Eye injuries are costly, and any kind of damage to the sensitive eye area can potentially cause permanent loss of sight, destroying an individuals career and livelihood in a matter of moments. A resource guide to workplace safety for auto mechanics. Make sure the lens is free of dirt, pitting, or scratches, since these can hinder the wearers vision. In fact, prevent blindness american pba estimates that 90% of workplace eye injuries could be avoided if safety eyewear is used effectively. Unless a worker is assigned in a hazardous environment, hes not likely to wear any protective eye gear. Each day nearly 2,000 american workers suffer the pain of avoidable workplace eye injuries that require medical treatment. Unfortunately, the industrial setting isnt the only place you can compromise your vision. Here are six tips to prevent workrelated eye injuries. Talk with your employer to see if safety glasses are covered in your vision plan. Heres how to outfit your crew in the gear that helps keep your facility safe, sound and osha compliant. Eye safety at work national eye institute national eye. Procedures for handling eye injuries should also be established and reinforced. Open the pdf and scroll down to the bottom of the tip sheet.
Consider these tips to help keep your eyes healthy and strong. Safety and health topics eye and face protection hazards. Nfpa offers free safety tip sheets on a variety of fire and life safety topics. Thats why eye safety is such an important topic to discuss with your employees. A workplace safety training will help them reduce or eliminate injuries and illnesses from occurring in the workplace always keep the communication lines open with your coworkers, employers, or employees in order to promote and maintain a safe environment. Tips on eye safety at work during workplace eye wellness month. Twice as many back injuries occur at home as in the workplace. Back safety facts 80% of the population can expect to have back pain at some time in their lives. And that may very well be the case, but thats only the beginning. Keeping eye and face ppe clean and sanitary is highly important, and it is against osha regulations to use equipment that has any optical or structural defects. March is workplace eye wellness montha good time to refocus attention on your eye protection program.
It is a good thing to remember that osha rules establish minimum standards for. Theres no underestimating the importance of ppe in the workplace. Mar 29, 2017 workplace eye safety month is the perfect time to learn a few tips on protecting your eyes. From head to toe, the proper use of personal protective equipment helps make sure everyone goes home safe at the end of the day.
A toolbox talk is an informal safety meeting, conducted at the job site prior to the commencement of a job or work shift. National institute for occupational safety and health niosh workplace safety and health topic. Tips for preventing eye injuries in the workplace wv brim. If there are chemicals present, safety goggles should be worn. The organization has designated march as workplace eye health and safety awareness month to encourage workers in all industries to protect their eyes now to ensure healthy vision in the future. Back safety in the workplace oklahoma state university. Workplace eye safety month is the perfect time to learn a few tips on protecting your eyes. Eye safety in the workplace nicola eye care optometrist. Position your computer screen at arms length and at about 20 degrees below eye level. If something happens to your eyes, there is no quick fix. Flying or falling objects account for the lions share of eye injuries in the workplace. Even working at home can negatively affect your eyes.
Eye safety in the workplace is a commonly overlooked issue. Eye safety safety eyewear eye injury prevention you can bite into an apple with false teeth. Workplace eye safety tips march is workplace eye safety month and our doctors at grin eye care want to remind all of you to keep your eyes safe and healthy during your work day. The sense of sight is considered by some to be the most complex and important of the five senses. Eye safety for emergency response and disaster recovery. Successful initiatives have encouraged employees to go to the doctor for a wellness visit, get a flu shot, have their teeth cleaned, get a comprehensive.
However, while precautions can easily be taken to prevent eye injuries, the u. Importance of safety eyewear one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce workplace eye injuries is to wear proper safety glasses. Feb 24, 2014 march is workplace eye wellness montha good time to refocus attention on your eye protection program. See aoas occupational vision manual for more information.
It doesnt matter how or where you lose your sightit only matters that you cant see, cant drive, and probably cant continue to do your job. About 8 million americans suffer new back injuries every year. Whether it happens at work or on the golf course, overexertion continues to be a leading cause of injury over all age groups. Educate everyone in the workplace about the safety requirements and consider posting a list of workplace safety tips. Eye and face protection must be provided whenever necessary to protect against chemical, environmental, radiological or mechanical irritants and hazards. Workplace injury is a leading cause of eye trauma, vision loss, disability, and blindness, and can interfere with. Toolbox talks also known as tailboards or team huddles are a great way to get the message out and to reinforce it. The type of safety eye protection you should wear depends on the hazards in your workplace.
Download, print and share these tip sheets to spread the word about fire safety. General workplace safety tips atlantic training safety tips. American national standard for occupational and educational eye and face protection devices, ansi z87. Eye safety ataglance protecting your vision at work page 6 225 reinekers lane, suite 700 alexandria, va 22314 p. Workplace eye safety why is eye safety at work important. Determine potential of eye injury for the tasks performed. About 400,000 people suffer disabling back injuries each year. Workplace eye protection is needed when the following potential eye hazards are present. Get the facts here, plus 10 tips for injury prevention.
