Eye Safety Information |
How An Eye Was Saved
A private contractor was having a safety glasses program, that so impressed an employee that he began encouraging his eighteen year-old son, who worked installing siding on houses, to wear safety glasses while working. Finally the son f relented, and while on a job, aluminum dust started getting in his eyes.
About one week later, he was applying siding with an air powered staple gun. When the son fired a staple, it hit a metal plate behind the siding, ricocheted back towards his face and one leg of the staple penetrated the safety glasses' lens, (see the figure below). The staple hit with such force that the frames were cracked and the son received bruising on the eyebrow and cheekbone. The safety glasses definitely saved his eyesight and possibly even his life! EYE PROTECTION IN THE WORKPLACE
It is estimated that 1,000 eye injuries occur in American workplaces,every day. The financial cost alone of these injuries is enormousâand more than $300 million per year in lost production time, medical expenses, and workers compensation. Yet there is no dollar figure that can adequately reflect the personal toll these accidents take on the injured workers.
And the more than 25 states and territories operating their own job safety and health programs together with The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are determined to help reduce eye injuries.. In concert with efforts by concerned voluntary groups, OSHA has begun a nationwide information campaign to improve workplace eye protection. WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO EYE INJURIES AT WORK?
WHAT ARE WHAT CAUSES EYE INJURIES?
WHERE DO ACCIDENTS OCCUR MOST OFTEN?
HOW CAN EYE INJURIES BE PREVENTED?
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?
EYE PROTECTION WORKS!
BLS reported that more than 50% of workers injured while wearing eye protection thought the eyewear had minimized their injuries. But nearly half the workers also felt that another type of protection could have better prevented or reduced the injuries they suffered.
It is estimated that 90% of eye injuries can be prevented through the use of proper protective eyewear. That is our goal and, by working together, OSHA, employers, workers, and health organizations can make it happen. This is one of a series of fact sheets highlighting U.S. Department of Labor programs. It is intended as a general description only and does not carry the force of legal opinion. This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 523-8151. TDD message referral phone: 1-800-326-2577. U.S. Department of Labor
Program Highlights Fact Sheet No. OSHA 92-03 Using Protective Eyewear
You can guard against eye injury by making sure that you are wearing the appropriate protective eyewear for the particular eye hazards you face. It's important to remember that regular glasses alone do not offer protection from eye hazards. Follow your company's established safety procedures, and never hesitate to ask your supervisor if you have any questions about what you can do to protect your sight for life.
It's come a long way
Protective eyewear has evolved dramatically over the years. In the 1960s, standard safety glasses were worn mainly in industry and made of tempered glass with unattractive frame styles. But since then, a merge between safety glasses and sunglasses has made eyewear more protective and fashionable. There's a much wider selection of colors and styles to choose from. In fact, many sports and industry safety glasses are made with anything from sports team logos to zebra stripes on the frames. And instead of tempered glass, the majority of lenses today are made of impact-resistant polycarbonate.
In terms of research to improve protective eyewear, Dr. Williams noted that the process is ongoing: "A lot of work has been done over the years to perfect the features of protective eyewear. What we have today is quite good. The task now is to educate people on how important it is to wear eye protection. People don't realize that an eye can be destroyed in a fraction of a second." Where to find protection
You can purchase most protective eyewear from re-tailers like Yoursafetysupplies.com for about $5-$20 a pair and considerably less on higher quantity orders. Buy glasses that are made of an impact-resistant polycarbonate, or that are labeled as meeting ANSI (American National Standards Institute) requirements. Some types of sunglasses can be used as protective eyewear, as long as they have impact-resistant polycarbonate
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