Workplace Safety: Employer Tips
Ninety percent
of eye injuries in accidents can be avoided by using the proper
protective eyewear. You can help protect your employees' eyes and save money by establishing a few safety procedures. Use the following tips to help reduce the risk of eye
injuries in the workplace.
- Conduct a thorough analysis of operations. Inspect work areas, access routes and equipment. Examine eye accident and injury reports. Identify operations and areas that present eye hazards.
- Uncorrected vision problems contribute to accidents. Encourage employees to get vision testing along with any routine physical examinations.
- Select protective eyewear designed for a specific operation or hazard. Protective eyewear must meet the current standards referenced by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and subsequent revisions.
- For maximum protection against eye injury, establish a 100 percent mandatory program that requires eye protection throughout all eye hazardous operations areas of your workplace. Experience shows this kind of program prevents more injuries and is easier to enforce that one limited to certain departments, areas or jobs.
- Workers cannot be expected to use their protective eyewear unless it fits properly and comfortably. To ensure the eyewear is satisfactory, have it fitted by an eye care professional or someone trained to do this. Provide the means for maintenance and require each worker to be responsible for his or her own eyewear.