Blue light and workplace wellness: what can we do?

Watch again

Date & time

Friday 30 November 2018, 12pm

Presenter

Dhruvin Patel, Founder, Ocushield

Overview

Optometrist and entrepreneur Dhruvin Patel will break down research into the impact of blue light on our vision, sleep and general wellbeing, and discuss ways employers can mitigate the risks facing their workforce in the digital age.

Screens are now an integral part of our professional lives. Whether working from the office, a local café or at home, we often use digital devices for hours at a time. Unfortunately, the blue light emitted from these screens is working against us.

By overstimulating our minds via our retinas, blue light keeps us in an unnatural state of hyper alertness which can cause digital eye strain and fatigue.

Furthermore, the same blue light restricts our brains’ production of melatonin, a chemical which helps us sleep. This has a dramatic impact on our mood and general productivity.

In light of these physical and mental risks, how might the productivity of our workforces be improved through a healthier approach to digital screen usage? And what role can employers play in supporting the daily wellbeing of their employees?

About the speaker

Dhruvin Patel

Dhruvin Patel is an optometrist and entrepreneur encouraging a healthier relationship with technology in the digital age.

Since receiving a development grant from City University in London, he has built his company Ocushield into an internationally distributed, MHRA medically rated product and established himself as a leading authority on blue light and its impact on vision and quality of life.

Dhruvin has been featured in Forbes, The Guardian and The Telegraph as well as being named a finalist for Health Tech Founder of the Year at the 2018 Tech Founder Awards. Ocushield products are currently used by employees at organisations such as NHS, JP Morgan, HMRC and Barclays.