Preventing Eye Injuries At Work

Gary Smith for AAM BlogWRITTEN BY GARY SMITH, APARTMENT BUILDING MANAGEMENT WORKERS COMPENSATION SELF INSURED FUND

Eye injuries in the workplace are very common. Each day about 2000 U.S. workers have a job-related eye injury that requires medical treatment. About one third of the injuries are treated in hospital emergency departments and more than 100 of these injuries result in one or more days of lost work. Additionally, 10-20 percent of the total cases will cause temporary or permanent vision loss.1

Experts believe that the proper eye protection could have lessened the severity or even prevented 90 percent of eye injuries in accidents.

The Prevent Blindness® organization offers the following information to help you select the proper eye protection:

What are the common causes of eye injuries?

 

• Flying objects (bits of metal, glass)
• Tools
• Particles
• Chemicals
• Harmful radiation
• Any combination of these or other hazards

 

What is the best defense against eye injuries?

• Know the eye safety dangers at work;
complete an eye hazard assessment
(MIOSHA requires that employers complete
a written certification of hazard
assessment.3)

• Eliminate hazards before starting work.
Use machine guarding, work screens, or
other engineering controls.

• Use proper eye protection.

When should I protect my eyes at work?

You should wear safety eyewear whenever there is a chance of eye injury. Anyone working in or passing through areas that pose eye hazards should wear protective eyewear.

What safety eyewear is available to me?

• Non-prescription and prescription safety
glasses

• Goggles

• Face shields

• Welding helmets

What type of safety eye protection should I wear?

The type of safety eye protection you should wear depends on the hazards in your workplace. If you are working in an area that has particles, flying objects, or dust, you must at least wear safety glasses with side protection (i.e., side shields). If you are working with chemicals, you should wear goggles. If you are working near hazardous radiation (e.g., welding) you must use special-purpose safety glasses, goggles, face shields, or helmets designed for that task.

What is the difference between glass, plastic, and polycarbonate safety lenses?

All three types of safety lenses meet or exceed the requirements for protecting your eyes.

Glass lenses

• Are not easily scratched

• Can be used around harsh chemicals

• Can be made in your corrective prescription

• Are sometimes heavy and uncomfortable

Plastic lenses

• Are lighter weight

• Protect against welding splatter

• Are not likely to fog

• Are not as scratch-resistant as glass

Polycarbonate lenses

• Are lightweight

• Protect against welding splatter

• Are not likely to fog

• Are stronger than glass and plastic

• Are more impact resistant than glass or
plastic

• Are not as scratch resistant as glass

Educate your employees!

Be sure to conduct ongoing educational programs to create, keep up, and highlight the need for protective eyewear. Add eye safety to your regular employee training programs and to new employee orientation.

If you need assistance with conducting a hazard assessment or training in your workplace, please contact Gary Smith, CRM, at (517) 338-3367 or Gary.Smith@cmi-yorkrsg.com.

Sources:
1. Eye Safety: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/eye/
2. Eye Safety at Work: Prevent Blindness®; www.preventblindness.org
3. Part 433. Personal Protective Equipment: MIOSHA Occupational Health Standard; http://www.michigan.gov/documents/CIS_WSH_part433Rev_53316_7.pdf

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