Eyecare

College employees are entitled to free prescription safety spectacles paid for by their department if:

• The staff member requires spectacles to achieve good vision or
  
• The staff member is exposed to risk of low-impact eye injury or incidental chemical splash. Note that goggles should be worn in preference to safety glasses for work with abrasive wheels, cutting discs, chiselling or other tasks posing risk of high impact injury, or when handling large quantities of chemicals.

How to obtain safety spectacles

• Check with your manager, departmental administrator or finance officer which departmental account code the test should be charged to.
• Submit your application via the EyecarePlans Gateway
• Upon receipt of your eyecare voucher, arrange an appointment with a participating optician.

Validity 

• Please note that the vouchers are valid for 90 days. Once the voucher has expired it can not be extended so please only apply for the voucher if you intend to use it within the 90 day validity period. Any subsequent voucher requests within the 2 year time period will be automatically rejected.

Regular drivers of college vehicles are required to have an eyesight test every 2 years (as defined in Section 11 of the Driving at Work Code of Practice). 

This test will be conducted by an optician as part of the EyecarePlan. If corrective lenses are required to meet the DVLA’s visual acuity standard for driving, these will be provided under the scheme. 

Fleet Managers are responsible for:

• identifying those for whom this is a requirement
• requesting eyecare vouchers for current drivers and new starters
• tracking eyesight tests and ensuring compliance
• ensure nominated drivers have an eye examination two yearly thereafter
• referring drivers who declare health or vision problems which may impair their ability to drive (not rectifiable with corrective lenses), to Occupational Health for assessment.

Category D Drivers

The DVLA requires holders of Category D licences over the age of 45 to complete a medical examination every 5 years; this includes completion of the D4 form. The vision assessment will be conducted by the EyecarePlan optician who will also complete that section of the form.  The Occupational Health Physician will conduct the medical examination and complete the remainder of the form.  Category D drivers can telephone Occupational Health on 0207 594 9401 to arrange an appointment.

Select Group 2 on the Eyecare Portal only when the D4 form needs completion, if you experience difficulty with approval contact Occupational Health for assistance.

How to request eyecare vouchers for regular drivers

• Check with your manager, departmental administrator or finance officer which departmental account code the test should be charged to.
• Authorisation to issue an eyecare voucher can only be made by authorised users. Fleet managers can request an account by email.
• Please go to www.eyecareplans.co.uk to log in to your account. You can then issue eyecare vouchers.

Visual standards for work with class 3b or 4 lasers:

1. To work with class 3B or 4 lasers, you must have good enough vision in each eye to read 8 point text as a normal reading distance (40CM) using glasses or contact lenses if necessary. This must be checked by a self-administered screening test before commencing work. Anyone unable to pass the test will require a full optometric assessment arranged via the College Occupational Physician before they can be allowed to start the work.

Self-assessment before commencing work:

1. Prospective laser workers must self-test their near vision and inform their Laser Safety Officer if they are unable to meet the required standard. A self-administered screening test is included in the lecture notes provided at the laser safety induction training or can be downloaded from the sidebar menu.
2. The laser safety officer must refer anyone failing the screening test to the College Occupational Physician for formal assessment. The physician will arrange for an appropriate ophthalmic or optometric examination as part of the assessment.
3. The physician will advise on any appropriate additional precautions necessary to protect the person against exposure.

Eye tests after laser incidents:

1. All laser eye flashes must be reported using the College accident reporting system
2. Anyone experiencing a disturbance of vision after a recognised or suspected eye exposure to a class 3B or 4 laser must obtain an urgent assessment by an ophthalmologist, even if the visual disturbance was transient e.g. dazzle.
3. Individuals should attend a specialist eye casualty department for assessment. The nearest to College campuses is the Western Eye Hospital, 171 Marylebone Road NW1 5YE.