Click here for a list of Manitoba optometrists participating in the OVC Safety Eyewear program
Click here for the MAO 2022 Safety Frame Catalogue
Eye injuries in the workplace are common, with an estimated 700 Canadian workers per day experiencing an eye injury on the job according to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. Eye injuries are also surprisingly common at home, caused by projects and activities such as home repairs, garage accidents, maintenance, cleaning and cooking.
The easiest way to protect your eyes? Wear the proper safety eyewear. The two main reasons workers sustain eye injuries on the job is because they were not wearing eye protection at all, or because they were wearing the wrong kind of eye protection.
MAO Occupational Vision Care (OVC) Program
The OVC program exists to help employers provide prescription safety eyewear to Manitoba workers and to meet the eye protection requirements for the Manitoba workplace. OVC prescription safety eyewear is also available to individuals. To find an optometrist affiliated with the OVC Program, go to Find an Optometrist and filter your search by Safety Eyewear.
Optometrists are the only vision care professional with the ability to perform visual diagnoses, prescribe lenses, verify eyewear safety, and fit eyeglasses to meet the function and safety requirements legislated in the workplace. The OVC program recommends, dispenses, and fits superior quality prescription safety eyewear to Manitoba workers, as well as providing comprehensive eye health and vision examinations.
Employers and Employees and the OVC Program
The OVC program is cost-effective for employers and convenient for employees. Similar programs exist in all Canadian provinces. The goal of the OVC program is to preserve vision, eliminate eye injuries, and increase visual performance in the Manitoba workplace.
Convenience
- Comprehensive eye exams, fitting, and dispensing of prescription safety eyewear are professionally done at one convenient location.
- Optometrists are located in communities throughout Manitoba. To find an optometrist in your community, visit Find an Optometrist and filter your search by Safety Eyewear.
- Agreements can be customized to meet the specific needs of every industrial setting.
- Central processing streamlines all procedures.
Highest Quality and Standards
- Optometrists can perform a complete eye health and vision assessment with special attention to the specific occupational needs of each employee.
- All materials, including lenses, coatings, and frames, meet or exceed Canadian Safety Standard (CSA) Z94.3
Cost Effectiveness
- OVC buying power ensures the best value and lowest product prices for your employees and company.
- More than 22,500 eye related workplace injuries were reported to the Worker's Compensation Board in the last decade. Cost savings are realized to both employer and employee through the reduction and/or elimination of eye injuries with the adoption of the OVC program.
There is no other program offering better value, in as many locations, with the variety of styles and lens choices, by qualified professionals.
For further information on this program, please contact Dave Vankoughnett at the Manitoba Association of Optometrists, 431-335-6060, dvankoughnett@optometrists.mb.ca