For those who work in industries where eye protection is necessary the role of the OSHA and its guidelines on safety glasses and eye and face protection is important information.
Employers and their workers need to work together to reduce the incidence of eye injuries in construction and offer greater eye and face protection.
So we have put together this guide to OSHA and safety glasses to help you understand the need for effective eye and face protection within this industry.
What Is OSHA?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also known by its acronym OSHA. It is the body responsible for the health and safety of workers in the United States and was created in 1971 following the passing of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
This act allowed workplace laws and standards to be enforced and provided training, education, and assistance. It was enacted to try and reduce the number of fatalities and injuries in the workplace which were running at 14,000 and 2.5 million respectively per year.
OSHA covers most private sector workers and some public sector employees but does not extend to self employed workers. It covers all 50 states of the US as well as its jurisdictions and territories.
However states can have their own health and safety regulatory programs, but these must be federally approved and be at least as strict as OSHA standards. These state plans can implement even stricter regulations if they choose to do so.
Since its foundation OSHA has halved the number of fatalities in the workplace and significantly reduced the number of injuries and illnesses of workers.
OSHA officials are tasked with enforcing the standards set in its regulations and can impose fines for violations running to tens of thousands of dollars. They can also refer those who violate the regulations for criminal prosecution.
What Safety Standards Does OSHA Require?
Now that we know who OSHA are we need to look at the safety standards that they require.
Simply put, employers have to provide a workplace that is free of known dangers, and offer adequate personal protective equipment wherever necessary, such as face protection devices for eye and face protection.
Each company will fall under its relevant industry standards and the hazards associated with that particular industry.
Under OSHA rules employees receive information about the OSHA standards that their company is held to. They should also be given training about workplace hazards and how to keep themselves safe.
Workers are also allowed to view testing for hazards in their workplace and can view the results. Records of injuries and illnesses should also be available for employees to review.
Employees can also request that the OSHA come and inspect their workplace if they are concerned about any dangers or hazards. Workers can utilize the services of the OSHA without any fear of repercussions from the company.
They can exercise this right if the company fails to provide the equipment or measures needed to keep the workplace safe. Under OSHA regulations workers have the right to be safe in their job and the company has a duty to ensure they do what they can in this respect.
The OSHA is overseen by the Department of Labor which enforces more than 180 federal laws that cover workplace safety.
What Is The OSHA Standard For Safety Glasses?
OSHA exists to ensure that workplaces are as safe as possible, but unfortunately, that doesn’t mean every place of employment will be completely free of hazards and dangers.
The OSHA standards mean that the employer must provide training and equipment to their employees in order to manage and protect them from those hazards.
Safety glasses and other face protection devices must be provided for any worker who will be around potential dangers to their eye and face protection.
These hazards to eye and face protection include flying debris, liquid chemicals, vapors or chemical gases, molten metal, acids, and potential light radiation such as infrared or ultraviolet light.
It is not enough for employers to hand out generic safety glasses to workers who may be at risk of eye injury, or need additional eye protection. The safety glasses, goggles or face shields must be appropriate for the specific danger or hazard.
All personal protective equipment has to be certified by the American National Standards Institute and this includes protective eyewear and prescription lenses.
The certification has to be clearly marked on the PPE. For safety eyewear this is typically etched on the lens or on the inside of the prescription lenses arm.
Each type of safety eyewear must be suitable and properly certified for the job to protect against workplace hazards and other eye hazards like flying particles which the employee is carrying out and protect their eyes during the operation of the task.
How To Choose OSHA Approved Safety Glasses?
So how do you choose the right OSHA approved safety glasses? Fortunately there is the OSHA’s eye and face protection standard, 29 CFR 1910.133, so you can check that the eyewear is covered under this standard.
But the safety eyewear also has to protect the worker from particular hazards. A pair of safety glasses that would protect a worker from impact would not provide the same protection for someone working with molten metal.
So the protective glasses, goggles or face shield must comply with the minimum requirements to ensure they provide adequate protection including durability, disinfecting, good fit and effective design and construction.
The four major hazards to eyes which are not properly protected are impact, dust, chemicals and heat. Welding is also a serious danger to eyes but with unique issues.
Impact injuries such as punctures, contusions and abrasions can result from flying debris or particles. Safety glasses, goggles or face shields can protect workers from these dangers.
To protect against dust an employee should wear a pair of safety goggles with a good seal or safety glasses which are lined.
Chemical splashes or vapors can have serious implications for a worker’s eyes so wearing tightly fitting safety goggles is necessary to prevent injury.
Eye protection for employees working with heat requires special safety goggles and glasses with special filter lenses. They are often used in combination with face shields especially for welders.
How To Ensure Employees Are Using OSHA Standard Safety Glasses Properly?
The construction industry has the second highest incidence of eye related injury in the US. This is most likely due to the fact that one of the top ten violations of the OSHA regulations is the failure to wear eye protection.
This is why it is important to ensure that workers are wearing safety glasses, goggles and face shields as appropriate in the workplace.
Proper communication about the requirements of wearing safety glasses in the workplace and the risks associated with not complying should be a top priority for companies.
To ensure this happens it is vital to train workers on the need to wear protective eyewear and to properly maintain safety glasses to preserve their effectiveness. The need for a good fit should also be strongly communicated to workers too.
It is also necessary to educate workers on the different types of eye protection and make certain that the right safety glasses are being worn in the right situation. Employees should also be trained to check their protective glasses for damage, worn parts or size changes.
In Conclusion
We hope this information on the OSHA and its regulations about safety glasses has been of use to you, whether you are an employer or a worker.