We’ve spoken about the importance of protecting your eyes when working with chemicals, metals and wood but, with eyes being one of the most important organs of the body… and one of the most vulnerable, it’s time to focus on eye health. We spoke to the team from Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Cymru’s new Lottery funded project, See Cymru Differently to learn more…
We all know that day to day life on a farm can be as demanding as it is rewarding. Long hours and even longer lists of tasks can take their toll, and it’s no surprise that many farmers end up taking the odd shortcut to save a bit of time.
Sometimes, however, these shortcuts can do more harm than good. Personal safety should always be a top priority, especially when it comes to your eyesight.
It can be easy to overlook eye health, especially when you have so many important jobs clamouring for your attention. But did you know that one in five of us will experience sight loss in our lifetime, and that half of all sight loss is avoidable? Protecting your eyes is essential for your health, income and independence. That’s why See Cymru Differently, wants to make eye health and safety a priority for farmers everywhere.
As part of their mission, the See Cymru Differently team have come up with some easy eye care tips to keep in mind:
2023 Farm Safety Hero Alun Elidyr Edwards
Wear your sunglasses. Farmers spend lots of time outdoors, exposed to the sun’s harmful UV rays. UV exposure can worsen eye conditions like solar retinopathy, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Harmful UV light may increase your risk of some eye conditions, in particular, cataracts. It’s important to choose sunglasses with 100% UV protection to safeguard your eyes. Take two minutes to check that your sunglasses have the CE, BS and or UV400 marks. If they don’t then it’s a good excuse to snap up a new pair in the summer sales.
Wear protection. Chemicals, flying debris, and machinery can all put your eyes at risk. Eye protection that is prescribed and fitted by a qualified dispensing optician, such as goggles, welding masks, and visors, should be worn during tasks like grinding, pressure washing, and using chemicals. We understand that time is limited, and it may be tempting to skip safety gear to save a few minutes, but the consequences of eye injuries can be severe, leading to hospital visits and potentially permanent damage.
Book your eye test. Many people think eye tests are just about prescribing glasses and contact lenses, but they’re useful for so much more. We recommend scheduling an eye exam every one to two years. Everyone should have an eye test at least once every two years. Opticians can detect early signs of eye conditions that like glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration, which are easier to treat when caught early. They can also , as well as pick up on other health issues like diabetes. As we age, our eyesight naturally deteriorates, making it even more crucial to have regular eye checks. A simple prescription for glasses could make a huge difference in your ability to perform tasks on the farm, such as reading labels or driving safely.
RNIB Cymru will be heading to events across Wales, partnering with local opticians to offer eye tests, educating young farmers and equipping communities with the knowledge they need to care for their eyesight.
We’re collaborating with organisations like Yellow Wellies, and we hope to work with the likes of Ffermio Bro, local vets, and farmers’ unions to ensure eye health awareness is deeply ingrained in Welsh farming communities.
Farming offers some of the most breathtaking views of the country. Protecting your eyesight means you can continue to enjoy those views and stay visually connected to your farm and the land for years to come. See Cymru Differently. Cadw Golwg.
To learn more contact SCD@rnib.org.uk.
Blog Gofal a Diogelwch Llygaid
Rydym i gyd yn gwybod y gall bywyd dydd i ddydd ar fferm fod mor heriol ag y mae’n wobrwyol. Mae oriau hir a rhestrau hyd yn oed hirach o dasgau yn gallu cael effaith niweidiol, ac nid yw’n syndod bod llawer o ffermwyr yn y pen draw yn cymryd rhai llwybrau byr i arbed ychydig o amser.
Weithiau, fodd bynnag, gall y llwybrau byr hyn wneud mwy o niwed nag o les. Dylai diogelwch personol bob amser fod yn brif flaenoriaeth, yn enwedig pan ddaw i’ch golwg.
Gall fod yn hawdd esgeuluso iechyd y llygaid, yn enwedig pan gennych nifer o dasgau pwysig sy’n galw am eich sylw. Ond oeddech chi’n gwybod y bydd un ym mhob pump ohonom yn profi colled golwg yn ystod ein bywydau, a bod hanner colled golwg yn gallu cael ei osgoi? Mae gwarchod eich llygaid yn hanfodol ar gyfer eich iechyd, eich incwm a’ch annibyniaeth. Dyna pam mae prosiect newydd RNIB Cymru a ariennir gan y Loteri, Gweld Cymru’n Wahanol, eisiau gwneud iechyd a diogelwch llygaid yn flaenoriaeth i ffermwyr ym mhob man.
