OSHA's Eye and Face Protection Standard says that employees exposed to eye and face hazards such as light radiation, chemicals or flying objects must be provided with eye or face protection. It also sets out criteria for selecting eye and face protection for your employees. This standard is a frequent source of violations. To help you comply with the standard - and protect your employees - follow these 5 tips:

Tip 1. Provide Side Protection

Eye protection must defend against all angles of attack. For example, employees exposed to flying debris, such as in a metal shop, require gear with side protection. As long as the eye protection meets all other standards, this side protection can be a detachable clip-on or slide-on side shield.

Tip 2. Ensure Compatibility with Prescription Eyewear

Some employees need corrective lens prescriptions. The protective eyewear equipment these employees use must be compatible with these lenses. You have two options:

• Incorporate the employee's prescription into the lens of the eye protection equipment; or
• Supply eye protection equipment to be worn over the prescription eyewear.

In the latter case, make sure that eye protection equipment and prescription lenses are compatible and that neither obstructs the positioning or proper functioning of the other.

Tip 3. Make Sure Protective Eyewear Is Marked

OSHA requires that eye and face protection equipment be marked so that the manufacturer is easily identifiable. This allows the protection to be quickly recognized as meeting certain standards.

Tip 4. Verify that Filtered Lenses Have the Right Shade Number

Certain operations such as welding require the use of filtered lenses to shield the eyes against potentially harmful light radiation. OSHA provides a list of these operations and the appropriate "shade number" filter required in the equipment when performing each operation. Check this list to be sure the eyewear protection provided supplies the proper level of protection for the job. (You can find OSHA's list here.)

Tip 5. Make Sure Eye Protection Meets ANSI Standards

Eye or face protection bought after July 5, 1994 must meet the American National Standard Institute's (ANSI) standard ANSI Z87.I-1989. Before buying eye and face protective equipment, check this standard, entitled "American National Standard Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection," and make sure the equipment is up to standard. (For more information, visit www.ansi.org.)

REAL LIFE SAFETY HEROES

Kent A. Crappell

According to a co-worker, Kent Crappell, a 57-year-old crane operator from Louisiana, "lived and breathed safety." Tragically, he also died for it.

Two weeks ago, Mr. Crappell was operating a crane on a barge on a Florida bridge construction site. The crew had just attached a 100-foot concrete pile to his crane. The piling broke at the splice and the crane began to topple. Mr. Crappell had the presence of mind to sound the air horn and steer the broken pile from the crew before the crane tipped over. Unfortunately, Mr. Crappell was trapped and didn't survive. But thanks to his heroic efforts, nobody else was killed and only one worker sustained serious injuries. The cause of the accident has yet to be determined.

"I can't discuss the details at this time," Mr. Crappell's co-worker said. "What I can tell you is that had he not done what he did, many more would have died."

Submitted to SafetyXChange By an Anonymous Co-Worker of the Victim

Story Tools:  Email This Post  Print This Post Top