the workplace.

The trainings to be given by the employer will include the following subjects in particular;

a) Risks and ways of protection in working with screened tools,

b) Correct sitting,

c) Eye protection,

ç) The least tiring fonts and colors,

d) The habit of resting the eyes for short periods during work,

e) Resting the eyes, musculoskeletal system,

f) Rest breaks and exercises.

In addition, the employer is obliged to ensure that the operators take a break periodically or work in other tasks alternately by making an appropriate work plan in order to reduce the workload and the impact caused by the work done with screened tools.

The employer is obliged to receive the opinions and suggestions of the employees and their representatives on the issues specified in this regulation as specified in the Law No. 6331 and to ensure their participation.

Another obligation of the employer is to conduct actions to protect the eye health of the employees. The employer will have the employees’ eyes examined in the workplace before starting to work with screened tools and when they experience visual difficulties that may result from working with screened tools.

The employer, in order to protect the eyes of the operators when working with screened tools;

a) Before starting to work with screened tools, an eye examination will be made,

b) According to the results of the risk assessment, eye examination will be made at regular intervals determined by the workplace doctor,

c) When there are visual difficulties that may arise from working with screened devices, an eye examination will be made.

In addition, according to the results of the examination, if necessary, the operators / employees will be given the tools and equipment suitable for their work.