Protective Equipments

A company might issue you tools, safety equipment, and some kind of protective clothing, but there is one thing that cannot be issued—a new set of eyes. If some thing happens to your eyes, there is no quick fix. Medical science can replace a lot of things on and in your body, but when your eyes are gone, they are gone forever.

Thousands of eye injuries occur in the workplace each year, warranting the need for total eye protection. Wearing the eye protection that your job or location requires is a simple way to keep your eyes safe. Your eyes are delicate and very easy to damage. A hard blow is not necessary to cause injury. In fact, all it takes is a tiny sliver or speck of metal, a particle of dust, or trace of chemical to do a great deal of damage to your eyes. If you are exposed to dust, acids, molten metals, grinding wheels, hazardous flashes—you need to take the proper precautions and protect your eyes. If you don’t, it’s possible to lose the precious gift of sight, meaning you may never see your wife, husband, or children again.

The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metals, liquids, chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation

If you wear contact lenses, remember: a contact lens was not designed to provide eye protection. Also, it is a good idea to have a pair of prescription eyeglasses available in case you need to remove your contact lenses. Many people consider getting a particle in the eye a simple inconvenience and wait for tears to wash the speck out. But contact wearers can find this a painful surprise that distracts them from whatever they are doing, and that can be dangerous. Sharp particles can scratch the cornea of the eye, leading to severe complications. When this happens, it is important to remove the lens immediately.

Prescription glasses and full goggles should replace contact lenses when you work with caustic solutions. If a caustic solution accidentally splashes in the eye, the contact wearer should first try to flush out the eye with cool water rather than take out the lens. Then, the contact should be removed and the eye again flushed. However, a cornea burn cannot occur if, when using harsh chemicals, the appropriate eye protection is worn—full goggles, not safety glasses with side shields. Never try to remove a foreign matter, other than a contact lens, from your own eye. Also, never try to remove a foreign material from the eye of another worker. Playing doctor will probably make the condition worse. Get to the company medical department or a doctor right away for treatment of an eye problem.