Laboratory employees who need to purchase computer glasses for work must have an ergonomic evaluation performed on their workspace.
In order to ensure that employees’ ergonomic problems are being addressed correctly, an ergonomic evaluation and sign-off is required before employees can request computer glasses. Implementation Support Document 815-1 now requires an ergonomic evaluation vision form signed by a Laboratory ergonomic evaluator to obtain computer glasses.
An ergonomic evaluator is better able to diagnose a problem because he or she is able to see the workstation, explained Kerith Stender of Institutional Programs (IHS-IP), the Lab’s ergonomics team leader. For example, a problem may be easily fixed by adjusting a monitor or changing the lighting. The ergonomic evaluator also is able to provide the measurements that a optometrist needs to write a correct prescription, she said.
This new policy also complies with OSHA, which requires employers to implement engineering controls, such as workstation adjustments and administrative controls, such as stretch breaks before suggesting personal protective equipment.
Contact ergonomics@lanl.gov by electronic mail to schedule an ergonomic evaluation. Before the evaluation, complete Form 1944, LANL Ergonomic Program Vision Questionnaire. After the evaluator completes and signs the form, the employee can schedule an appointment with an optometrist to get a prescription.
If an employee goes to an optometrist to get a prescription for regular glasses and the optometrist recommends computer glasses during the course of an eye exam, the employee must get an ergonomic evaluation before he or she can order the computer glasses. After the ergonomic evaluation, the employee can return to their optometrist to get a prescription for the computer glasses, explained Carla Martinez of Purchasing (ASM-PUR).
Employees who have problems with their computer glasses can take them and Form 1944 back to their optometrist for a re-evaluation at no extra cost if it has been less than thirty days since the glasses were received, said Martinez.
For more ergonomic information, contact Stender at 7-4644 or keriths@lanl.gov by electronic mail. For more information about the purchasing process, contact the Procurement Help Desk at 6-0368.
