When you think of eye injuries you probably think of workers in heavy industry, but the eyes and face can be vulnerable to injury in the most benign of workplaces. To lower the risk of claims on your Connecticut workers compensation insurance follow these eye and face protection tips and share them with your employees.
Provide Side Protection
- The shape of typical glasses leaves the sides of the eye exposed. For employees exposed to flying fragments like those found in a metal shop this may be particularly dangerous. Depending on your workplace, side protection doesn’t have to be a permanent addition to protective eye gear – it can be detachable and clipped on only when necessary.
Ensure workplace eye protection is compatible with prescription eye wear.
- Duplicate the employees prescription lens in their eye protection equipment, or supply eye protection that can be comfortably worn over the employees own prescription eyewear.
Ensure filtered lenses have the correct shade number.
- Certain work procedures such as welding need eye shields that specifically protect the employee from potentially harmful light radiation. Each individual operation is designated an appropriate shade number. Make sure your employee’s eye protection is equipped with the proper level or number for the job.
Ensure all eye protection meets the American National Standard Institute standards.
- All eye and face protective equipment bought after July 5th 1994 must meet the A.N.S.I. standard.
Becoming familiar and putting in place good eye and face protection procedures may keep your employees safe and may reduce eye injury claims on your workers compensation insurance.