Putting you first at the centre of what we do. Keeping you healthy and safe at work. Supporting you when you are harmed at work. Ensuring your scheme works and is sustainable.
Employer's duty of care
Employers have a duty of care under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991, section 16(1) to ‘take all reasonably practicable steps’ to provide a working environment that is healthy, safe and without risks to the health of employees, contractors or other persons in or near the workplace.
Employers should:
- do all that is reasonably practicable to ensure healthy and safe working environments and minimise the risk of eye injury through safe work practices
- identify work tasks that involve an elevated risk of injury
- ensure that appropriate personal protective equipment is provided to employees who are at risk of eye injury or damage—for example, safety glasses, goggles, sun protection
- ensure that employees and first aid personnel are trained to deal with eye injuries occurring in the workplace
- ensure that arrangements are in place for emergency treatment or transfer to hospital
- provide appropriate first aid equipment
- provide adequate lighting in the workplace
- provide optimum workplace ergonomics
- provide visual displays suited to the task
- ensure adequate air conditioning
- ensure a variety of work practices and tasks, such as employees taking appropriate rest breaks or varying work tasks
- identify and document all job functions that have prescribed standards of vision
- ensure that all employees with job functions that have prescribed standards of vision undertake necessary eyesight screening and the results are recorded
- ensure that only those employees who have met prescribed standards of vision for performing vision-critical tasks are asked to perform those tasks
- seek professional advice about appropriate eyesight screening to establish an employee’s pre-incident vision and periodic monitoring requirements