Work safety comes first and needs to be addressed properly in order to avoid any injuries. The industrial heavy-duty tasks require you to be extra prepared for possible accidents. Some of the most common workplace hazards are flying objects, hazardous chemicals, and dust.
Read on to find out the most common workplace eye hazards and how it would be foolish to overlook the safety at workplaces:
Table of Contents
READ ALSO
Flying Objects
Flying objects are believed to cause the majority of workplace eye injuries and these objects are often smaller than the head of a pin. Depending on the type of workplace you work at, these objects could be fragments, chips, particles, sand, and dirt.
The work processes that are most likely to put workers at risk of flying object eye injuries include:
- Drilling
- Sanding
- Grinding
- Chipping
- Chiseling
- Riveting
- Machining
- Sawing
- Wood Working
Choosing the right prescription safety glasses for flying object hazards depend on the type and extent of the hazard. Say, for instance, safety goggles are considered appropriate for jobs that involve flying objects. On the other hand, safety glasses with side shields are preferred at many different kinds of workplaces for eye-protection.
Glasses with polycarbonate lenses fit best for any workplace since it provides robust impact resistance, which helps keep your safety glasses scratch-free.
Dust
The tiny dust particles in the air can pose a real threat to the eyes of the workers. Therefore, safety glasses are a must for the eye protection of employees who work in dusty conditions.
Dust is responsible for causing abrasion, irritation, and redness in the eyes. Redness of eyes and irritation can be uncomfortable for the eyes while abrasion to the cornea of the eye is a more severe issue and at times, it can also require medical follow-up. Problems like these can put workers on sick leave for days, which ultimately affects the organization as a whole. So it is recommended for the workplaces to engage in programs that promote wearing safety glasses at work and guide employees ahead for the proper maintenance of the same.
The safety glasses with a tight seal around the eyes provide the optimum level of eye protection and are apt for dusty work environments.
Hazardous Chemicals
The harmful chemicals at workplaces also pose a certain amount of threat to the eyes if proper precautions are not taken. The several chemicals used in manufacturing industries, construction sites, or other such workplaces can severely injure the eyes and may make one go blind unless proper eye protection is worn.
Highly hazardous chemicals like acids and other corrosives have the ability to harm the eyes within minutes upon contact. The injuries caused by such deadly chemicals can cause problems to the eyes of employees for a lifetime and one could end up losing eyesight.
The unprotected eyes and faces are more likely to get affected by harmful exposure of sprays, splashes, mists, and vapors in the workplace. The employees that handle chemicals at work or work in an area where chemicals are stored or being used are at risk.
The required eye protection against hazardous chemicals could be chemical resistant goggles and even face shields for severe exposure risk. However, educate workers on how to use the protection for their betterment and make them understand that a face shield alone is not enough protection while working with hazardous chemicals. Rx safety glasses, especially for the employees who have vision problems must always be worn under a face shield. Organizations must educate the employees and enforce this rule at workplaces.
Examining
The inspection and maintenance of your safety gear are as important as its practice at the workplace. In order to be sure that the safety glasses are doing the job right and preventing injuries, the employees must be educated and trained to examine this essential PPE before each use.
Employees must examine the following:
- Checking lenses and shields if they have any cracks or scratches
- Inspecting goggle body, side shields, nose pieces and frames of safety glasses for damage
Keep their own vision conditions in check, without proper vision the entire purpose of safety glasses goes to waste. In that case, they must let the authorities know and provide them with well-suited Rx safety glasses for proper vision and eye protection.
The workers must be trained and educated to replace the safety glasses that are not in good condition. Make sure that you explain the entire procedure to the workers for acquiring new PPE and proper disposal of damaged items so that they do not cause any harm to other employees.
It is the job of authorities to ensure that they make it easy for workers to get new equipment and not let them keep using the damaged one which significantly increases the risk of eye injuries.
Conclusion
By this time it is explicit that overlooking safety at workplaces is not a good option, rather invest in some quality safety glasses. Browse from our collection of supreme quality and affordable safety eyewear. find ANSI Z87.1 rated prescription safety glasses at CA Glasses.
