Safety Goggles Can Reduce Eye Injuries Only if You Wear Them

(PRWEB) May 12, 2005

Many organisations world wide have become aware of their responsibilities to protect workers and visitors health at the work sites. Safety rules sometimes have the spirit right but the methods wrong.

Eye injuries are particularly worrisome as the injuries are almost by definition ‘serious harm’. In New Zealand at least, that requires a “must do something” approach to avoid that type of injury. Some factories have made it a safety rule that all workers, visitors, and contractors must wear safety glasses while on the factory floor, or doing work at the factory site.

What hasn’t been taken into account is the important difference between safety glasses, and safety goggles. Goggles are correctly considered to be safety glasses, yet safety glasses are not an appropriate substitute for safety goggles.

Safety glasses are effective for deflecting direct impact from ‘one off’ type of flying objects. E.g. appropriate for pulling Nails, working at a bench saw. Glasses in general, even the ‘wrap around’ type are not appropriate for ambient flying debris, such as very dusty conditions, or for reflective debris, like grinding.

I have observed the eye injury rates for a major construction company drop dramatically, (from one per month to 2 in one year) when workers were required to have their own safety glasses. The two eye injures reported were in conditions where safety goggles would have been more appropriate.

There are many workers on site “feeling” safe, but not actually being safe because they are wearing safety glasses instead of appropriate safety goggles.

As with any type of personal protective equipment, the safety goggles need to be available and appropriate for the worker and task at hand.

Fortunately there are many types of comfortable/ affordable safety goggles on the market.

With a little effort, the tasks, and situations that require safety goggles can be identified, and the type of safety goggle to be assessed and supplied to the work site.

Check out some examples of appropriate safety goggles at Hazard Free Co-Op's website, where quality discounted safety equipment is available for delivery world-wide: http://www.hazardfree.co.nz/safety_goggles.html

Hazardfree Co-op in New Zealand has made great strides towards assisting workers and owners to gain access to more affordable safety equipment.

With some effort in this regard, eye injuries CAN be eliminated.

Have a look where you can purchase your Safety Equipment with up to 20% discount - world-wide delivery available:

http://www.hazardfree.co.nz/safety_goggles.html

Hazardfree Co-op, (http://www.hazardfree.co.nz) was formed in Dec 2004, where members could enjoy up to 20% off of retail safety equipment. Suppliers include Haverstock Safety and Environmental, PBI Height Safety, and in New Zealand only, NZ safety.

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