Prescription Safety Glasses in Mining

Workers inside a mine are prone to fatal injuries. Hence, the need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can never be emphasized enough in the case of mining. Among that includes eye protection, which is a must. Accidents can leave permanent damage to the body or eyes. Safety glasses are an essential item to prevent this from happening. Majority of the mining is regulated by the mandatory inclusion of protective eyewear. This is due to the high-impact danger involved in the course of workplace activity. Henceforth, It’s important to analyze the hazards associated with mining & the need for protection of eyes.

Hazards Involved in Mining

Protective eyewear for mining should provide safeguard against a set of hazards. Some of these hazards include:

• Dangerous Projectiles – During drilling or masonry involved in mining, tiny particles of rocks can ricochet off the drilling apparatus. These can penetrate & destroy the cornea. Due to the constant grinding involved, the razor-sharp pieces of highly abrasive nature are often likely to damage the eyes. For this, protective gear can help to ward off any oncoming intrusive particles.

• Toxic Liquids – The inadvertent act of spilling dangerous chemicals while handling large barrels can be catastrophic. Toxic chemicals also pose a threat to eyes through acidic emanation of mists. This can cause irritation to the eyes. Small splashes of liquid in the eyes can be protected with eyewear. Also, the anti-fogging coating lens can offer clarity of vision with protection.

• UV Exposure – UltraViolet is emitted by the radiation, which is prevalent in high temperatures such as underground mining. A common gas is known as ‘Radon’ is a major cause of radiation for underground laborers. Prolonged exposure to UV rays can bring a number of harms. Ailments such as macular degeneration, cataracts often result in long-term vision loss.

• Extreme Heat – High degrees of temperature can often result in the burning of the eyelashes & eyebrows. Extreme temperatures can cause blurry vision & retinal detachment in the long run.

Ensuring Ample Eye Protection

The use of protective gear for the eyes was made mandatory by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). By wearing Prescription Safety Glasses, eye injuries can be easily reduced by almost 90%. Protecting the eyes at mining sites can be supplemented by the following benefits of safety eyewear:

• Robustness – The material is sturdy & bulkier on the sides to offer protection against hazards. It acts as a bulwark against menacing flying residues & other objects. Most lenses are made of polycarbonate which helps against high-impact accidents. Its robustness is also defined in its high resistance to scratches & abrasion.

• Blocking UV Rays – The lenses made of polycarbonate help in warding off UV rays with almost 90% efficacy. This is of great benefit to the vision of the worker involved in long hours of underground exertion.

• Tinted lenses – The use of a photochromatic lens can be appropriately used to adjust enable vision pertaining to different levels of light.