Why You Should Use Eye Protection when Working around Power Tools
Protecting you eyes will keep you from experiencing any unforeseen workplace accidents. Workplace eye injuries are a common occurrence and each day more than 2,000 people experience an eye injury. Of these injuries, approximately 10-20% will result in some form of either temporary or permanent vision loss.
Some of the most common reasons for eye injuries in the workplace can be linked to flying objects (wood, glass, metal, etc.), tools, particles, chemicals, powerful radiation or any combination of these factors. There are three things you can do now to help protect yourself against an eye injury. You should know the eye safety dangers at your job and complete and eye hazard assessment. Take precautions to eliminate any hazards prior to working and use machine guards, work screens or other controls. Make sure you always use the proper eye protection on the job.
You should always wear protective eye wear on the job whenever there is a situation that presents a chance for injury. Anyone else working in the area or even those just passing through, should always take precautions and wear protective eye wear as well.
You may be wondering what types of safety eye wear are available. You can get safety eye wear in prescription and nonprescription, goggles, a face shield, welding helmets and in a full-face respirator. The kind of safety eye wear you will need depends upon the hazards of your workplace. If you work in an industry that has flying particles or objects, or dust, you should wear safety glasses with side protection at the very least. If you work with chemicals you should wear goggles and if you are exposed to radiation, you need to use special-purpose safety glasses, goggles, face shield or a helmet designed for the job.
Safety glasses can come in glass, plastic and polycarbonate materials. All three forms of safety glasses must meet or exceed the minimum safety standards for your industry. Glass lenses are not easy to scratch, may be used around harsh chemicals, can be made in prescription form and can be rather heavy and uncomfortable. Plastic lenses are lightweight, will provide splatter protection, may not easily fog up and are not as scratch resistant as glass. Polycarbonate lenses are lightweight, protect against splatters, will not easily fog, are much stronger than glass and plastic, not as scratch proof as glass and are more impact resistant. Whichever type you choose will depend upon your individual needs and the industry in which you work.
Protecting your eyes in the workplace does work and may prevent you from being injured or blinded. It pays to educate yourself about the workplace safety information on your job and adhere to it for your safety and the safety of those you work with. Your eyesight is a precious thing and you should do everything possible to protect yourself against needless accidents in the workplace.
Tags: eye protection, goggles, safety measures