What’s wrong with this picture?

These workers are actually missing two kinds of PPE:

1. Safety glasses or goggles to protect their eyes from flying ice chips; and
2. Footwear with slip-resistant soles to keep them from slipping on the ice.

Moral: As their employer, you’re responsible for ensuring that your workers use the right PPE for the job.

EYE PROTECTION

WHAT’S AT STAKE

4 Reasons to Pay Attention

1. Every day, more than 2,000 U.S. workers injure their eyes at work

2. Every year, more than 100,000 workers lose all or part of their sight as a result of a work-related eye injury

3. Not wearing any eye protection is the cause of 3 of 5 of these eye injuries

4. Wearing the wrong kind of eye protection is the cause of nearly 2 of 5 of these eye injuries

USE THE RIGHT EYE PROTECTION FOR THE JOB

5 Kinds of Eye Protection

Make sure you select the right kind of PPE for the job. The 5 most common types of eye protection are:

1. Safety Glasses have safety frames (usually metal or plastic) + impact-resistant lenses + sometimes side shields

• Protect the eyes from flying objects, sparks & dust

2. Safety Goggles completely cover the eyes, eye sockets and facial area around them

• Protect the eyes from impact, dust & splashes

3. Shaded Eyewear has tinted lenses to protect the eye from glare and harmful light

• Protect against ultraviolet and other radiation
• Used for outdoor work, welding and other jobs involving exposure to harmful light
• Include safety glasses, goggles, and face shields with tinted lenses

4. Welding Shields are made of vulcanized fiber or fiberglass and fitted with filtered lenses that must be of a shade number necessary to protect against the particular hazard

• Protect eyes from burns caused by intense light
• Protect eyes & face from flying sparks & metal splatter & slag chips from welding/brazing/soldering/cutting operations

5. Face Shields are transparent plastic sheets that extend from the eyebrows to below the chin and across the entire width of the head and may be polarized to protect against glare

• Protect against dust, splashes & sprays
• Don’t protect against impact—unless you wear safety spectacles or goggles underneath

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM EYE INJURIES

8 EYE PROTECTION DO’S & DON’TS

There are 8 things to do/not do to ensure proper use of eye protection:

• DO clean your eye protection regularly following company/manufacturer instructions
• DON’T use goggles if they’re scratched, don’t fit right or the elastic band is frayed
• DO inspect your eye protection each time before you use it
• DON’T use safety spectacles if they’re scratched, bent or don’t fit right
• DO ensure that face & welding shields are disinfected periodically
• DON’T use eye protection that’s not designed to protect you from the actual hazard you face in doing the job
• DO make sure you actually use your ey protection
• DON’T use eye protection equipment if it doesn’t fit right, obstructs your movement or blocks your vision