The statistics could not be more straightforward. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2,000 American workers sustain eye injuries every day. One-third of those workers require hospital treatment. Additionally, a study published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates in 37 percent of head injuries and 62 percent of face injuries involving days away from work, three out of five workers were not wearing eye protection.
The fact that safety eyewear can dramatically reduce the number of recordable injuries won't come as news to any professional safety manager. There may be, however, a lack of understanding of the important performance and comfort differences between the opening price point products on the market and the premium offerings. The familiar adage "You get what you pay for" is dramatically true for safety eyewear. Shopping the low end of the product pool reveals a multitude of truly marginal offerings. The compromises necessary to maintain the lowest possible prices are myriad, ranging from the appalling (noncompliance with ANSI Z87.1-2015) to the annoying (poor, uncomfortable fit).
In terms of both materials and ergonomics, frame quality is of critical importance in choosing safety eyewear.
Without the benefit of safety eyewear with optical-quality lenses, workers are very likely to experience some level of visual distortion in their day-to-day activities. The consequences can range from minor mistakes in performing simple functions to major mishaps that can result in severe injuries and significant property losses. Of particular concern is peripheral vision, as lower-quality lenses tend to become increasingly less clear as the eye moves away from the central area. Moreover, manufacturers of premium lenses often use the latest and best anti-fogging technologies, reducing annoying and debilitating moisture accumulation.
While the loss of precision caused by distortion and fogging should be of significant concern, there is another consequence of inferior-quality lenses for safety managers to consider: eye fatigue.
Poor optics, of course, are not the only reason it's a nearly universal truth that many workers do not like to use safety glasses or other protective eyewear. With common complaints that include "uncomfortable and unattractive," fit and even aesthetics are also significant factors driving antipathy toward a so clearly beneficial practice.
And while safety managers might be able to easily cite the latest statistics on the frequency of preventable on-the-job eye injuries from memory, that data may not be all that compelling to an employee who has been forced to wear ill-fitting, uncomfortable eyewear for an extended period of time.
Although OSHA doesn't concern itself with aesthetics, it's a safe bet it's a matter of some concern for most workers who are required to wear safety eyewear. For better or worse, glasses have morphed from a method of correcting vision or providing eye protection to a full-fledged fashion accessory. It might seem that creating wellshaped, attractive eyewear might be an easy target. The truth is, forced to work with inferior materials and restricted by lessthan- leading-edge manufacturing capabilities, lower-cost suppliers are often limited to bulky, unattractive designs.
In terms of both materials and ergonomics, frame quality is of critical importance in choosing safety eyewear. Poorly designed frames often fit too tightly or too loosely, with the former causing uncomfortable pressure points on the wearer's head and the latter responsible for annoying slippage that often occurs at the most inopportune moments. There are many issues associated with the use of inferior frame materials, but the bottom line is this: Eyewear that is uncomfortable or structurally compromised simply doesn't get worn.
With a better understanding of all the potential problems, safety managers are increasingly moving away from seeing safety eyewear as a low-cost commodity. With careful consideration, the value and longterm cost savings of purchasing premium safety eyewear become readily apparent to even the most price-sensitive organization.
And it's not, of course, just about dollars and cents. The bottom line is workers are far more likely to wear comfortable, stable-fitting and aesthetically pleasing eyewear at all necessary times. The result is significantly improved compliance, fewer lost days and -- this is no small consideration -- happier employees.
And while the market remains saturated with cheap products of extremely questionable quality, the relationship between substandard eye protection and an increase in liability exposure as well as recordable incidents is becoming more widely recognized.
For more information, visit www. bollesafety-usa.com or call (800) 262-7306.
