Navigating Visual Fatigue: Insights from a Worker's Perspective

Visual fatigue creeps in when specific eye muscles tense up during visually demanding tasks, especially when continuously focusing on computer monitors. This tensioning of the eye muscles can lead to discomfort and irritation.

Spotting Visual Fatigue: Unveiling Symptoms

The signs of visual fatigue encompass:

• Blurred vision.
• Headaches.

Unveiling the Culprits: Origins of Visual Fatigue

For those immersed in the contact centre work domain, visual fatigue may stem from:

• Engaging with one or more computer monitors.
• Delving into prolonged, visually taxing tasks that demand uninterrupted focus on computer screens.

Alleviating Visual Fatigue: A Worker's Approach

To alleviate the risks associated with visual fatigue, employers can consider:

• Incorporating adjustable monitors, keyboards, desktops, document holders, footrests, chairs, and headsets into the workstation.
• Introducing high-resolution visual display unit monitors and larger screens.
• Deploying user-friendly software.
• Maintaining monitor screens devoid of glare and reflections by regulating ambient light conditions.
• Strategically positioning monitors to control glare and minimize reflections.
• Curbing dust accumulation in the work environment.

Championing Good Work Practices: A Collaborative Effort

Promoting good work practices among workers involves:

• Fine-tuning monitor brightness and contrast settings.
• Ensuring the cleanliness of the monitor screen, free from dust and smudges.
• Placing reference material optimally for enhanced visual comfort.
• Adopting suitable fonts, font sizes, and colors on monitors.
• Engaging in eye muscle exercises, including periodic breaks to look away from the screen and focus on distant objects.
• Implementing pop-up reminders to encourage call handlers to shift their gaze.
• Emphasizing the importance of regular breaks, supplementing scheduled and personal breaks with tasks away from the computer screen.
• Encouraging workers to consult with an optometrist if encountering visual issues, especially for those wearing multi-focal lenses.

In the pursuit of fostering a visually ergonomic environment, collaboration between employers and workers becomes pivotal. By incorporating these practices, the collective aim is to enhance the overall well-being and comfort of contact centre workers grappling with the challenges of visual fatigue.