Proper safety goggle use is essential to prevent eye injuries in the workplace.
Eye injuries are one of the most common work-related injuries reported in many industrial workplaces. Serious eye injuries may lead to partial or even complete vision loss, which can leave a worker disabled for life. To prevent eye injuries, it is extremely important that the workers use appropriate safety Googles. In this post, our Missouri work injury lawyer will explain why it is essential that workers use proper safety goggles.
Safety goggles come in various shapes and sizes, and not all are equal and fit for all workers and job types. Different industries require different eyewear. Whether your job involves working with flames, toxic gases or chemicals, you must wear appropriate eye protection for the job. It is the responsibility of the employers to identify and provide correct safety goggles for the job.
OSHA requirements for eye protection
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA) sets standards for workplace safety in the U.S. The agency has adopted the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guidelines as the standard for eye protection devices for the workplace. These standards differentiate between the different types of protective glasses and when they should be used. ANSI has classified safety goggles as basic and high impact. A test known as “drop ball” test is used to determine if the safety goggles are high impact or not. The test involves dropping a 1-inch steel ball on the googles to determine whether they can withstand the force of a projectile strike or not.
Lens markings on safety goggles
Safety goggles and mask lenses are marked with various markings. If a lens is marked with a “+” mark, it indicates that the lens has passed the high impact test. If there is a “V” mark, it means that the lens is photochromatic, meaning it darkens in the sunlight and becomes light when indoors. An “S” mark indicates that the lens has a special tint. You can typically find these markings in the bottom right corner of the safety corner in the front of the goggles.
It is the duty of the employers to determine the right kind of safety glasses for the particular job, and to ensure that they properly used. Failure to ensure this can result in injuries due to:
- safety glass shattering or failure
- failure to prevent heat or fire from getting to the worker’s eyes
- failure of the glass to protect the eyes from a dangerous chemical exposure
- failure to prevent dangerous or excessive bright light flashes from causing eye injuries
It is the duty of the employers to provide a safe working environment with proper safety equipment to all workers.
Getting Workers Compensation for Eye Injuries
If you have suffered an injury on the job because of your employer’s failure to provide adequate safety equipment or for any other reason, you should immediately get in touch with our Missouri workers compensation attorneys. We can evaluate your claim for free and help you get all of the workers compensation benefits you are legally entitled to. Give us a call 24/7 at (816) 399-3706.
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