For a limited time receive a free safety special report on the 50 tips for moreeffective safety training. You should include those questions marked with and a selection of the remaining questions that apply to your work site. If required for your job, wear properly fitted safety glasses, goggles, or face shields that are required for your job and use antidust and antifog. About 1 in 10 injuries require one or more missed workdays to recover from. Make sure that tools work and that safety features are in place. Eye protection reprinted with permission from the national safety council a company might issue you tools, safety equipment, and some kind of protective clothing, but there is one thing that cannot be issueda new set of eyes. More than 700,000 workrelated eye injuries occur each year. The american academy of ophthalmology recommends that consumers keep protective eyewear on hand and wear it during activities that could pose a risk to eye safety mp3 audio. Eye protection at work could eliminate 90% of eye injuries. Workplace injury is a leading cause of eye trauma, vision loss, disability, and. Includes information about eye safety, types of eye and face protection, and first aid for eye injuries. Prevent blindness has declared that march is workplace eye wellness month. March is workplace eye wellness month from prevent blindness. For workers who suffer an eye injury, its important to contact us immediately to schedule an exam.
The organization offers a number of tips for preventing workplace eyestrain and fatigue in office environments. Preventing workrelated eye injuries each day, about 2,000 u. The limited information on the right is designed to provide the background information needed in each. Lighting that is correctly placed, effective and wellmaintained promotes eye comfort, eye safety and quality of work. To ensure that you dont become an afterthought, make safety your first thought with these workplace safety tips. Protecting your eyes at work american optometric association. Use the guidance questions on the left to promote discussion of the eye safety issues at your work site. Employers should consider these tips in developing their safety plan. The limited information on the right is designed to provide the background information needed in each section of the toolbox talk.
In an effort to raise eye safety awareness and increase injury prevention, march has been declared workplace eye wellness month. If you are working with chemicals, you should wear goggles. It was the second leading reason after falls that adults age 2564 ended up in emergency departments in 20, and the third leading cause for kids ages 10 and older, often from tooheavy backpacks, computers and gaming. If you are working around dust, chemicals or any type of radiation welding, lasers etc be sure you are aware of the potential eye hazards around you. According to the bureau of labor statistics bls, many highimpact physical eye injuries happen as a result of lying or falling objects or sparks striking. Having a vision for workplace eye wellness in recent years, wellness has become a hot topic. The centers of disease control and prevention reports that more. Floor care oil changes, transmission fluid changes, and other vehicle maintenance procedures involve working with slippery fluids that can coat the garage floor and increase the risk of accidents. A process for employee engagement and support that focuses on safety and wellness can help with job retention and help promote wellness.
This detailed guide offers safety tips to help mechanics avoid workplace injuries. Jun 10, 2014 eye safety safety eyewear eye injury prevention you can bite into an apple with false teeth. The organization offers a number of tips for preventing workplace eyestrain and. Workplace eye safety preventing eye injuries in the workplace choose your eyewear accordingly each year, thousands of americans visit the emergency room due to a workplace eye injury, many of which occur in jobs where employees work with electricity, tools, chemicals, machinery, construction materials or explosives. Creating a safety and wellness culture in your company.
Workplace health, safety and welfare regulations 2002. Centers for disease control and prevention note that about 2,000 eye related injuries happen to workers each day. Workers should have a comprehensive dilated eye examination on a regular basis typically every 2 years to help ensure good eye health. Eye safety in the workplace is not something to take lightly. May 03, 2019 in spite of this eye injuries in the workplace are very common. A pair of safety glasses, ideally made with impactresistant lenses, are necessary for jobs that present an eye safety risk. The suitability of eye protection types depends on potential eye hazards present in the workplace. Listen to hear how easy it is to protect your eyes on the job. Some safety tips sheets can be customized with your organizations contact information.
During workplace eye wellness month, berkeley eye center urges employers to reevaluate the safety precautions in place to protect their workers. March is workplace eye wellness month from prevent. Importance of good eye safety habits safety glasses usa. Mar 06, 2017 eye safety in the workplace is a commonly overlooked issue. Oil changes, transmission fluid changes, and other vehicle maintenance procedures involve working with slippery fluids that can coat the garage floor and increase the risk of accidents. Moreover, lenses with deep pitting or scratching could break. Home eye safety workplace eye safety tips checklist. In spite of this eye injuries in the workplace are very common. According to the centers for disease control and prevention, each day, about 2,000 u.
According to prevent blindness america, 90 percent of all eye injuries are preventable simply by wearing the proper eye protection. Eye safety in the workplace as an employer, advocating for eye safety in the workplace is always a good idea. The proposed revisions will reflect current national consensus standards and ensure that employers use uptodate eye and face protection during hazardous workplace operations. Workplace eye safety tips checklist rand eye institute. See more ideas about eye safety, workplace and safety posters. A written eye safety program should be implemented in the workplace to help prevent workplace eye injuries. More than 2,000 people injure their eyes at work each day. Osha requires employers to ensure the safety of all employees in the work environment. Osha publishes notice of proposed rulemaking updating a national consensus standard in its eye and face protection standards. Jobrelated eye injuries can range from scrapes, burns, or worse. Good sunglasses provide protection from the suns harmful ultraviolet rays yellow or brown lenses.
Thousands of eye injuries occur in the workplace each year, warranting the. Eye safety should receive continuing attention in workplace educational programs. Heres a quick checklist to help avoid workplace eye injuries. Safety tips for home eye hazards american academy of. Workplace safety tips a comprehensive resource protect your hands. Eye safety safety eyewear eye injury prevention youtube. March is workplace eye safety month and our doctors at grin eye care want to remind all of you to keep your eyes safe and healthy during your work day. And not just eye safety on the job, but eye safety at home and in recreational pursuits, too. Of the total amount of workrelated injuries, 1020 % will cause temporary or permanent vision loss. Tips for protecting vision in the workplace ehs today.
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