Safety Glasses at Work

Work-related eye injuries are more common than many people think. In fact, every day 2,000 people have their eyes injured at work by flying objects, chemicals, tools, radiation and other hazards. Approximately 10 percent of these injuries will result in lost work days and up to 20 percent will cause either permanent or temporary loss of vision. Many experts believe proper eye protection could prevent up to 90 percent of work-related eye injuries.

Awareness

• One of the simplest and most effective means of reducing work-related eye injuries is to insure that all employees are aware of, are trained in and adhere to the company's eye safety policies. Making employees aware of potential safety hazards and putting in safety mechanisms such as machine guards, work screens and eye flushing stations is an excellent first step. But this should be followed up with an insistence on the employee's personal responsibility to care for her eyes. The simplest form of eye protection is wearing of nonprescription or prescription safety glasses. In situations where safety glasses are not sufficient, appropriate eye protection such as goggles, face masks or even full-face respirators should be provided.

Lens Type

• While many companies provide company-issued safety glasses, others may require the employee to provide his own, particularly for independent contractors. In such cases it is important to know the type of eye hazard involved in order to make the proper decision regarding the appropriate type of safety glasses needed for the job. Plastic lenses are not as prone to fogging up and are lighter in weight than glass lenses, but they are also easier to scratch. Glass lenses resist scratching and corrosion from many common chemicals and they have the advantage that they can be made in your prescription. However, they can be heavy and cumbersome. Polycarbonate lenses in safety glasses have a greater impact resistance than either glass or plastic lenses, are lightweight and resist fogging, but are not as scratch resistant as glass lenses.

Cost

• According to reports from the U.S. government's Bureau of Labor Statistics, workplace eye injuries directly and indirectly cost nearly $1 billion every year. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 as updated and amended provides guidance regarding appropriate standards for protective eyewear in the workplace.