Keeping an eye on eye safety

Every day in the American workplace, an estimated 1,000 employees will sustain eye injuries before their shift is over. Flying particles often smaller than a pinhead will account for 70 percent of those reported injuries. The cost is huge. In financial terms, it adds up to more than $300 million per year in lost production, medical expenses and workers compensation claims. In terms of personal loss, it is incalculable since many eye injuries are permanent. Eye protection is a vital area of employee safety and health in any industrial setting.

What contributes to eye injuries at work? Not wearing eye protection or wearing the wrong kind of protection for the job is very often the cause.

According to Bureau of Labor statistics, nearly three out of every five workers injured were not wearing eye protection at the time of the accident. About 40 of the injured workers reportedly were wearing some form of eye protection when the accident occurred, usually eyeglasses without side shields. A small number were fully protected and still received injury.

About 90 percent of all work-related eye injuries could be prevented through the use of proper protective eyewear, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Strict OSHA guidelines require that companies provide proper equipment for each job. That may include safety glasses, goggles, face shield, welding helmet and, in some cases, eyewear that protects against harmful ultraviolet light.

Another important aspect of eye safety is better training and education for the employees.

Workers injured while not wearing protective eyewear usually reported they did not believe it was required for the specific situation. Just furnishing the protective eyewear, even at no cost to the employee, is not enough. They must also be taught how, when and where to wear it. Some employers have a standard policy that anyone in the work area must have protective eyewear, even visitors.

While flying debris is the major culprit of eye injuries, chemical splashes are also very serious and account for about one-fifth of the eye injuries reported. An eye wash area must be readily available and employees should be properly trained to use it. Eyes must be flushed at least 15 minutes when they have come in contact with chemicals.

Objects swinging from a fixed or attached position can also cause injuries. Safety efforts should include canvassing departments for clutter or objects such as ropes, tools, or pipes that could easily be unnoticed by a busy worker.

Companies that are interested in beefing up their eye protection programs can find assistance through their nearest OSHA area office, the National Society to Prevent Blindness or a private on-site consultation service. They can help you eliminate eye hazards, design an effective training program and find eye protection equipment that meets national standards.

Employers who want to protect their workers all of the time can also include information about eye safety at home, in sports and other activities. Eyesight is a valuable gift that should be protected at all times.

Dr. Randel D. Estep works with the Saints Occupational Health Network/Reno Clinic. St. Anthony Hospital is a member of SSM Health Care.

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