Employees and students who work with strong optical radiation sources should be offered eye examinations. Strong optical radiation sources are lasers of class 3B and 4 as well as UV sources.

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Safety

The incorrect use of strong optical radiation sources may severely damage retina, lens and cornea and cause permanent vision damage. It is therefore very important that you avoid situations where such damage can occur and that you use the recommended protective equipment.

Medical examinations

1. When starting work with strong optical radiation sources

The student/employee makes an appointment with an optician to check their eyes and detect any previous eye damage or diseases.

If necessary, the student/employee will be called in to a medical examination with Occupational Health Services after visiting the optician.

If necessary, the optician can also refer the student/employee to an ophtalmologist.

Employees and students must use the optician that NTNU has a purchase agreement with so that the procedure is performed identically for everyone. See Order an eye examination.

Follow up examinations: See During the period you work with strong optical radiation sources and Finishing work with strong optical radiation sources.

2. When working with other optical radiation sources

You employer should offer you a medical examination (§16-7 in the Regulation concerning the performance of work, in Norwegian) if:

• You are exposed to artificial optical radiation that exceeds the values described in the Regulation on Action and limit values §4-2 or
• You have a disease caused by exposure to artificial optical radiation, or
• The risk assessment shows that your work involves a health risk.

Your employer should inform Occupational Health Services of students or employees that should receive examinations.

Order an eye examination

1. Before the examination: Submit the Purchase requirement form. Your local orderer receives this and retrieves approval from your manager before it is returned to you by email. The mail acts as a digital requisition. Keep the email until after the examination.
2. Order an examination: Make an appointment at the optician with which NTNU has a purchase agreement (use the keyword "databrille") or contact the Occupational Health Service if you have questions about the optician and the examination.
3. Bring the order number on the requisition and NTNU ID card to the examination.
4. After the examination: Take a picture of the receipt and send it to the orderer in the same "email thread" where you received the requisition.

Information about your eye examination will be kept in the optician's journal. Occupational Health Services receives a copy of this journal. Occupational Health Services follows a confidentiality code.

If your vision is impaired in one or both eyes, it is especially important that the unit performs a risk assessment so as to avoid further damage.

The initial eye examination is the basis for possible damage evaluations later.

During the period you work with strong optical radiation sources

Every fifth year, students or employees who work with strong optical radiation sources should receive a medical examination from Occupational Health Services. The unit or the student/employee must keep track of time, and make an appointment with the Occupational Health Service. The types of radiation sources and your use pattern will be recorded in your journal. If there is a need, you will be sent for an eye examination.

Every tenth year the student or employee should be sent for a new examination at the optician.

Occupational Health Services will refer you to the optician if there is need for it. You will be referred based on what you have worked with and the risk assessment.

Finishing work with strong optical radiation sourcesr

The employee or student should be offered and recommended a final eye examination.

Accidents and exposure above limit values

In the case of serious eye damage and emergency, call 113. In the case of an accident resulting in exposure that may have resulted in injury, the person should be send for examination immediately, no later than 24 hours after the accident. During work hours, Occupational Health Services can be contacted for a referral to the eye doctor. Outside of work hours, call 113 or go directly to the Eye department at St. Olavs Hospital (tel. 06800).

In the case of suspected or proven chronic damage, the occupational physician should refer the employee or student to an examination with the eye doctor.

Other conditions

If the employee or student doesn't want or is exempt from the medical examination, Occupational Health Services will write in their journal that the person was offered an examination, but refused.

A risk assessment should be performed for guest researchers, service personnel or other people to whom it is applicable. The risk assessment should indicate as to whether an eye examination is necessary.

The costs of the eye examination should be covered by the unit where the employee/student works.

TNU regulations

• Radiation protection - lasers
• Radiation protection - responsibility and task delegation
• Radiation protection - working with radiation sources
• Risk assessments
• Medical examination
• Report problems and discrepancies

Legislation

• The Work Environment Act
• Radiation protection and use of radiation – The Radiation Protection Act
• Regulations on radiation protection and the use of radiation – Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA)
• Regulation concerning Organization, Management and Employee Participation, with comments (In Norwegian) - The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority
• Regulation concerning the Performance of Work, chapter 16, with comments (In Norwegian) - The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority
• Regulation concerning Action and Limit values, chapter 4, with comments (In Norwegian) – The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority

Contact Information

• Occupational Health Services
• Margunn Losnegard Karlsen, Occupational Health Nurse
• Bjørg Aadahl, Occupational Physician

Approval/Signature

Approved by the HSE leader – August 27th 2020 – HMSRV3405 - ePhorte 2016/3901

Edited 27.08.2020