A new report from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) is calling for better care of workers’ sight, given around 13 million working-age people currently live across the world with occupational vision impairment.
Work-related vision impairments are the world’s third-largest factor in vision-related conditions, the consequence of an estimated 3.5 million occupational eye injuries a year (about 1% of all non-fatal occupational injuries), found the report’s authors. Vision-impaired workers are 30% less likely to be employed and over 90% of vision impairment cases are either preventable or treatable through existing, highly cost-effective interventions, they state. Employers are urged to recognise the economic benefits of preventing employees’ exposure to specific workplace hazards, protecting their existing eye health and including their naturally occurring sight loss in risk assessments.
By prioritising eye health awareness and effective implementation, we can make sure workers have access to a safe and healthy environment, said Joaquim Pinto Nunes, ILO chief of labour administration, labour inspection and occupational safety and health. “This ensures their overall wellbeing, reduces disparities and leads to heightened productivity.”
