In my laboratory days of the 70-80s the use of safety glasses was a universal requirement exempted only when goggles were deemed necessary for certain tasks.  Fume cupboards and anti splash screens still also required safet glasses. This was the UK Petrochem sector

Edited by user 03 October 2017 20:37:19(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

At my last job, we started off with blanket all labs needs safety glasses policy (that was over 100 labs) but then I was told that many of the labs were pure instrumentation labs and there was no wet chemistry taking place there, so I got management to endorse a risk assessment based approach. The manager of each lab had to decide whether they actually needed glasses or other suitable eye protection. I issues d them with an official notice and kept a record of what each lab needed. I also chased up reviews of this assessments-lab use changes over time. It sort of worked but there were issues with some lab areas being both wet chemistry and instrumentation. In some labs the manages adopted a blanket glasses policy while in others they only insisted that those people working with reagents should wear safety glasses.

The policy was followed up by the occasional survey with people not wearing glasses where they should be, being given a yellow card. Two yellow cards and their name was forwarded to the Director of Operations.  

Blanket PPE policies are often just lazy responses to HSE management.

Your main driver for wearing eye protection in a lab setting, should be your COSHH assessments of the chemicals and associated work activitites. 

So wearing eye protection is based on risk. However, as above blanket policies are adopted. However, its possible that generic eye protection might not be suitable for all chemicals/work activites hence leaving some people with less than ideal protection. Then surely your COSHH asssessments are either none existent or at best not suitable and sufficient.

Blanket policy results in one size fits all organisational complacency.

Is the corporate choice (generally lightweight non-impact resistant polycarbonate) suitable for every single task?

Is the right equipment for the most hazardous task (e.g. hooded full face visor) suitable for every day use?

Originally Posted by: Roundtuit

Blanket policy results in one size fits all organisational complacency.

Is the corporate choice (generally lightweight non-impact resistant polycarbonate) suitable for every single task?

Is the right equipment for the most hazardous task (e.g. hooded full face visor) suitable for every day use?

My feeling exactly- in one lab they had a safety glasses policy and someone managed to splash Dichloromethane (DCM) onto her forehead. She was wearing safely glasses but the drop of solvent ran down her forehead, behind her glasses into her eye. She was off work for a week and it was a RIDDOR (HSE were not interested). The lab moved onto visors for that particular task afterwards.  

Hi,

I was starting to wonder if we were in the same company until you mentioned a new lab manager. We manufacture lacquers and gels as well, our labs have also been the subject of discussion. My risk assessment has identified that there is a small risk of someone being splashed with product/chemical. The control should really be goggles or full face visors as previously stated, safety glasses offer very minimal protection for this. This is particularly so as the glasses tend to move down the nose and leave large gaps around the glasses.

Our management have decided not to take my advice and the staff wear nothing, as 'we have never had any accident like that' (pretty sure the owners of the titanic said similar). What I dont understand with your post is you seem to be siding with the complainers, so I would say go with what your RA findings are.

I dont see an issue of having desks/workstations within the lab as the enevitable paper work need to be done. Moving this to another room would probably add additional risk and staff would be forever putting on/off PPE as a result. This could lead to not wearing PPE as its easier.