Eye safety at work is an imperative that requires sufficient PPE & adequate protective measures to comply with labor health standards set by OSHA. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than a thousand people are subjected to eye injuries daily. This is a testimony to the fact there is an ever-present need to educate workers more about the prevailing hazards at work & the appropriate precautions to act as a deterrent to recurring injuries.
Taking Your Gear Off
Taking your PPE off can leave your eyes exposed to several hazards that can induce blunt trauma or lacerations to your eye. This should only be done on an emergency basis without ignoring the standard procedures for eye safety. One may be forced or involuntarily remove their PPE due to the following reasons:
- Excessive Heat – When working in a harsh temperature environment, it won’t be a surprise if you take your gear off to get a breather during work. This could be due to incessant sweating caused by increased temperatures. It is not uncommon to find industrial areas packed with unbearable amounts of heat. In any case, taking your RX safety glasses off should only be done when you find yourself in a risk-free area within the premises at your workplace.
- Discomfort – This usually happens when there’s an urge to rub your eyes that gives you the relief you need temporarily. However, doing so with dirty fingers can aggravate the situation leading to serious eye damage in the form of swelling or corneal damage. If one thinks about the comfort offered by your frame, try using wraparound-shaped eyewear such as Wiley X Omega. To deal with the problem of discomfort in your eye, it is often recommended to rinse your eyes with cool water to flush out any debris or dust.
- Fogged lenses – This is quite common in jobs having extreme temperatures. Beclouded lenses are a nuisance as they forcefully cause you to remove eyewear and wipe away the fog off the lens surface. This is often cited as the most common reason workers take their eyewear off which results in eye injuries. To prevent beclouded lenses, you could always choose from a huge range of Wiley X Safety Glasses that come with excellent anti-fog solutions.
Eye Strain
It could happen for several reasons. For instance, working too long in very dim lighting conditions causes your eyes to work harder than usual. On the other hand, feeling stressed out from work would have the same adverse effect that will induce eye strain. One should always address it.
Changes in Prescription
Workers who use vision corrective lenses with safety glasses may experience problems in vision if their prescription index changes. This can cause a huge strain on your eyes which can worsen your prescription even further. Keeping a regular check of one’s eyesight is a healthy habit that keeps the chances of any eye injuries at bay.
