Optometrist warns of test room health risks

Image: Rex Features

An optometrist in Australia has fired a warning shot to optical professionals about the risk of occupational injury resulting from the repetitive actions carrying out eye tests.

The optometrist, who has been in the profession for 30 years, remained anonymous in an account published by the country’s ophthalmic newspaper Insight and discussed at a seminar at the University of New South Wales' School of Optometry and Vision Science.

In the past, optometry offered variation between different tasks including dispensing and edging, the article noted, but today’s high volumes of consultations and repetition of actions posed a hazard.

‘In the years leading up to 2007, I suffered recurrent neck, shoulder and lower back pain. I also experienced burning pain in my hands and fingers causing hand-tremor and fatigue. You can imagine a patient’s trepidation on being approached for eyelash epilation by an optometrist holding a pair of jeweller’s forceps in a tremoring hand,’ the optometrist said.