Hazards That Require Safety Glasses

When considering the potential hazards you may face at work, at home, or on the field of play, you must be both honest and thorough. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has identified five primary dangers to your eyes:

• Impact
• Heat
• Chemicals
• Dust
• Optical radiation

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) performed its own study on eye accidents and protection. They learned the following:

• Accidents and eye protection – 60% of accidents resulted from workers not wearing any protection – 40% resulted from wearing the wrong type of eye protection.
• Flying objects, particles, and sparks – around 70% of all eye accidents resulted from these – 60% of the objects were smaller than a pin head and traveling faster than an object thrown by hand.
• Craft type work and machinery operation – over 40% of injuries happened to craft workers (mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, etc.) – around 20% of accidents occurred with laborers – around 50% of the workers were in manufacturing and more than 20% were involved in construction.
• No eye protection training – almost 40% of injured workers received no eye protection training.
• Chemical contact – caused about 20% of all eye injuries in the workplace.

As you can see, safety eyewear is critical in many situations. From simple anti-fog safety glasses to lighted safety glasses to laser safety goggles, the type of safety glasses is just as important as their use. Identify the threats in your job situation and use protective eyewear that is appropriate for your job.