Protect Your Eyes
by Dr. Isabel Perry, “The
Safety Doctor”
1129 words
It only takes a second to injure your eyes. The injury could result from one moment of
carelessness, or from something over which you have no control. Protecting your eyes is not only your
employers’ responsibility, it is yours.
Regular eyeglasses are never considered eye protection in the workplace.
Every year approximately 100,000 workers have eye injuries,
costing industry over $330,000,000. Yes,
over $330 million. Here are some other
statistics:
¨
9 out of 10 injuries could have been avoided
using safety procedures and the right eye protection
¨
3 out of 5 workers who were injured wore NO
eye protection
¨
40% of those wearing eye protection had the
wrong type
Many types of eye protection can be used. Wearing regular glasses by themselves is
dangerous because they are not made to sustain any type of impact.
Eye injuries are divided into three categories:
- Physical
- Chemical
- Thermal/radiation
Some of the common hazards are:
¨
Heat
¨
Glare
¨
Splash
¨
Sparks
1. Physical injuries
A. High Impact
Physical injuries are
thought of as flying objects hitting us in the front of the eye or head area.
These might include:
- Hanging
objects – ropes, chains, cables
- Protruding
objects – hooks, racks, boards
Type of Protection Needed:
§
High impact protection like safety glasses or
goggles
§
Lenses made of polycarbonate – the most impact
resistant material
§
If the job requires side vision, safety glasses
are preferable
B. Particles at high speed
The most common injury caused by:
- Dust
and debris from sanding, grinding, chipping, etc.
Type of Protection Needed:
Fast moving particles smaller than a grain of sand
can cause significant damage to the eye.
Thought must be given to what types of particles might be flying around
on a routine basis because there is a difference between impact resistance and.
scratch resistance.
§
Plastic and polycarbonate lenses are high impact
resistant but less able to resist scratches.
§
Glass lenses will shatter on high impact, but
are very resistant to scratches from dust and grit.
§
Polycarbonate lenses that are coated with a
scratch resistant surface will handle both problems.
2. Chemicals and Fumes
Type of Protection Needed:
§
If working around dangerous chemicals goggles
should form a snug seal around the face and have hooded ventilators
§
In extremely dangerous situations, do not use
ventilators
§
Goggles need to be specially coated to prevent
fogging
3. Heat
Type of Protection Needed:
§
A face shield that covers the face and neck
§
Usually made of acetate or other flexible
plastic
§
Might be visor style
§
Extreme heat or concentrated light might require
the use of a welding helmet
All face shields should be used WITH
other eye protection – never alone.
EYE PROTECTION BEGINS WITH SUPPORT
OF UPPER MANAGEMENT
The protection of workers’ eyes, as well as the
effectiveness of all other safety procedures in the workplace, begins with the
active support of upper management.
Several steps need to be taken:
¨
An appropriate safety program must be put in
place
¨
Engineering controls that can be implemented,
should be
o Controls
like permanently installed shields and machine guards can greatly reduce risks
and ultimately save the company money.
¨
Proper equipment maintenance schedules should be
developed and adhered to, whether daily, weekly, monthly, or annual.
¨
Training should be conducted in safety
procedures and in the wearing and care of safety equipment.
o Training
plays a vital role in reducing injuries
o All
employees should know what is appropriate eye protection for each work area so
that if they have to enter, they have the correct protection
o All
visitors should be required to wear protection when traveling through areas; if
all employees know what’s required, they can make sure that people are protected.
¨
Regular status reviews of procedures is
necessary to keep up to date with changes in the workplace
EYE PROTECTION MAINTENANCE
Proper care and daily maintenance of eye protection is
paramount to eye safety. Some guidelines in addition to any provided by the
company or manufacturer:
¨
Clean eyewear after each use
¨
Disinfect eyewear that is shared among workers
¨
Wash glasses in warm water with soap, rinse
thoroughly, then use disinfectant and hang to dry
¨
Store eyewear in case to prevent scratching
¨
Special antifogging products can be used if
appropriate to the work location
¨
Before wearing, check for damaged parts and replace
any part that is scratched, faded, cracked
¨
Before wearing, check for loose parts and secure
them
¨
If eyewear is assigned, be sure each person
labels eyewear with their name
IF AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS
NEVER RUB YOUR EYE!!!
Our first instinct when something gets in our eye or it is
injured is to rub our eyes. Do not do it!
You will cause more damage. Here are some guidelines on what
to do:
1. Physical
A. Blows to the eye
¨
Do apply a cold compress immediately to the eye
for 15 minutes and again each hour to reduce pain and swelling
¨
See a doctor if there is discoloration of the
surrounding skin
B. Cuts and punctures
¨
Do lightly bandage and see a doctor immediately
¨
Do not wash eye with water
¨
Do not try to help and get the object out
C. Dust and other specks in the eye
¨
Do lift the upper eyelid and pull it outward and
down over the lower eyelid
o This
should induce tears, which can wash out small particles
¨
Do keep eye closed, apply a light bandage and
see a doctor if the speck doesn’t wash out
¨
Do not try to get the speck out
¨
Do not rub the eye
2. Chemical
burns
Chemicals such as caustics and acids may be
extremely dangerous. Chemical
“irritants” are less dangerous. All
contact with chemicals should be treated the same way:
¨
Do flush eyes with water immediately for 15
minutes. Keeping eye open as wide as
possible, hold it under running water and flush it out
¨
Do see a doctor IMMEDIATELY
¨
NEVER BANDAGE THE EYE OR USE AND EYE CUP
A FINAL WORD OF CAUTION
¨
Face shields, by themselves, don’t provide
enough protection for your eyes.
¨
Contact lenses, by themselves, don’t provide
enough protection in an industrial setting.
¨
Contact lenses should not be worn in a hazardous
environment unless accompanied by appropriate safety eyewear protection.
¨
Plastic lenses are advised for protection
against possible molten metal splashing.
Protecting workers in the workplace from injury is
everyone’s responsibility:
¨
Get the right eye protection
¨
Use it
¨
Work safely
¨
Know what to do in case of an accident
¨
Work together to make and keep your workplace a
safe environment for everyone
Eyesight is precious; do everything you can to protect your
eyes and the eyes of everyone you work with!
Dr. Isabel Perry is
an internationally-known safety expert, motivational speaker, author and safety
educator. Based in Orlando, Florida, she can be reached at 407-291-1209 or via e-mail at
[email protected]