uvex Removes Pitfalls of Prescription Safety Eyewear Voucher System

Avoid the pitfalls of safety prescription eyewear voucher systems

Prescription safety eyewear is often seen as confusing and difficult to administer. Many retailers now offer prescription vouchers which many seem like a good solution for purchasing employees the eyewear they need. However, are you actually getting value for money and is it as confusing as people make out?

uvex provides an effortless solution for companies to avoid the many drawbacks of voucher systems while procuring prescription safety eyewear for their employees.

Our team of highly skilled safety professionals will visit your workplace and advise on the most suitable safety prescription lens material based on the hazards posed to employees. These can range from mechanical to optical hazards to liquid hazards.

MECHANICAL HAZARDS	OPTICAL HAZARDS	LIQUID HAZARDS
Things that get into the eye Dust off the street Grass cuttings Saw dust Tree branches	UV radiation, bright lights and flashes Sunlight Reflections off windows & wet surfaces Artificial lights	Splashes Chemical hazards Jet washing Cleaning

How the voucher system works

The voucher system used by some high street opticians and other safety prescription providers can often be confusing and is not the simplest way to obtain prescription eyewear.

Books of vouchers may be bought and remain unused, necessitating time-consuming applications for refunds. Often the true value of an order is not transparent as a voucher may have a value of £30, while the order value comes to £35 requiring additional vouchers or part-payment on a credit card. Purchasers are also locked into using one specific optician.

Many vouchers only cover the value of a basic prescription safety order with CR39 lenses (EN166S), which do not offer good impact protection and require a UV coating to be added at extra cost.

Upgrading to impact-resistant polycarbonate (EN166F) lenses incurs an additional charge. To pay for this, it requires another voucher, even if the balance is not for the full value of the voucher, so purchasers could be only using part of a voucher, but still paying the full amount on a credit card.

Polycarbonate lenses have a natural UV filter, extremely important in protecting the wearer’s eyes from harmful rays and preventing eye problems.

The uvex system

The uvex system also invoices on an order-by-order basis. This means no parting with money upfront, with invoices only created when the order is complete and received, giving complete visibility of the total order value and knowledge of when your employee is in receipt of their prescription safety eyewear. Orders are invoiced through your existing personal protective equipment (PPE) provider. If prescription safety eyewear is a requirement, you’ll already be buying safety eyewear for your other employees along with any other PPE. This approach means you don’t have to run two different invoice systems, it can all go through the same company.

The flexibility of the uvex system means you are not locked into any one optician chain. Organisations that have multiple sites may want to use different opticians. The uvex system therefore offers flexibility, allowing the wearer to go to their most convenient retailer.

uvex’s simple-to-understand, three-tier pricing structure details prices for single vision, bifocal and varifocal lenses in both polycarbonate and CR39, and for extras such as anti-reflective coatings, transition lenses, or sun glare tints. In this way there are no hidden costs when the employee visits the optician. Approval for any extra costs is always sought before the company is invoiced.

Next steps

Why risk the hassle of vouchers when the uvex solution is so much more effective? To find out more, contact your local uvex representative who will be happy to help:

Up to speed on lens materials?

Polycarbonate versus CR39 plastic lenses

Avoid the pitfalls of safety prescription eyewear voucher systems

How the voucher system works

The uvex system

Next steps

Up to speed on lens materials?

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