§ Mr. HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department has undertaken to establish whether there is a link between eye disease and visual display screens; and if he will make a statement. [5674]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordExtensive research has found no evidence that work with visual display units either causes any permanent damage to eyes or eyesight or makes existing defects worse. The scientific and medical consensus is such that further research would not be justified.
Some people using visual display units experience temporary visual fatigue, leading to symptoms like sore eyes or headaches. Under the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, employees who habitually use a display screen as a significant part of their normal work can ask their employer to provide them with eye and eyesight tests, and special spectacles if required. Employers can also help minimise eyestrain by providing satisfactory lighting and taking steps to avoid reflections and glare on the screen. The Health and Safety Executive has explained these points in its guidance publications.
§ Mr. HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many visual display unit operators undertook a subsidised eye test as provided by European Union regulations in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [5673]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordInformation on provision of eye tests under the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 is not yet available. There910W is no requirement for employers to report the number of tests they have provided. However, the Health and Safety Executive has started work to evaluate the regulations by means of surveys of employers and employees. The evaluation is due for completion in 1996 and should produce estimates of the extent of awareness of the regulations and what actions employers have taken to comply, including information on the extent of provision of eye tests.