Better or worse? Better or worse?
Specsavers Corporate Eyecare today launches its first eyecare eVoucher aimed specifically at employees who drive.
The Driver Eyecare eVoucher has been designed for employees who drive for work and covers a full eye examination, which assesses sight over distance, peripheral vision and the abilty to focus between near and far objects – all essential for safe driving. If the employee’s eyesight is found to be inadequate for driving, the eVoucher automatically covers the cost of appropriate glasses. If corrective glasses are not required, the employee is provided with a pair of non-prescription sunglasses.
The eye examination also offers a comprehensive health assessment, monitoring for signs of a number of sight-related conditions and broader health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
Suzanne Randall, corporate account manager for Specsavers Corporate Eyecare, said: “Poor eyesight is obviously a huge risk to all road users and the figures show that it is often not addressed. Loss of sight can occur very gradually and can easily go unnoticed by the individual. With employers having a duty of care for all employees, providing regular eyecare is the best way for an employer to safeguard their drivers and themselves.”
The Driver Eyecare eVoucher is available online, as are all of Specsavers’ corporate vouchers. The employer simply purchases a miniumum of any five vouchers from the Specsavers website and can then manage all aspects of the related eyecare online, including the distribution of the eVouchers to relevant employees.
A third of all collisions involve someone driving for work purposes. Some 20 people are killed and 220 seriously injured every week in collisions involving someone who was driving for work. In fact RoSPA calculates that, after deep-sea fishing and coal mining, driving 25,000 miles a year on business is the third most dangerous activity in the UK.
Richard Coteau, senior corporate fundraiser, Brake, said: “If your staff drive, it’s not just their own health they are jeopardising by neglecting their eyesight, but the lives of those around them. That’s why it’s vital for drivers to get their eyes professionally checked at least every two years – eyesight can deteriorate rapidly without them noticing.”
The Health and Safety Executive clearly states that health and safety laws apply to all aspects of work activities – this means that the employer has a responsibility for driver safety, whether the employee is driving a company car or their own vehicle as part of their main working role or to meet a client.
The employers’ duty of care goes beyond ensuring the vehicle is road-worthy and that employees have a valid driver’s licence and insurance. The employer, in fact, has a responsibility to ensure that each employee is fit to drive.
The Driver Eyecare eVouchers cost £35 each and provide:
- A full eye examination
- If required, a pair of glasses from the £45 range, fitted with standard PENTAX CR39 single vision lenses plus a scratch-resistant treatment or a £45 contribution towards other frame ranges or lens options
- If corrective glasses are not needed, a pair of non-prescription sunglasses from a selected range are provided.
Premium Club is built into every Driver Eyecare eVoucher and offers a further £20 contribution when glasses are selected from the £99 range or above, thus giving a combined contribution of £65.
