How to best protect against dust, fumes and other contaminants
Workers in manufacturing facilities are highly prone to eye injury. Accidents happen because of the inherent dangers of getting exposed to dust, fumes and other contaminants and operating heavy machinery. However, many cases are avoidable with thoughtful corporate policies. Consider these four strategies to protect your workforce’s eyesight, minimize liability and reduce unscheduled downtime due to occupational eye injuries.
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Identify and manage eye hazards
The eye is a delicate organ vulnerable to almost anything. The most common irritants are dust, dirt, debris, gases, corrosive liquid splashes, ultraviolet radiation and material fibres. Work areas with airborne chemical agents, intense heat and molten metals should be off-limits to anyone wearing contact lenses.
Determine all the hazards in your industrial environment, and use engineering controls to keep them in check. Wire mesh grids, safety glass guards and protective screens can block flying particles around machines such as lathes and grinders.
Isolating hazardous operations in separate areas and enclosing them to contain vapours, mist and fine dust are essential to prevent unnecessary exposure to eye contaminants. Invest in adequate ventilation equipment to control dust and fumes.
Wearing eye protection is a basic measure to safeguard your employees’ vision from hazards that bypass the engineering controls in place. Using personal protective equipment is one thing, but choosing the correct gear for the application is another. Any mismatch causes a false sense of safety rather than meaningfully reducing occupational eye injury risk.
Ensure the equipment matches the hazard. Procure products that comply with internationally recognized standards, such as those set by the Canadian Standards Association and the American National Standards Institute. For example, the safety glasses that meet the Z87.1 certifications are safe for heavy machine operators and workers in injury-prone locations. Prescription glasses require enhancements such as antireflective, antifog and hydrophobic coatings to satisfy respected industry safety standards.
Equipment suffers when the fit is less than ideal. The protective eyewear must be snug and comfortable. Otherwise, the discomfort can still put the wearer at risk of occupational injury.
Darkness and overillumination impair your workers’ ability to identify and manage hazards, diminishing the effectiveness of protective eyewear. Dim conditions lead to great brightness contrasts and issues with depth perception, obscuring dangers in the workplace. The Community Against Preventable Injuries advises against using ladders in poor lighting precisely because working from a height in the dark can be perilous. Glare arises from exposure to direct and reflected light, reducing visibility and causing discomfort.
Place lighting fixtures correctly to ensure safety and comfort. Neutralize reflections using opaque materials or rethinking your manufacturing environment’s layout to prevent work-related eye injuries inside and outside the facilities throughout the day.
Even the most well-thought-out preventive measures are ineffective without accountability. All members of your organization should feel responsible for each other to eliminate safety incidents, including executives and supervisors. Otherwise, it only takes a single reckless employee to endanger the others.
Invest in quality machinery, and prioritize preventive maintenance. Train workers thoroughly to develop the required skills to operate manufacturing equipment correctly and safely.
Value emergency preparedness. Teach employees about safety procedures so that everyone knows what to do when somebody gets hurt. Provide eyewash stations in strategic locations across your facilities, and ensure first-aid supplies are available and accessible at all times.
