Visual Examination Standard for Forklift and Crane Operators: A Report for 66 Operators of a Factory in Mumbai

CONTEXT: Forklift and crane industry in India is progressing at a rapid pace and the visual integrity of the operators is crucial for occupational safety. Hence, we performed a vision screening at a factory based in Mumbai. AIMS: To evaluate the current visual status of forklift and crane operators working at a factory in Mumbai. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Prospective observational cross-sectional. METHODS AND MATERIALS: All forklift and crane operators were invited to undertake visual examination that included visual acuity (VA) assessment, refraction, slit-lamp examination, color vision assessment, visual field assessment, and stereopsis. Referrals were made for participants who needed further assessment. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Mean and standard deviation were calculated and presented. RESULTS: A total of 66 forklift operators with an average age of 48 years that ranged from 26–60 years completed the study. The average distance VA in LogMAR with current spectacles was 0.1 ± 0.14. The near VA with usual spectacles averaged at 0.63 M ± 0.2 M. The best-corrected VA (BCVA) of 0 LogMAR was not achieved by 12% subjects; however, all participants except one met the 0.3 LogMAR visual acuity criteria. The average stereopsis was 55.8 ± 47.8 with 8% operators had lower than acceptable levels of stereopsis while 7% could not meet the set criteria. One operator had 400 s of an arc and 4 had 100 s of arc stereopsis. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates an urgent need to set up standards for vision assessment at the time of employment and frequency of eye examination for forklift and other powered industrial vehicles.