Eyecare Scheme

UCL recognises its duty to comply with the Health & Safety regulations, which includes provision for eye tests and spectacles required specifically for use with Display Screen Equipment (DSE).

‘There is no reliable evidence that work with display screen equipment causes any permanent damage to eyes or eyesight, but it may make users with pre-existing vision defects more aware of them. This may give some users some temporary visual fatigue or headaches. Uncorrected vision defects can make work at display screens more tiring or stressful than it should be, and correcting defects can improve comfort, job satisfaction and performance’. (Health and Safety Executive¹ ).

Please see Safety Services for Information on other aspects of working safely with Display Screen Equipment (DSE) / visual display unit (VDU).

Who is eligible

Staff identified as users, as defined by the Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 amended (2002), are entitled to free eye tests on request at their employer’s expense. A user is defined in the regulations as “an employee who habitually uses display screen equipment as a significant part of their normal work”. It is the departmental manager’s responsibility to identify users within their department and inform them of this Policy.

Procedure for Eye Sight Testing

UCL’s DSE eyesight testing scheme is administered by EyeMed (formerly ASE). The arrangement UCL has fully meets all the requirements of the DSE Regulations. Therefore, staff must use this scheme if they want UCL to fund their work-related DSE eyesight test and corrective spectacles required specifically for use with DSE. 

UCL will provide VDU/DSE users with a full eye and eyesight test at any of the opticians listed in the EyeMed Directory of Affiliated Opticians, and will pay for suitable vocational spectacles where found necessary. Normally the frequency of such tests would be every two years, but this should not preclude an employee going for another eye test if they feel it necessary, or if the optician recommends it.

Eye tests are arranged by applying for an ‘Eye Test Pack’ and following the instructions provided. For further information on the Eyecare Scheme, Eye Test Pack and arranging an eyesight test, please follow the link to Frequently Asked Questions.

Please note:

• Eyecare plan has no monetary value. It allows you a free sight test and single vision lenses solely and specifically for VDU/DSE use at no charge, in a range of free frames.
• It is not always the case that just because you wear spectacles when operating the VDU/DSE your employer should pay for them.