Eye Protection on the Job: Tips From Defog It Antifog During National Healthy Vision Month 2010
There are nearly 800,000 work-related eye injuries each year, resulting in approximately 2,000 workers receiving some form of medical treatment every day. Because 90% of eye injuries are preventable, Defog It antifog is promoting Healthy Vision Month 2010 with workplace eye safety tips.
A variety of statistics emphasize the costs of workplace eye injuries to individuals, companies and society and the need for vigilance about eye safety.
About $924 million in workers’ compensation payments were made in a recent year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Almost $4 billion in wages and productivity were lost in a recent year, adds the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Approximately 60% of workers who suffered eye injuries were not wearing proper protective eyewear.
Vision loss is one of the top ten workers disabilities.
Construction, mining, and manufacturing have had the highest incidence of eye injuries in recent years.
“Even though the Occupational Safety and Health Administration now mandates protective eyewear in many workplace situations, companies and individuals need ideas like these to help employees make a habit of wearing safety glasses 100% of the time,” says Jodi Groh, Director of Marketing for Nanofilm, maker of Defog It antifog towelettes and liquid. “Defog It antifog wants to help workers and employers use Healthy Vision Month 2010 as an opportunity to improve workplace eye safety with smart, simple ideas.
Here are some workplace eyewear safety tips to help prevent eye injuries.
Review the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for your work type. Are you providing the correct standard of protection for each work area? For example, do workers need safety glasses with side shields? Or a face mask over eyewear?
Offer multiple styles of protective eyewear. One Defog It user at a major electric utility said he offers almost a dozen types of protective eyewear so each worker can choose the best fit and most comfort. Says the employer, “I don’t want there to be any excuses for not wearing safety glasses.”
Make sure fogged eyewear isn’t a problem. In a study published in Accident Analysis & Prevention Magazine in 2009, research with focus groups made up of manufacturing, construction, service and retail workers showed that 100% of the groups named fogging as a factor for not wearing personal protective eyewear, number one among vision-related reasons. Over 55% of research respondents suggested an antifogging solution to increase usage of personal protective eyewear.
Check the fit of eyewear. Research shows 94% of eye injuries that occurred while workers were wearing eye protection were a result of particles or chemicals that entered around or under the protective shield.
Make eyewear straps or lanyards available. For people who move in and out of work areas requiring protective eyewear, they can keep eyewear from getting lost.
Plan an eyewear safety program. There are a number of organizations that have informative eye protection programs. In addition to resources available at the Healthy Vision2010 website, visit Prevent Blindness America, the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety, and the American Optometric Association.
Source: Eye Protection on the Job: Tips From Defog It Antifog During National Healthy Vision Month 2010
A variety of statistics emphasize the costs of workplace eye injuries to individuals, companies and society and the need for vigilance about eye safety.
About $924 million in workers’ compensation payments were made in a recent year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Almost $4 billion in wages and productivity were lost in a recent year, adds the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Approximately 60% of workers who suffered eye injuries were not wearing proper protective eyewear.
Vision loss is one of the top ten workers disabilities.
Construction, mining, and manufacturing have had the highest incidence of eye injuries in recent years.
“Even though the Occupational Safety and Health Administration now mandates protective eyewear in many workplace situations, companies and individuals need ideas like these to help employees make a habit of wearing safety glasses 100% of the time,” says Jodi Groh, Director of Marketing for Nanofilm, maker of Defog It antifog towelettes and liquid. “Defog It antifog wants to help workers and employers use Healthy Vision Month 2010 as an opportunity to improve workplace eye safety with smart, simple ideas.
Here are some workplace eyewear safety tips to help prevent eye injuries.
Review the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for your work type. Are you providing the correct standard of protection for each work area? For example, do workers need safety glasses with side shields? Or a face mask over eyewear?
Offer multiple styles of protective eyewear. One Defog It user at a major electric utility said he offers almost a dozen types of protective eyewear so each worker can choose the best fit and most comfort. Says the employer, “I don’t want there to be any excuses for not wearing safety glasses.”
Make sure fogged eyewear isn’t a problem. In a study published in Accident Analysis & Prevention Magazine in 2009, research with focus groups made up of manufacturing, construction, service and retail workers showed that 100% of the groups named fogging as a factor for not wearing personal protective eyewear, number one among vision-related reasons. Over 55% of research respondents suggested an antifogging solution to increase usage of personal protective eyewear.
Check the fit of eyewear. Research shows 94% of eye injuries that occurred while workers were wearing eye protection were a result of particles or chemicals that entered around or under the protective shield.
Make eyewear straps or lanyards available. For people who move in and out of work areas requiring protective eyewear, they can keep eyewear from getting lost.
Plan an eyewear safety program. There are a number of organizations that have informative eye protection programs. In addition to resources available at the Healthy Vision2010 website, visit Prevent Blindness America, the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety, and the American Optometric Association.
Source: Eye Protection on the Job: Tips From Defog It Antifog During National Healthy Vision Month 2010
