Rank: Guest 
|
Posted By jacq
Hi all,
a company employee has just had an annual medical and been told that their eyesight has deteriorated due to VDU use. Company policy states that the employee can claim back £40 of the cost of the eyewear.
If the deterioration in eyesight is attributable to their job, can the employee claim back the full cost of the spectacles. I am assuming that spectacles cost a lot more than £40 these days.
Thanks for any help
Jacq
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Stephen Boardman
Hi Jacq, Under the DSE Regulations Employers liability for costs are for the provision of corrective appliances, this means that you are required to supply at your cost spectacles for DSE use. These are relitively cheap because you do not need to supply expensive frames etc. I think you are quite right glasses are expensive, but i believe if you give the employee a choice of the issue of corrective appliances for VDU use only or £40 towards their own, i think a majority will opt for the £40.
Regards
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Heather Aston
Jacq
You need to be sure that the £40 your policy states will cover the cost of the cheapest available glasses for VDU use. In our policy we don't give a sum, but instead say "a sum to cover the cheapest available VDU glasses from [local optician chain who we use for all our VDU stuff]"
As already stated, most people choose to take £40 towards a more fashionable pair instead.
Note that you shold also pay the cost of the eyetest. We have negotiated a substantial discount on this with a local chain in return for sending all our VDU users who need eyetests to them.
Heather
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Ralph Baqar
I’m very surprised that a medical professional has told anyone that his or her eyesight has deteriorated due to VDU use. What scientific evidence do they have to substantiate such a claim?
Firstly, do you have written confirmation that this is the case? If you do have, then £40 for spectacles is the least of your problems.
Could it possibly be that the individual has stated that the use of VDU has impaired their vision and that all the medical has highlighted is the need for reading glasses?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Lorraine Lee
I would dig a bit deeper with this one!
You state their eyesight has deteriorated due to the use of the DSE. At present, I am not aware of any proven scientific evidence which suggests DSE exposure itself harms the eyes. However, other factors, together with intense DSE exposure can cause eye problems i.e lack of breaks, lighting, glare, humidity, to name but a few.
DSE spectacles correct a middle distance defect but not an overall deterioration. This suggests that some damage has already been done and if long term exposure can be proved, then you have a work related injury on your hands.
I would suggest you do a risk assessment pronto, rather than relying on the provision of a pair of specs, cheap or expensive. Cost v Risk?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Terry Smyth
I agree entirely with Ralph,
Ther could be more mitigating circumstances in this scenario.
The cost by the company should be that for prescriptive lenses and basic frames which I would consider to be in excess of £40.00
The company are responsible for the cost of eyesight testing, prescriptive lenses and basic frames, and due to the nature of the subject, adequate health survellience.
Regards
Terry
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Heather Aston
We've had the same situation as Jacq. Our "annual medical" - for those that have one - does include an eyetest so it's not necessarily a non-specialist that's said this.
What was probably said was - "your eyes have got worse since last time, do you use a VDU?" and that's got translated into "VDUs have made your eyes worse".
Our eyes change as we get older - I know I spend a fortune on glasses every few years (for driving not for VDUs so far!) and for some people that's going to make using their VDU harder - eyestrain and so on.
All this can happen despite regular DSE assessments and well laid out workstations. It certainly does to us, so don't assume Jacq hasn't done her assessments just because she's got an indiviudal who thnks they have a problem.
Regardless of how the damage was caused, if the person's optician says it's necessary then the company must provide glasses to correct the problem. You'd be surprised how cheaply you can buy a pair of VDU glasses BTW - not much over £40 - makes you realise the cost of designer frames and fancy lens coatings doesn't it!
Heather
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Lumpy
You certainly can get a pair of glasses for less than £40, esp. if you negotiate a rate with a local opticians for the complete package. We get eye examinations for less than £10, and glasses for £35. In fact for £60 we can get the optician to come on site, undertaken the examination, provide single vison glasses, then return a week later to fit them.
Remember that you only have a legal obligation to pay if the individual is classified as a "user", and the test does not have to be undertaken in paid works time .... although we do pay for the time.
"There is no reliable evidence that work with DSE causes any permanent damage to the eyes or eyesight"... HSE guidance. Does make you wonder why there is a duty for the test in the first place. There is no requirement for an eyesight test for those using lathes etc. And lets face it the severity of an injury caused by someone with poor eyesight operating a lathe would, in all probability, be far greater than someone typing (ohhh I've typed "y" when it should have been "t").
Syill can'y have iy all my own way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Ron Young
FAO Lorraine,
Lorraine, can you expand on your quote "I would suggest you do a risk assessment pronto" Are you suggesting that a lack of activity breaks, low/high humidity, lighting or glare will cause eyesight to permanently deteriorate?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Ian Stone
Hi
I recently went to get my eyes tested at a well known high street branch. Got talking and told them what I do and she said that no evidence that VDUs can cause damage to eyesight and other factors are always involved.
Carried on talking and she showed me an article in magazine that stated that plans are in the process to stop employers having to pay for glasses for users, due to the fact that that VDUs dont cause damage!
Ian
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Lorraine Lee
F.A.O Ron
I stated the need to do a risk assessment only to identify if there were underlying factors together with overall DSE exposure.
I did not state that these would cause permanent deterioration (I am not an Optician) but said they can cause eye problems such as eye fatigue, dry/sore eyes etc
|
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.