Healthy Vision Month

May is Healthy Vision Month, a national eye health campaign devoted to promoting the Vision objectives in Healthy People 2010. Healthy Vision Month is sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the National Eye Health Education Program. The NEI is part of the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The focus of Healthy Vision Month 2006 is based on Healthy People 2010 Vision Objective 28-8: Reduce Occupational Eye Injury. Please join us during Healthy Vision Month to educate people about the importance of understanding vision hazards and wearing appropriate, properly fitted, protective eyewear.

EYE SAFETY AT WORK IS EVERYONE'S BUSINESS is the theme for HVM 2006, which is cosponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the National Safety Council (NSC) and in collaboration with the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. Our goal is to provide information and materials that can be used to implement programs and worksite awareness activities. These programs are designed to educate employers and employees about the importance of reducing eye injuries by understanding vision hazards and by wearing appropriate, properly fitted protective eyewear.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that nearly three out of every five workers injured were not wearing eye protection at the time of the accident or the wrong kind of eye protection for the job. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards require that employers provide workers with suitable eye protection. To be effective, the eyewear must be of the appropriate type for the hazard encountered and properly fitted. It is estimated that 90% of eye injuries can be prevented through the use of proper protective eyewear on the job.

Please join us during HVM as we educate business owners, employers, and their employees about occupational eye injury and the importance of using protective eyewear in the workplace.

For comprehensive vision and eye care (including recommendations for appropriate, properly fitted, protective eyewear), see Patient Care at MCO

Resources related to workplace eye safety

Resources from the following organizations can be found at:
Learn About Eye Health - National Eye Institute

American Optometric Association
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Maryland Society for Sight
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Occupational Safety & Health Administration
Prevent Blindness America
VisionConnection