Display Screen Equipment - Eyes and Eyesight
Requests For Tests
The employer must ensure that any employee who requests one and is entitled to one is provided with an appropriate eye and eyesight test by an optician or other competent person.
Employees are entitled to such a test on request if they will soon be required by their employer to use display screen equipment as a significant part of their work, or if they already use such equipment as a significant part of their work and, not having requested a test before, experience visual difficulties which could be due to their work.
As regards a request from an employee who will become a user, the employer must arrange for the test to be carried out before the their work changes to involve habitual use of display screen equipment.
Where an existing user requests a test, the employer must arrange for it as soon as practicable.
Provision Of Regular Tests
The employer must, except where the employee objects, arrange for regular tests after provision of the requested eye and eyesight test. The optician or other competent person can advise on the nature and regularity of tests for individual employees.
Corrective Appliances
The employer must ensure that the employee is provided with special glasses or other corrective appliances where the requested test, or one of the periodic tests, shows these are needed for display screen work and normal glasses etc cannot be used.
The employer may specify which company or professional is used for tests and the provision of special corrective appliances.
The employer must pay the cost of the requested eye and eyesight test and the regular tests provided thereafter, and also special corrective appliances (but not normal appliances where these are prescribed).