If your workers had an eye exam late last year as part of their employee benefits plan, they should be getting a reminder from their ophthalmologists' office to set up another appointment any time now. The holidays tends to be busy time of year, so it may be difficult for them to set one up. However, you may want to encourage your employees to heed their doctor's entreaty and try their best to fit it in because of a safety concern they could be told about that may affect their holiday shopping plans.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recently released a consumer warning to parents, advising them not to purchase projectile-shooting toys, which have become increasingly popular over the past few years after being used in a variety of movies and television programing that appeal to children and adolescents.
The biggest culprits that can often lead to eye injuries are toys that have some sort of shooting mechanism, such as crossbows, pellet and BB guns, AAO advised. Some of these toys recently landed on the "10 Worst Toys in 2014" list, assembled annually by World Against Toys Causing Harm, Inc.
Jane Edmond, M.D., a clinical spokesperson for the AAO, indicated toys that fling soft or cushioned projectiles can be very dangerous when in the wrong hands and parents aren't monitoring their kids' activities.
"People may view toy versions of bows and arrows as harmless, but even foam or plastic projectiles can potentially cause serious damage to a child's eye if used at close range," said Edmond. "With so many other options for gift giving, physicians recommend that parents consider safer alternatives. Nobody wants to end up in the emergency room over the holidays, especially due to an injury caused by a gift."
Glaucoma risk may increase
AAO also urged parents to avoid purchasing toys that have protruding or projectile parts. When used in proximity to another person, they can lead to corneal abrasions and more serious conditions like ocular hyphema. This occurs when there's pooling of blood in the front of the eye, which not only makes it more difficult to see, but may also increase the risk of glaucoma. Cataracts is another potential long-term side-effect of ocular hyphema.
Business owners who permit their employees to shop online while at work should be sure to advise them of this safety alert with this being the holiday season. Company managers are becoming increasingly lenient when it comes to allowing workers to shop during business hours. In a recent poll performed by Robert Half Technology, more than 1 in 4 chief information officers said the companies they worked for didn't have a problem with them shopping online while on the job, allowing unrestricted access to websites like Amazon, Overstock, eBay and other e-retailers. That's up from just 16 percent last year and 10 percent in 2012.
More than one-third of Americans say they shop online while at work, based on a separate poll performed by FindLaw.com.
