Posted By Stephen Boardman
Baz, you have probably already heard this but what does your risk assessment say? but consider this PPE last form of defence as you know, other measures need to be put in place first, more often than not PPE is just a cop out, instead of controlling the hazards at source. ask the question of the people who want to introduce this measure, (if it is just to stop dust and other small particles blowing into employees eyes, what are they going to do about the respiratory problem with the same hazard?) are they going to introduce mandatory dust masks or RPE?

Posted By Geoff Burt
Purely out of interest you understand...

What is the incidence of eye injuries and the severity of these injuries on your sites - that make it sensible to wear eye protection. And once it was in place did the eye injuries reduce and/or did other accident rates increase.

It's difficult for me to see how blanket protection can be insisted on unless there is a valid reason for it in the first place and a measure like this could conceivably be a causal factor in other types of accidents on the site.

Geoff

Posted By Baz Broomhead
George

Out of interest, What type of eye protection did you provide for £1:50?

Baz

Posted By A. Fergusson
Also looking at introducing mandatory eye protection, following risk assessments and too many near miss incidents.

I agree this should be looked at as we now do High Viz, safety boots and safety boots.

All items of PPE can have a positive effect when they are introduced, less accidents/incidents but also a positive safety message.

I fail to see why safety eyewear would introduce an extra hazard, if this is so should we positively discriminate against spectacle wearers?

Watch any of the videos produced with Ken Woodward (blinded following an accident) if you need motivation to justify the introduction of safety eye wear.

Posted By Stephen Boardman
Ken Woodward was blinded by a chemical reaction cleaning lines in a bottling plant and in his own admittance failed to use the PPE provided, hardly a good comparison to make with dust. However I get your point, but I still believe people jump on the PPE band wagon way before other control measures have been considered.

Posted By Geoff Burt
Hi Paul, do you wear goggles or glasses?

Posted By Kevin Drew
One of the problems with any PPE, not just eye potection, is getting people to wear it. Many companys now insist that all staff carry but not necessarily wear ear and eye protection with them at all times when out on site. With this in mind we have just purchased safety helmets with built in ear and eye protection so that excuses about leaving ear defenders and safety glasses in the office don't wash. The price is less than £20 per unit. I would still specify safety goggles for specific tasks.

As to high viz jackets - don't go there -Geoff and myself will have to agree to disagree on that one.

Kevin

Posted By Dave Milne
Baz,


I work in the offshore industry where we have had mandatory ete protection for over ten years now. The result has been a reduction of over 70% in the number of eye injuries. That should speak for itself.

As for other problems. there will be complaints about safety glasses blocking the view and getting in the way. We went through all this and after a while they 'fade away'. The first few 'saved my eyes' stories will help. There are plenty of examples of safety glasses saving vision and in one case at least, life on teh SADIE database. (Free and worth a look)

Word of advice - dont spend £1.50 on glasses spend nearer £10, they last longer are better quality and are more comfortable to wear. remember the PPE regs where the comfort has to be taken into account.

The comment earlier about goggles misting up shows the wrong poroduct was specified in the first place. Get the right ones for the job it doesn't happen.


The combined hard hat, eye and ear protection mentioned elsewhere is a good idea and I also agree that goggles must be specified for certain jobs (stone cutting, grinding etc). Unfortunately the comments on litigation also ring true - do it or get sued, do it and get sued. We are in a corner but getting sued for helping someone is less painfull.

One last word, provide cleaning stations or you are giving your people the best excuse for not wearing them.

Hope this litany helps.

Posted By Dave Milne
Geoff,

Get an ARCO catalogue and try these

1/ Arco indirect vented (£4.00 per pair)
2/ Uvex Ultravision (£7.00 per pair)
3/ Uvex Ultrasonic (£7.85 per pair)

They are expensive but they seem to work, they are comfortable, but like anything else it also depends on teh individual and what else they are wearing.

Try them, I would be interested to hear your comments.

Thanks

Dave

Posted By Fred Pratley
Baz,

Your last post says you have made eye protection mandatory in areas where injuries are more prevalent.

The number of injuries happening is irrelevant

I would translate your situation to mean you now have areas where you have eye injuries known to have occurred and are likely to occur again, but you have not decided NOT to take perfectly reasonable steps to reduce that risk.

I appreciate the practical difficulties of implementing these sorts of rules, but it seems to me the compromise position adopted has made things worse should an accident claim be made.

Posted By Geoff Burt
I can go along with that. I wear overglasses and find they are no problem - goggles I have a real problem with asking people to wear them all day.

Posted By Mark Talbot
There are thousands of places in the UK where safety glasses have been mandatory for years. Those who repeatedly don't wear them have to be removed from site.

It may sound harsh, but they do work and they can be worn for long periods - people wear specs day in and day out.

I am a intrigued though, maybe I am reading it wrong, but Delwynne says eye injuries have dropped by 65% ... why not 95/100%? Are foreign objects going through / around the protection? If so, the spec is wrong [sorry].

Posted By Baz Broomhead

Wow

I thought this thread had died.

Fred, where I wrote more prevelant what I should have stated was - Where all the incidents had been recorded on the site.

I have ordered a few sets of different safety eyewear and 3 of the Centurian vision helmets with the built in visor. I will ask operatives on the site to trial them & get feedback to see where we go from there.

Baz

Posted By Sally
I also spent many years in the paper industry. The solution we found to misting up of glasses, visors etc was a spray used by motorcyclists to prevent helmet visors misting up. I can't remember what it was called but an internet search should bring it up.

Posted By Geoff Burt
A brave man! But we're on our own unfortunately.