Are safety glasses enough eye protection to save your eye sight?

Do you think your obligation to your worker has ended when you provide them with Safety glasses or safety goggles? Imagine what it would feel like if you were the worker who lost vision in your eyes through an industrial accident? Close your eyes and imagine what it would feel like to never see again.

Eye injuries are a significant cause of lost working days throughout Australia, particularly within the manufacturing industry. There are two main reasons why eye injuries would occur at work - not wearing any eye protection or more commonly because of wearing the wrong type of, or inadequate eye protection.

When injuries occur even though eye protection is being worn, the question has to be asked "how much protection is required"? To answer that a simple hazard assessment should be made to determine which of several eye hazards exist in your workplace for each job. Such hazards include:

- Dust, concrete, metal and other particles;

- Chemicals such as acids, bases, fuels, solvents, lime and wet or dry cement powder;

- Falling or shifting debris, building materials and glass;

- Smoke and noxious or poisonous gases;

- Electrical arcs and welding light;

- Thermal hazards and fires; and

- Bloodborne pathogens (hepatitis or HIV) from blood, body fluids and human remains.

Where hazards are found to exist in the workplace, to help prevent eye injuries from occurring, employers or people in charge should:

- Ensure eye protection is adequate against identified eye injury hazards;

- Know the latest eye protection information, procedures and provide the equipment;

- Provide information, training and supervision to ensure safe procedures are followed and that adequate eye protection is being worn;

- Ensure eye protection is worn by employees as well as any visitors to the site at all times in identified risk areas and situations;

- Consider providing two layers of protection for high risk work for example safety goggles and face shields;

- Ensure Safety glasses, safety goggles and face shields are properly maintained. Dirty or scratched lenses impair vision and are more likely to be removed;

- Ensure adequate first aid training is provided and first aid equipment is available for emergency treatment to eye injuries.

Of course this should be implemented in conjunction with the company or worksite's overall safety program or plan. For further information or reference material for understanding eye protection requirements, the legislation and standards that are relevant include Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000, Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2001, Australian/New Zealand Standard 1336:1997 "Recommended Practices for Occupational Eye Protection" and Australian Standard 1337:1997 "Eye Protectors for Industrial Applications".