Posted By Brigham
Unless recommended differently by the Optician, or they have specific conditions, Diabetes etc., every two years will suffice.

The system your looking at is good and cost effective.

Posted By Liz Maw
I have been asked to look at a voucher scheme as an easier way of processing DSE eye sight test expenses. Does any one know any companies who provide this type of service to employers?

Posted By mike morland
Liz,

Contact Specsavers. You can open an account and they will provide you with an 'Authorisation Document for Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Eye Examination' to give to your employee.

Employee then makes own appointment and Specsavers send you an invoice.

Hope that helps

Regards

Posted By Jimmy R
Hi,

Our company works on every 2 years as a general rule or on request if the workstation assessment requires it. I believe this covers the main requirements of the DSE Regs relating to eye tests.

Posted By Mike Miller
setting a time scale of every two years is fine but I think annually is better depending on the length of time the operator spends at the machine and the intensity of the work.

I am also sure that its written somewhere that the frequency of an eye test is at the discretion of the employee especially if they are experiencing difficulties.

Many companies set up eye screening sessions at the workplace but that does not fully comply with the requirements. After screening the employees can request a test at the opticians and the company is obliged to facilitate it.

There's no substitute for a competent eye test from an optician as they can identify more in depth problems such a glaucoma which the screening test cannot.

If after any number of tests by a qualified optometrist the problem can be associated with DSE, then the employer has to foot the bill.

getting an account set up with a good company is priceless and this is what most good companies do.

Regards

Posted By holmezy

There's no requirement to provide eye tests for every DSE user, only those who are deemed to be "habitual users for a significant part ot the working day".

Its up to you to decide who is habitual and who is significant!

I usually gauge it on "4 hours or more of DSE work per day", but it is very subjective.

Holmezy

Soon be beer time.

Posted By Mike Craven
Because a certain optician seemed to be routinely recalling people for an ANNUAL eyetest, on the basis that they were using DSE!!, and was costing my then employer a lot of money in eyecare voucher costs, I asked the following question of the Association of Optometrists some time ago,

"I understood that - with certain exceptions for medical and/or ocular conditions (eg diabetes/glaucoma/etc) - the "normal" minimum recall frequency for people aged 16-70 was 2 years. However, I have been informed that the AOP policy/instruction is that people using Display Screen Equipment should be recalled every 12 months. Is this correct, please?"

and reveived the following response,

"Thanks for your email. The AOP makes no recommendation about the interval between DSE sight tests. We would therefore expect that intervals would be as recommended for a GOS sight test - as you say, 2 years for most cases and one year for a number of others. Obviously the optometrist may want to see the patient at a shorter interval if he feels it clinically necessary."

Regards

David Craig
Head of Communication
Association of Optometrists

Mike

Posted By Seamus O Sullivan
hi

without consulting notes, etc, my understanding is that any user using dse for more than 1 hour continous use or more than 2 hours intermittently is offered the eyesight test.
also made available to employees starting display screen work,
and when visual difficulties appear which may be due to display screen work,

This test is then repeated at regular intervals!!!!!!

Here the provision of the eyesight test must be made known to the employee when setting up the workstation for the employee. In Ireland it is mentioned in the general application regulations 2007

Perhaps uk requirements are similar

seamus

Posted By Ian Cameron
Remember if you use specsavers for prescription safety glasses, that they are EN1661S (increased robustness)made from CR39 and not polycarbonate, which are EN1661F(low energy impact)

Posted By Dave Dowan
Hi David
These guys are great


http://www.eyecareplans.co.uk/

Regards Dave

Posted By A. Adams
The regulations state:

At regular intervals after an employee has been provided with an eye and eyesight test his employer shall, subject to paragraph (6), ensure that he is provided with a further eye and eyesight test of an appropriate nature, any such test to be carried out by a competent person.

AND

Where a user experiences visual difficulties which may reasonably be considered to be caused by work on display screen equipment, his employer shall ensure that he is provided at his request with an appropriate eye and eyesight test, any such test to be carried out by a competent person as soon as practicable after being requested.

Based on this, a sight test should be provided by the employer at the request of the staff member and no specific time scale for the interval between tests is defined in the regulations....