Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Eye Protection
The following is a condensation of a information bulletin from Lion Technology Inc. (http://www.lion.com/). It concerns workplace safety in regard to eye protection and sources that you can access for program implementation.
OSHA requires employers to ensure the safety of all employees in the work environment: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=OSHACT&p_id=3359.
Eye and face protection is addressed through various OSHA workplace safety regulations. The employer must consider engineering and administrative controls along with specific PPE standards to determine what is adequate eye/face protection in the work environment. For us in the restoration/remediation service fields exposure to flying particles, liquid chemicals, acids, caustic liquids and chemical gases of vapors require eye and/or face protection. Also in specified in the OSHA standard is that the use of PPE eye wear cannot interfere with prescription lenses and that the PPE eye wear must be constructed to ANSI or equivalent standards and the manufacturers must distinctly mark their products: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9778.
OSHA has a number of resources to assist employees in implementing an effective eye/face protection program. Included you will find:
- Eye/face protection tool that includes a hazard assessment module to assist the employer selection the right protection: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/eyeandface/index.html.
- OSHA's Personal Protective Equipment Booklet: http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3151.html.
- NIOSH guide on eye safety: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/eye.
- NIOSH guide on the use of contact lenses in chemical environments: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005-139/.
Labels: PPE, Safety Compliance, Safety Management
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