Fel rhan o’u hymgyrch, mae tîm Gweld Cymru’n Wahanol wedi llunio rhai awgrymiadau gofal llygaid hawdd i’w cadw mewn cof:
Gwisgo eich sbectol haul. Mae ffermwyr yn treulio llawer o’u hamser yn yr awyr agored, ym mhelydrau UV niweidiol yr haul. Mae dod i gysylltiad ag UV yn gallu gwaethygu cyflyrau llygaid fel retinopathi solar, cataractau a dirywiad macwlaidd. Gall golau UV niweidiol gynyddu’ch risg o rai cyflyrau llygaid, yn enwedig cataractau. Mae’n bwysig dewis sbectol haul gyda 100% o warchodaeth UV i ddiogelu eich llygaid rhag niwed. Cymerwch ddau funud i wirio bod gan eich sbectol haul y marciau CE, BS a neu UV400. Os nad oes ganddyn nhw, mae’n esgus da i gael pâr newydd yn y sêls haf.
Gwisgwch warchodaeth. Gall cemegau, malurion yn hedfan, a pheiriannau bod yn risgiau i’ch llygaid. Dylid gwisgo gwarchodaeth i lygaid sydd wedi’i ragnodi a’i osod gan optegydd dosbarthu cymwys, fel gogls, masgiau weldio a feisors yn ystod tasgau fel malu, golchi pwysedd a defnyddio cemegau. Rydyn ni’n deall bod amser yn allweddol a’i bod yn demtasiwn hepgor offer diogelwch i arbed ychydig funudau, ond gall canlyniadau anafiadau i’r llygaid fod yn ddifrifol, gan arwain at ymweliadau ysbyty a niwed parhaol posibl.
Trefnu prawf llygaid. Mae llawer o bobl yn meddwl bod profion llygaid yn ymwneud yn unig â rhagnodi sbectol a lensys cyffwrdd, ond maen nhw’n ddefnyddiol ar gyfer cymaint mwy. Rydyn ni’n argymell trefnu archwiliad llygaid bob blwyddyn i ddwy flynedd. Dylai pawb gael prawf llygaid o leiaf unwaith bob dwy flynedd. Gall optegwyr ganfod arwyddion cynnar o gyflyrau fel glawcoma, cataractau a dirywiad macwlaidd, sy’n haws eu trin o gael eu dal yn gynnar. Gall archwiliadau llygaid rheolaidd ddatgelu problemau iechyd eraill hefyd, fel diabetes. Wrth i ni heneiddio, mae ein golwg ni’n dirywio’n naturiol, sy’n golygu ei bod yn bwysicach fyth cael archwiliadau llygaid rheolaidd. Gallai presgripsiwn syml ar gyfer sbectol wneud byd o wahaniaeth i’ch gallu chi i gyflawni tasgau ar y fferm, fel darllen labeli neu yrru’n ddiogel.
Bydd Gweld Cymru’n Wahanol yn ymweld â digwyddiadau ar draws Cymru, ffurfio partneriaethau gydag optegwyr lleol i gynnig profion llygaid, addysgu ffermwyr ifanc ac arfogi cymunedau gyda’r wybodaeth sydd ei hangen arnynt i ofalu am eu golwg.
Rydyn ni’n cydweithredu â sefydliadau fel Yellow Wellies, ac yn gobeithio gweithio gyda sefydliadau fel Ffermio Bro, milfeddygon lleol ac undebau ffermwyr i sicrhau bod ymwybyddiaeth o iechyd llygaid wedi’i wreiddio’n ddwfn yng nghymunedau ffermio Cymru.
Mae ffermio’n cynnig rhai o’r golygfeydd mwyaf trawiadol yn y wlad. Mae gwarchod eich golwg yn golygu eich bod chi’n gallu parhau i fwynhau’r golygfeydd hynny a chynnal y cysylltiad gweledol â’ch fferm a’r tir am flynyddoedd i ddod. Gweld Cymru’n Wahanol. Cadw Golwg.
Am fwy o wybodaeth am brosiect Gweld Cymru’n Wahanol, cysylltwch â SCD@rnib.org.uk.
