Protect Employees From Eye Hazards
Employers are legally required to protect employees from extremely hazardous chemicals and harmful physical agents in the workplace. Two common examples of these hazards are airborne lead fumes, and eye hazards from crystalline silica dust.
This article discusses the importance of prevention when it comes to eye hazards at work, both pre-emptive and reactive approaches for keeping your workers protected, as well as some tips on how to prevent workplace eye injury altogether.
Once you read this blog post, we're sure you'll agree that being proactive is always a better option than waiting until an incident has already happened.
In the United States, about 11% of all physician office visits for occupation-related injuries are for eye injuries.
How Do You Protect Your Employees' Eyes at Work?
To keep your workers safe from eye hazards, you can take a few different approaches. Different types of eye hazards require different prevention strategies and protective measures. A few examples will be discussed in this blog post. We'll also provide some helpful tips to actively avoid eye injuries altogether.
Preventing Chemical Eye Hazards in the Workplace
To protect your workers from chemical eye injury, you need to have a full understanding of the chemicals that you are dealing with on a daily basis at work. Some companies will send a sample of the chemicals for testing to determine whether or not they are harmful to the eyes.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has information on various chemical products that can be accessed at their website. They offer a list of products that may cause skin and eye irritation, as well as a list of substances that can cause irreversible organ damage when exposed to the eyes.
If you are unsure whether or not a product is harmful, it is always best to err on the side of caution. The OSHA website also offers a webpage that explains how to identify and avoid eye hazards in the workplace.
Preventing Crystalline Silica Eye Hazards at Work
Crystalline silica is a very common substance found in industrial settings that can be inhaled or ingested. It can cause lung disease and other health problems for people who work in these areas of production.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration states that "crystalline silica exposure, since it damages the lungs, poses particular hazards when workers are exposed to dusts or mists of crystalline silica. The hazard from inhaling crystalline silica is compounded by the fact that the dusts and mists of many crystalline silica-containing materials are similar in appearance to harmless, naturally occurring dusts. The health effects from exposure to these dusts may not be apparent for days, months or even years after exposure."
With this said, it is clear that employers have a responsibility to their workers to take proactive measures in order to protect their eyes. Employees need to know what they are dealing with and how they should protect themselves against harmful substances. You will find information on both lead and crystalline silica at OSHA's website.
In addition to this, there are updates on OSHA's website regarding eye safety in the workplace. For example, OSHA is responsible for enforcing medical surveillance guidelines in the workplace for workers who are potentially exposed to crystalline silica dust. These changes aim to protect workers from serious injuries or worse - even death - as a result of this substance.
OSHA also provides information on general eye protection best practices that are applicable across multiple industries. OSHA's safety and health website states that "engineers, designers and manufacturers should consider the hazard exposure of their product when choosing an appropriate eye and face shield material." According to their guidelines, specific specifications should be reviewed before selecting a particular type of face and eye protection device.
Lastly, the OSHA website provides information on the safe handling of crystalline silica. They recommend that "if workers are exposed to crystalline silica dust, they should wear a NIOSH-approved respirator with a filter with a pore size of at least 30 microns."
What Is NIOSH-Approved Respiratory Protection?
NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) approves certain respirators based on the standards established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which is similar to OSHA. Each respirator that is approved by NIOSH has been tested and meet the ANSI standards. NIOSH-approved respirators are used to protect workers' lungs from inhaling substances that can negatively impact their health, such as dusts, fumes, mists, aerosols, etc.
The term "NIOSH-approved" allows employers to make a clear statement in reference to the safety of the respiratory protection provided for employees who work in environments with airborne hazards.
To learn more about NIOSH approval and accredited certification bodies (CB), click here . This website will give you a detailed explanation of the approval process so that you can be sure your employees are receiving high-quality respiratory protection in your workplace.
Can You Pass A Drug Test From Eye Exposure?
Although the effects of drug use vary from person to person, employers are still allowed to test their employees. However, they cannot test them for drugs or alcohol unless there is a suspicion that the employee has been using illegal substances.
An employer may conduct drug testing in relation to the following:
Driving under the influence (DUI)
Substance misuse or abuse
A medical condition that may affect an individual's ability to work safely and productively, such as cancer or heart disease
Can You Get Eye Damage From Wearing Glasses at Work?
Many people ask this question after experiencing repeated eye pain when wearing glasses up close and personal. The short answer is yes. However, this is only a common occurrence when the lens of the glasses are old and not up to par. If you need glasses for work that are behind some thick glass, then you may want to go out and purchase some new ones that fit your face better.
When you purchase glasses for work, you can seek professional help from an optician in order to determine what type of lenses will work best for your job situation.
Lastly, if there are workplace hazards that affect your vision, then it's definitely time to get new glasses or contacts from an eye care practitioner who has relevant experience dealing with workers' eyesight.
Conclusion
If you work in the industrial sector, then it's very likely that your eyes will be exposed to a variety of hazards. In this case, eye safety is something that employers need to keep an eye on as well. The workplace safety and health laws set forth by OSHA and NIOSH help employers to better protect their employees from these harmful substances.
The most common hazards that affect workers' eyes are crystalline silica and lead. These substances are fairly common in manufacturing companies and other types of business where there are large amounts of glass products being made, such as in the glass industry or professional upholstery.