| Following
is an article from the OSHA web site regarding eye injuries:
Fact Sheet No. OSHA 93-03 EYE
PROTECTION IN THE WORKPLACE
Every day an estimated 1,000 eye injuries occur in American
workplaces. The financial cost of these injuries is enormous
-- more than $300 million per year in lost production time,
medical expenses, and workers compensation. No dollar figure
can adequately reflect the personal toll these accidents take
on the injured workers.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
and the 25 states and territories operating their own job
safety and health programs are determined to help reduce eye
injuries. In concert with efforts by concerned voluntary
groups, OSHA has begun a nationwide information campaign to
improve workplace eye protection.
Take a moment to think about possible eye hazards at your
workplace. A 1980 survey by the Labor Department's Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS) of about 1,000 minor eye injuries
reveals how and why many on-the-job accidents occur.
WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO EYE INJURIES AT WORK?
-- Not wearing eye protection. BLS reports that nearly
three out of every five workers injured were not wearing eye
protection at the time of the accident.
-- Wearing the wrong kind of eye protection for the job.
About 40% of the injured workers were wearing some form of eye
protection when the accident occurred. These workers were most
likely to be wearing protective eyeglasses with no side
shields, though injuries among employees wearing full-cup or
flat-fold side shields occurred, as well.
WHAT CAUSES EYE INJURIES?
-- Flying particles. BLS found that almost 70% of the
accidents studied resulted from flying or falling objects or
sparks striking the eye. Injured workers estimated that nearly
three-fifths of the objects were smaller than a pin head. Most
of the particles were said to be traveling faster than a
hand-thrown object when the accident occurred.
-- Contact with chemicals caused one-fifth of the injuries.
Other accidents were caused by objects swinging from a fixed
or attached position, like tree limbs, ropes, chains, or tools
which were pulled into the eye while the worker was using
them.
WHERE DO ACCIDENTS OCCUR MOST OFTEN?
-- Craft work; industrial equipment operation. Potential
eye hazards can be found in nearly every industry, but BLS
reported that more than 40% of injuries occurred among craft
workers, like mechanics, repairers, carpenters, and plumbers.
Over a third of the injured workers were operatives, such as
assemblers, sanders, and grinding machine operators. Laborers
suffered about one-fifth of the eye injuries. Almost half the
injured workers were employed in manufacturing; slightly more
than 20% were in construction.
HOW CAN EYE INJURIES BE PREVENTED?
-- Always wear effective eye protection. OSHA standards
require that employers provide workers with suitable eye
protection. To be effective, the eyewear must be of the
appropriate type for the hazard encountered and properly
fitted. For example, the BLS survey showed that 94% of the
injuries to workers wearing eye protection resulted from
objects or chemicals going around or under the protector. Eye
protective devices should allow for air to circulate between
the eye and the lens. Only 13 workers injured while wearing
eye protection reported breakage.
Nearly one-fifth of the injured workers with eye protection
wore face shields or welding helmets. However, only six
percent of the workers injured while wearing eye protection
wore goggles, which generally offer better protection for the
eyes. Best protection is afforded when goggles are worn with
face shields.
Better training and education. BLS reported that most
workers were hurt while doing their regular jobs. Workers
injured while not wearing protective eyewear most often said
they believed it was not required by the situation. Even
though the vast majority of employers furnished eye protection
at no cost to employees, about 40% of the workers received no
information on where and what kind of eyewear should be used.
-- Maintenance. Eye protection devices must be properly
maintained. Scratched and dirty devices reduce vision, cause
glare and may contribute to accidents.
EYE PROTECTION WORKS!
BLS reported that more than 50% of workers injured while
wearing eye protection thought the eyewear had minimized their
injuries. But nearly half the workers also felt that another
type of protection could have better prevented or reduced the
injuries they suffered.
It is estimated that 90% of eye injuries can be prevented
through the use of proper protective eyewear. That is our goal
and, by working together, OSHA, employers, workers, and health
organizations can make it happen....END.
Back to
Home Page
Home
| Safety
Frame Catalog | Safety
Glass Programs | Radiation
Xray Glasses | Products | Dress
Eyeglass frames at wholesale prices | Bifocal
Magnifiers eyeglasses | Prescription
Safety Glasses Site Map
SafeVision Contact information: sales@safevision.net
|
