We are currently supplying our staff in an engineering workshop and assembly area with Safety glasses via a well known opticians voucher scheme> i should stress this is for protection during engineering works i.e Safety glasses while changing parts - there is NO DSE element to this

However the cost of this if you have bi focals or varifocals is over £100 each (we have 300 staff)

we would prefer to move to a part payment scheme where we give a voucher for the eyetest and basic safety glasses (£50 approx) and then anything else is staf payment.

What do you have in place please? What are your comments please

If anyone who could send me a procedure that would be useful - cheers

Edited by user 30 September 2019 13:23:36(UTC)  | Reason: more information

Edited by user 30 September 2019 22:14:25(UTC)  | Reason: You may still need more than one prescription

Most of the time eye tests are "free" on purchase of a prescription - you only pay if you want to take it away

Where the employer insists upon eye protection for a prescription wearer it makes sense to confirm before glasses are manufactured otherwise the employer has provided unsatisfactory PPE.

Whilst the DSE regulations need a re-write at least they state employers have a duty for employees eye health.

Isn’t it simple?

You need your engineers to be able to see what they are doing (forget legislation for a moment, think quality), so if they have poor eyesight then they need glasses. Now as an individual myself who needs glasses, I buy them for reading, and they so happen to be ok for me to use the computer and I rarely need safety glasses and when I do, normal ones are fine. So my company does not need to pay anything for my reading glasses.

However, your engineers who may need more than 1 prescription, need safety glasses. It would make sense to me that if providing safety glasses, they should be able to see properly through them, when either at a work station or when walking around (assuming they still need to use safety glasses). If they happen to need two prescriptions then you either buy two pairs of safety glasses for them which will be a pain to use, or you buy varifocals. They should not be paying for safety equipment (now think of legislation), which is different from normal glasses they use outside of work.

So if they need safety glasses for both close up work and while walking around, then you should pay for both in full, or provide varifocal safety glasses in full.

Chris

Are people aware that "over spec" safety glasses are a thing? Glasses that you can wear over you regular glasses.

As an aside from my post. Our glasses are only worn during specific tasks, therefore we don't need second pairs for walking around. 

Yes, you can get over glasses, but I didn’t think they had any impact rating at all (happy to be wrong on this). We used to call them visitor glasses, ie ok for walking down a walkway but not up close and personal with anything. However, all the over glasses I have ever seen scratch very easily and tend not to last long.

There are also visors, which in theory could work. However, it was not until recently I actually used one (while doing something at home), they just steamed up in seconds while outside on a warm day! they are also static magnets and in the end I actually decided I was safer without it. then either just wearing normal glasses, or if I felt the need for some impact protection and able to put up with slightly blurry vision from regular safety specs or goggles. My welding helmet allows for my prescription glasses to be inside (still can’t see to weld in a straight line, but I understand this is common when your eyesight deteriorates – there are some tricks to help apparently, but not tried yet – this is at home not work)

I suspect that two different prescription safety glasses from that supplier is not much difference to the price you quote for varifocals.

I don’t think you can apply the same logic as you use for safety shoes to glasses. If someone wants a branded pair of boots for style sake, then yes, they should pay the difference. Varifocals is not really a style choice; designer frames could be, but again that is different.

Would you get away with what you are proposing? probably, as people don’t fully understand their rights. However would you want them telling the HSE that they have to pay for their PPE ? if you get an unlucky visit.

Chris

Overspecs IMHO are like Overshoes and intended for visitors for whom it would be impracticable to provide fully suitable provision.

Unfortunately given their low unit cost tight budgets see these as a suitable provision to eye protection requirements often without employee evaluation.

Originally Posted by: CptBeaky

Originally Posted by: chris42

Yes, you can get over glasses, but I didn’t think they had any impact rating at all (happy to be wrong on this).

Ours have an impact rating of "F" (Can withstand impact of small objects (6 mm, 0.86 g ball) travelling up to 45 m/sec). As with others, these are normally handed out to visitors, or very short duration work that is not part of regular duties. I agree they aren't comfortable for long periods.

Our overglasses are Bolle Squale, and are 1FT, which is the same as the general use safety glasses we issue to non-spectacle-wearers.  They aren't as sleak though - the overglasses look like something found in a school chemistry lab, but the general ones let you kid yourself you look like you're a spy / assassin / 'operator' (or would if they were darker).

We issue overglasses to spectacle wearers who need safety glasses less than a few hours per week on average.  Anyone needing safety glasses for longer duration gets prescription safety glasses.  BUT there's a pretty big but - I haven't been able to find prescription glasses that meet 'T' spec, so actually even those people that have prescription safety glasses should be wearing the overglasses when they are on winter night shifts etc. (I doubt they do, though).

I'd really like to find a source of prescription 1FT glasses, even if only single vision prescription, but I don't think they exist.