No t an expert but having seen this on forums before. your work need to pay for the eye test and if you need glasses suitable for DSE work this can often be as cheap as £16 as they don't need to pay for varifocals or anything like that. In fact i think a well know high street chain do the ye test and glasses for £16 all in

Some companies allow employees to contribute themselves if they want better or fancier glasses above the basic.

Phil

Interesting reading up on the requirements for employers providing DSE users corrective lenses. Reg 5 states that only where normal glasses or lenses cannot be used, employers must provide and cover the cost for special corrective appliances perscribed to adjust visual quality at DSE viewing distance.

Now, does this mean if someones vision can be improved at their workstation with their normal glasses the employer does not need to cover the cost?

Yes. You're correct Guru. On the basis that they need glasses for their everyday life first and work second.

As a slight aside, I need specs for driving (distance) and now for reading (close work) but my vision for DSE work needs no correction whatsoever. In conversation with several people I have discovered that this is quite normal.

Sadly, trying to get a pair of designer specs through on expenses is a non-starter, according to my company accountant!

This must be in the top 5 FAQs here, yet the incorrect answer often appears.

To quote L26:
"Employers’ liability for the cost of these is restricted to payment of the cost of a basic appliance, ie of a type and quality adequate for the user’s work. Where bifocal or varifocal spectacles are prescribed as special corrective appliances....the employer is required to meet the costs associated with providing a basic frame and the prescribed lenses."

L26 is available as a free pdf download. Source acknowledged as HSE

Hi Mick,

Believe there is. Eye test has been available since 1993 in the Republic.

I can assure you I'll be quizzing my optician at the next available opportunity and I await with anticipation the medical reference that will shed some light on this.

Ciaran, I appreciate that the test may be there, the fact that I've never heard of it, however, I find odd. Perhaps I have missed it, although I work in construction and we don't have much call for it.

Happy weekend averybody...

2007 Regs.

Provision of eye tests and corrective appliances.
73. An employer shall, taking into account any entitlement which an employee may have to any
tests and appliances provided by the State relating to eyesight and appliances, ensure that—
(a) the provision of an appropriate eye and eyesight test, carried out by a competent
person, is made known to and is made available to every employee—
(i) before commencing display screen work,
(ii) at regular intervals thereafter, and
(iii) if an employee experiences visual difficulties which may be due to display
screen work,
(b) if the results of a test under this Regulation show that it is necessary, an
ophthalmologic examination is carried out on the employee concerned, and
(c) where the results of a test or an examination under this Regulation show that it is
necessary, and if normal corrective appliances cannot be used, the employee
concerned is provided with special corrective appliances appropriate to his or her
work.

Yes Ron,

These are the Republic of Ireland regs for Mick to save him looking them up. Just had them handy.

Ciaran

Ciarán, the ‘93/2007 regs cover the provision of the eye test, however, I was referring the advent of the “Regulation 5 eye-test” as raised in post #3. I appreciate I’m mixing my jurisdictions here but generally we’re never that far apart wrt regulations and such things interest me. I was sceptical in the beginning because there seemed to be an eye condition relating directly to the use of DSE. This, I realise now, is not the case at all.

I know someone, lets call them person X, who is slightly short sighted only every time they went to the optician they squinted their way through the test with the result that they were told they didn’t need glasses. This carried on until, after scolding from me, they returned to perform the eye-test without squinting. The result was a pair of prescription glasses and an end to discomfort wrt DSE.

My point is that the vast majority of people experiencing DSE discomfort are merely reacting to the fact that they have an eyesight deficit, albeit so minor that they don’t recognise it in normal course of their lives. It is, therefore, the extent of this deficit that determines whether or not the employer is required to pay for the test & any corrective lenses. If, for example, your optician were to state that your eyesight deficiency was enough to effect your quality of life then the employer would not be required to pay for the test or any corrective lenses required.

To help clarify the original question, if you are deemed to be a 'user' as defined by the DSE Regs., and qualify under the following criteria, then under Regulation 5 your employer is obliged to provide you with an appropiriate eye test if you request it and they must pay. However if the prescription means you permanently require corrective spectacles, and not just for DSE work then the employer does not have to contribute towards the cost of the prescription. Or if you already wear glassess and the prescription is specifically to allow you to use DSE properly then the employer would be liable to contribute. The level of contribution is dependent on what is deemd to be appropriate for the cost of a basic appliance, anything over that, say for designer specs is up to you.

Criteria:
A 'user' may be described as someone who fulfils most or all of the following criteria:

1. depends on the use of display screen equipment to do the job, as alternative means are not readily available for achieving the same results;
2. has no discretion as to use or non-use of the display screen equipment;
3. needs significant training and/or particular skills in the use of DSE to do the job;
4. normally uses DSE for continuous spells of an hour or more at a time;
5. uses DSE in this way more or less daily;
6. fast transfer of information between the user and screen is an important requirement of the job;
7. performance requirements of the system demand high levels of attention and concentration by the user, for example, where consequences of error could be critical.

Wayne can I ask you which opticians voucher scheme you use (you'll have to PM me).

The one I'm dealing with currently only has 2 options (none required and eyewear required for VDU use) and I am convinced that the opticians are ticking the eyewear required for VDU use, when what they really mean is just that eyewear is required generally.