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CONSTRUCTION SAFETY Sergey Ryzhov/Shutterstock.com Reframing Eyewear: Meeting Workforce Needs with Advancements New eyewear technology can help workers stay safe and comfortable while doing their job. BY VINCENT AZIBERT As construction projects continue to ramp up in a post- COVID environment, the time is right to revisit major operations and safety protocols. Variables such as machine standards, employee (re)training and protective gear for personnel are all important items that are worthy of renewed attention and consideration. Also, time away from work has shifted the focus away from the daily rigors of a job, which makes for an increased probability of more on-the-job accidents. As a longtime product development professional in the protective eyewear space, I focus almost solely on the protection of eyes in the workplace. From sharp objects to particulates to chemical vapors, there is no shortage of things that can get in the way of work being done safely. According to The Center for Construction Research & Training, more than 10,000 eye injuries put workers on sick leave each year. It’s my job to ensure these numbers go down. The small and potentially sharp particles that may get caught in the eye can cause punctures, abrasions and contusions of the cornea. Corneal abrasions are the most common type of eye injury in the construction industry, particularly in dusty environments. Damage to the eye may range from minor scratches that can heal in several days to more severe abrasions that can cause permanent damage. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics found that almost 70 percent of the accidents studied resulted from flying or falling objects or sparks striking the eye.1 Injured workers estimated that nearly three-fifths of the objects were smaller than a pinhead, and most of the particles were said to be traveling faster than a hand- thrown object when the accident occurred. One of the ways I go about prioritizing safety is by gaining feedback from the market. Time and time again, the data tells me two things: workers need to see their work clearly and be able to perform their job safely. While seemingly simple, the variables mentioned at the top of this article can get in the way of these objectives. Since protective eyewear is my specialty, let’s talk about using technology to address the needs of the market. First, let’s address the clarity issue. Data shows that workwear glasses often fog up and/or gather a film from material particulates. This leads to a lack of visual acuity as well as an annoying distraction on the part of the wearer. Workers speak of having to stop to clean their glasses (oftentimes just wiping them on their uniforms) or simply removing their glasses so they can finish one last cut/sand/bevel etc. This is not optimal, to say the least. This scenario, played out again and again, results in wasted time and money and an increase in accidents. Second, we know from worker feedback that safety matters to them. Beyond their work environments, they have families to get home to and other pursuits that require them to be healthy and not out of work. Our feedback has been to create eyewear that is lightweight, stylish, comprehensive and agile. Lightweight, stylish eyewear has only really come into the market in the past decade or so. Before then, cumbersome models were the only products available. Today’s eyewear manufacturers understand eyewear weight should be evenly distributed between ears and nose to avoid unnecessary pressure points and ensure prolonged wear. Lightening up the frame and lens has been imperative to maintaining this balance. This creates a “forget it’s on your face” experience that enables workers to work a full day without interruption. Comprehensive technology has come a long way as well. The earliest eyewear only focused on shielding the eyes from debris and had not yet considered how to make the eyewear perform in a way that increased clarity of vision in a variety of harsh environments. The importance of different specificities, like anti- 26 Occupational Health & Safety | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 www.ohsonline.com