Page 34 - Occupational Health & Safety, November/December 2019

VISION PROTECTION
ANSI eye standard, Z87.1-15, requires that the product must go through rigorous third-party testing, which simulates hazards such as impact by flying objects and debris, high mass impact, and sharp object penetration. In each testing scenario, the lenses and frame must stay intact to pass.
When selecting eye protection, the National Institute for Oc- cupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) suggests identifying four factors: what kind of hazards the worker faces; how frequently the hazards are encountered; compatibility of eyewear with other face protection equipment, such as face masks, and compatibility with workers’ own eyeglasses or other types of visual aids needed when working on the job.
Depending on the job requirements, you may also want to iden- tify specific safety hazards such as resistance to oil, grease, aromatic solvents or alkaline; whether workers need UV protection; as well as the product’s adjustability, which can add to the wearers’ comfort when selecting protective eyewear.
Other key attributes to look for in protective eyewear include:
■ Absorbs 99.9 percent of harmful UV light
■ Lenses are finished with an anti-scratch and anti-fog coating
■ Curved lenses for a comfortable fit
■ Made of 100 percent durable purity optical grade/poly- carbonate
■ Soft frame tips to aid in slip resistance, and a soft nose pad to ensure a snug fit
Finally, it will not matter if your eyewear passes all of the safety
standards if they don’t fit properly because you still will be at risk for injury. When looking to find the perfect pair, it’s important to remember that there should be no uncomfortable pressure points, the nose piece should sit comfortably on the bridge of your nose, you should be able to see in all directions, the frames should sit close to your face without hitting your eyelashes, lenses should cover the eyebrows, and the eyewear should stay in place when you move your head around.
Protective Gloves
Hand injuries rank as the second leading cause of work-related in- juries. Over 110,000 recorded lost-time hand injuries occur within the U.S. each year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.3 Protective gloves are among the most important kinds of personal protective equipment to include in a head-to-toe solution—yet 30 percent of hand injuries result from wearing the incorrect type of glove, according to the American Society of Safety Professionals.4 Gloves are often selected on price or appearance rather than on the assessment of hazards they can help prevent.
Conducting hand-hazard assessments in the workplace will help to identify areas of potential harm. Both internal and external teams can perform the assessments—this will allow your company to benefit from the knowledge, experience and awareness of the in- ternal team, and to have a fresh set of eyes from a third party. When selecting gloves for your workers, key areas to address include the comfort and dexterity needed to perform the job functions, the
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