eye safety march

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# Eye and Face Protection Provide your employees with appropriate protection if they are exposed to hazards that could injure their eyes and/or faces, such as • Flying particles • Molten metal splashes • Liquid chemicals • Acids or caustic liquids • Chemical gases or vapors • Harmful light radiation or any light that could injure the eyes such as lasers, ultraviolet, or infrared light • Blood and other potentially infectious body fluids that might splash, spray, or splatter Wear your safety glasses to keep objects - like this staple - out of your eye! Prescription safety glasses with side shields. A face shield is not sufficient protection for both the face and eyes. If eye protection is required, appropriate eye PPE must also be worn. ## Generally, • Safety glasses/goggles are the primary protection for eyes - Side shields (such as clip-on or slide- on side shields) are required for flying objects • Masks and face shields are the primary protection for the face; secondary protection for the eyes Be aware that you may need to protect against more than one hazard at the same time. E.g., welding rays and flying particles. 46 46

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# SAMPLE PPE POLICIES # Procedures ## A. Hazard Assessment for PPE (Safety Person or designated person), in conjunction with Supervisors, will conduct a walk-through survey of each work area to identify sources of work hazards. Each survey will be documented using the Hazard Assessment Certification Form, which identifies the work area surveyed, the person conducting the survey, findings of potential hazards, and date of the survey. (Safety Person or designated person) will keep the forms in the (Specify exact location, e.g., your company's business files). (Safety Person or designated person) will conduct, review, and update the hazard assessment for PPE whenever • a job changes • new equipment or process is installed • there has been an accident - whenever a supervisor or employee requests it • or at least every year Any new PPE requirements that are developed will be added into (Name of your business)'s written accident prevention program. ## B. Selection of PPE Once the hazards of a workplace have been identified, (Safety Person or designated person) will determine if the hazards can first be eliminated or reduced by methods other than PPE, i.e., methods that do not rely on employee behavior, such as engineering controls (refer to Appendix B - Controlling Hazards). If such methods are not adequate or feasible, then (Safety Person or designated person) will determine the suitability of the PPE presently available; and as necessary, will select new or additional equipment which ensures a level of protection greater than the minimum required to protect our employees from the hazards (refer to Appendix C - Selection of PPE). Care will be taken to recognize the possibility of multiple and simultaneous exposure to a variety of hazards. Adequate protection against the highest level of each of the hazards will be recommended for purchase. All personal protective clothing and equipment will be of safe design and construction for the work to be performed an…

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# Eye and Face Protection (cont.) ## Types of Eye/Face Protectors (cont.) <table><tr><th colspan="3">Eye and Face Protection Selection Chart</th></tr><tr><td>Hazard Source</td><td>Assessment of Hazard</td><td>Type of Eye/Face Protection</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">IMPACT</td></tr><tr><td>Chipping, grinding, machining, drilling, chiseling, riveting, sanding, etc.</td><td>Flying fragments, objects, large chips, particles, sand, dirt, etc.</td><td>Spectacles with side protection, goggles, face shields. For severe exposure, use face shield over primary eye protection.</td></tr><tr><td>HEAT</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">Furnace operations, pouring, casting, hot dipping, and welding.</td><td>Hot sparks</td><td>Face shields, goggles, spectacles with side protection. For severe exposure use face shield.</td></tr><tr><td>Splash from molten metals</td><td>Face shields, reflective face shields.</td></tr><tr><td>High temperature exposure</td><td>Screen face shields, reflective face shields.</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">CHEMICALS</td></tr><tr><td>Acid and chemicals handling</td><td>Splash</td><td>Goggles, eyecup and cover types. For severe exposure, use face shield over primary eye protection</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Irritating mists</td><td>Special-purpose goggles</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">DUST</td></tr><tr><td>Woodworking, buffing, general dusty conditions</td><td>Nuisance dust</td><td>Goggles, eyecup and cover types.</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">LIGHT and/or RADIATION</td></tr><tr><td>Welding electric arc</td><td>Optical radiation</td><td>Welding helmets or welding shields. Typical shades: 10-14</td></tr><tr><td>Welding - gas</td><td>Optical radiation</td><td>Welding goggles or welding face shield. Typical shades: gas welding 4-8, cutting 3-6, brazing 3-4</td></tr><tr><td>Cutting, torch brazing, torch soldering</td><td>Optical radiation</td><td>Spectacles or welding face shield. Typical shades: 1.5-3</td></tr><tr><td>Glare</td><td>Poor vision</td><td>S…

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# 3. Provide training to your employees and document it (cont.) ## Retraining: You must retrain an employee • whose work habits or demonstrated knowledge indicates a lack of the necessary understanding, motivation, and skills required to use the PPE (i.e., uses PPE improperly) • when changes in the work place make previous training out-of-date (for example, when you get new equipment) • when changes in the types of PPE to be used make previous training out-of-date Don't forget to document any retraining that you do. ## 4. Make sure your employees use their PPE properly Make sure that your employees are using required PPE properly and are following the policies and procedures regarding PPE established at your work place. Have supervisors or lead workers regularly monitor, supervise, reinforce, and enforce the correct use and care of PPE by employees. Provide follow-up training if necessary to ensure that each employee has the adequate skill, knowledge, and ability to use his/her personal protective equipment. If necessary, you may have to take measures to enforce PPE use. For suggestions on dealing with employees who do not follow PPE procedures (or other safety policies) established at your work place, see a sample Safety Disciplinary Policy (p. Sample Policies-8) in the Sample PPE Policies section beginning on p. 33. If employees choose to provide their own PPE, make sure that it is adequate for the work place hazards, and that it is maintained in a clean and reliable condition. ## 5. Make sure PPE is in safe and good condition Make sure that PPE is inspected before each use, and that it is cleaned and maintained according to manufacturers' recommendations and instructions. Cleaning is particularly important for eye and face protection where dirty or fogged lenses could impair vision. 12

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# SAMPLE PPE POLICIES ## Retraining The need for retraining will be indicated when • an employee's work habits or knowledge indicates a lack of the necessary understanding, motivation, and skills required to use the PPE (i.e., uses PPE improperly) • new equipment is installed • changes in the work place make previous training out-of-date • changes in the types of PPE to be used make previous training out-of-date ## D. Cleaning and Maintenance of PPE It is important that all PPE be kept clean and properly maintained. Cleaning is particularly important for eye and face protection where dirty or fogged lenses could impair vision. Employees must inspect, clean, and maintain their PPE according to the manufacturers' instructions before and after each use (see attached). (Attach a copy of the manufacturers' cleaning and care instructions for all PPE provided to your employees). Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that users properly maintain their PPE in good condition. Personal protective equipment must not be shared between employees until it has been properly cleaned and sanitized. PPE will be distributed for individual use whenever possible. If employees provide their own PPE, make sure that it is adequate for the work place hazards, and that it is maintained in a clean and reliable condition. Defective or damaged PPE will not be used and will be immediately discarded and replaced. NOTE: Defective equipment can be worse than no PPE at all. Employees would avoid a hazardous situation if they knew they were not protected; but they would get closer to the hazard if they erroneously believed they were protected, and therefore would be at greater risk. It is also important to ensure that contaminated PPE which cannot be decontaminated is disposed of in a manner that protects employees from exposure to hazards. Sample Policies-7