My colleague has poor eyesight and it affects their work performance

[concernedcolleague12]

I have changed departments and am working with a colleague that I previously have never worked with. I am quite concerned about them but don't know what to do.

They seem to have very poor eyesight. When reading paperwork they have to hold it really close to their eyes. I don't want to say the nature of our work but it's quite practical/hands on and I can tell that they are struggling. For example, the spilt something without realising and I had to (gently) point it out. They sometimes mix things up as they can't read the small writing that distinguishes two similar looking but very different things. They already wear glasses.

I feel really sad about the whole situation but feel like it's getting to the point where I have to say something to someone as I'm concerned. They are a difficult personality and so I worry they fill file a complaint against me in retaliation if I do or say anything.

Does anyone have any advice?

If you aren’t their manager I wouldn’t say anything, unless there is a danger to someone of course. If they are a pharmacist for example I would raise it with your line manager.

Do you have a health & safety concern? Or is it that they're slow/inefficient because of the poor eyesight?

sorry - posted to soon. If the former, I would only say something to my manager from a health & safety perspective if it's regularly repeated eg. they spill something daily, they mix things up regularly, because one-offs can happen to anybody.

If it's the latter (slow/inefficiency) I wouldn't say anything, that's for their manager to decide.

Does your company have a method for health and safety reporting hazardous observations?
Ours has an webform and spilling something and not noticing in order to clean it up would be the sort of thing that would come under this. The H&S team would look at how to reduce the risk not demonise your colleague and they wouldn't be told it came from you.

Need to know the job

It's working in a laboratory...

Nothing they have done so far has been a health and safety concern (otherwise I would have had to report it already) and could all be explained as just genuine mistakes that can happen from time to time. It's more not realising they are making the mistake if than the mistake itself if that makes sense.