Industrial Eye Injuries

Survey Reveals High Rate of Noncompliance with PPE Protocols

In a survey released by Kimberly-Clark Professional, 89 percent of safety professionals said they had observed workers not wearing safety equipment when they should have been. Twenty-nine percent said this had happened on numerous occasions.

"This high rate of noncompliance with PPE protocols presents a serious threat to worker health and safety," says Gina Tsiropoulos, manufacturing segment marketing manager for Kimberly-Clark Professional. "While the reasons for noncompliance are varied, the threat to workers is clear-cut. Without the proper use of PPE, they are at risk of serious injury or even death."

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) requires the use of personal protective equipment to reduce employee exposure to hazards when engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or effective. Yet, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that of the workers who sustained a variety of on-the-job injuries, the vast majority were not wearing PPE. It is therefore no surprise that 78 percent of respondents said workplace accidents and injuries were the concerns most likely to keep them up at night.

Worker compliance with safety protocols was also cited as the top workplace safety issue. Twenty-eight percent of respondents chose this, while 21 percent selected "fewer workers." "Insufficient management support for health and safety functions" and "meeting the safety needs of an aging workforce" tied at 18 percent. Lack of funds to implement safety programs was last at 8 percent.

Given the importance of PPE in ensuring worker safety, the survey examined the reasons for such high levels of noncompliance. Of those respondents who observed PPE noncompliance in the workplace, 69 percent said the primary cause was workers thinking that PPE wasn't needed. This was followed by:

- Uncomfortable

- Too hot

- Poor fit

- Not available near work task

- Unattractive-looking

The Future of Workplace Safety

What measures have safety managers taken or plan to take in the near future to encourage greater PPE compliance? The top strategies were: improving existing education and training programs (61 percent) and increased monitoring of employees (48 percent).

Safety Eyewear For Protection at The Work Place

Having safety eyewear on while at the work place is a good safety habit that any worker can inculcate in his daily habits. Needless to say eyes are the most important and critical sense organs for an individual’s functioning. It is estimated that there are numerous eye injuries that occur in the workplaces and the loss is irreparable. And the consequent financial burden that these injuries trigger are also enormous which when worked out translate into a whole lot of medical expenses, workers compensation and also lost production time. So, in order to put a check on eye injuries in workplaces, OSHA the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has emphasized on eye protection in the workplace.

Supply Line Direct is an online store that houses numerous famous brands of protective eyewear for workers who are on the work site. Nemesis safety glasses, Crews safety glasses and DeWALT safety glasses are just a few to name. Browse through the entire collection of safety eyewear that the site has in store for you and basing on the nature of job you perform, you may make your choicest pick.

It is only with proper usage and application of eye protection wear that one can mitigate the number of accidents and injuries that take place on the work spot. As per the standards put forth by OSHA, the employers should provide the necessary safety eyewear to the workers. In order for the safety glasses to be effective, they must fit ideally to the person who wears it. The glasses might be chosen basing on the kind of protection the person wants. There are safety glasses, safety goggles and also safety lens through which the worker can seek eye protection.

Eye safety training provided to the work force will definitely give the workers a great insight into the way they should deal with the safety eyewear and also make the best use of it to get maximum protection to one of the critical parts in their body. There is wear and tear in the safety eyewear and so, basing on the condition of the safety eyewear one can opt for new eye wear. Scratches and dirty glasses reduce the clarity in vision. Therefore maintenance of the eyewear also becomes very important and otherwise it is definite that the individual will meet with accidents. Craft workers and workers in industrial equipment operation are highly prone to eye injuries. Adequate eye protection can be provided by using the appropriate safety eyewear.

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Industrial health and efficiency, final report of the British Health of Munition Workers' Committee

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