How to get Workers to wear their Safety Glasses

| BlackHawk Team

According to NIOSH, every day about 2,000 U.S. workers sustain job-related eye injuries that require medical treatment. However, safety experts and eye doctors believe proper eye protection can lessen the severity or even prevent 90 percent of these eye injuries.

Even with the all the warnings about the dangers to their eyes, many workers still fail to wear their protective eye wear. Why? There are three main reasons.

Three Top Reasons Workers Don’t Use Eye Wear

  1. They’re uncomfortable
  2. They can’t see as well
  3. They don’t like how they look

Managers know employees need to wear protective glasses. OSHA requires workers to use eye and face protection whenever there is a reasonable probability of injury that could be prevented by such equipment. ANSI standards exist specifically for occupational and educational personal eye and face protection. See ANSI standards below.

The problem is: how can managers get workers to use their safety glasses? The best bet for getting employees to use their eyewear is to provide them with glasses that are comfortable, functional and somewhat fashionable.  It’s tempting to order equipment that’s economical. Most work-place eye wear purchases are price-point-driven, however, you should expect to pay more for better products. The trade-off is you’ll be in compliance and your employees will be safer. 

Comfort: Workers are more likely to keep their glasses on if they’re not pinching at the nose or digging in above the ears. When choosing eye wear, look for ones that are lightweight and have foam or rubber cushioning around the pressure points (ears, nose and forehead). Contoured frames also help glasses sit better on the face, while adjustable bands are good for securing a proper fit and making sure they stay on. In many cases, glasses need to be tightly sealed onto the face to keep harmful tiny particles out of the eyes. Proper fit is very important in those cases.

According to NIOSH, every day about 2,000 U.S. workers sustain job-related eye injuries that require medical treatment. However, safety experts and eye doctors believe proper eye protection can lessen the severity or even prevent 90 percent of these eye injuries. Even with the all the warnings about the dangers to their eyes, many workers still fail to wear their protective eye wear. Why? There are three main reasons. Three Top Reasons Workers Don’t Use Eye Wear They’re uncomfortable They can’t see as well They don’t like how they look Managers know employees need to wear protective glasses. OSHA requires workers to use eye and face protection whenever there is a reasonable probability of injury that could be prevented by such equipment. ANSI standards exist specifically for occupational and educational personal eye and face protection. See ANSI standards below. The problem is: how can managers get workers to use their safety glasses? The best bet for getting employees to use their eyewear is to provide them with glasses that are comfortable, functional and somewhat fashionable.  It’s tempting to order equipment that’s economical. Most work-place eye wear purchases are price-point-driven, however, you should expect to pay more for better products. The trade-off is you’ll be in compliance and your employees will be safer.  Comfort: Workers are more likely to keep their glasses on if they’re not pinching at the nose or digging in above the ears. When choosing eye wear, look for ones that are lightweight and have foam or rubber cushioning around the pressure points (ears, nose and forehead). Contoured frames also help glasses sit better on the face, while adjustable bands are good for securing a proper fit and making sure they stay on. In many cases, glasses need to be tightly sealed onto the face to keep harmful tiny particles out of the eyes. Proper fit is very important in those cases. Crews 2410NF Verdict® Indirect Vent OTG Protective Goggles With Neoprene Strap, Universal, Anti-Fog/Scratch Resistant Clear Lens, Foam Lined Smoke Frame Proper Vision: Some workers remove their eyewear because the very glasses that are supposed to help them at work, actually impair their ability to do their job right. This is actually the most common reason workers use for not wearing their goggles. Usually, it’s a case of lower grade lens material and/or condensation that impairs their vision. There have been recent improvements in the market and many glasses come with fogging protection. It’s important to note that not all anti-fog protection is the same. There are various levels of anti-fog technology. Paying attention to this becomes especially important when purchasing glasses that fit snuggly on the face since these are more prone to condensation.     3M Virtua 078371-11872 Economy Protective Eyewear, Universal, Frameless Clear Frame, Anti-Fog Clear Lens Style: Though workers are probably not trying to impress anyone with their eye wear at work, they probably still don’t want to embarrass themselves with overly large or unnecessarily thick glasses. Eye wear can be scratch-resistant, anti-fog, comfortable and still have a sleek design. Many protective glasses come in minimalist and rimless designs that are lightweight and sporty construct. 3M Virtua 078371-62105 Light Weight Protective Eyewear, Universal, Frameless Clear Frame, Anti-Fog Clear Lens For any questions about protective eyewear or any other products sold by BlackHawk, give us a call. We’re happy to help. Our mission is to provide innovative, value-added services and products that reduce our customer’s total cost. Feel free to contact us for more information. BlackHawk Industrial 1501 SW Expressway Drive Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74012 questions@bhid.com Toll Free: 855-610-1001 American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2015, American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices, establishes criteria for the general requirements, testing, permanent marking, selection, care, and use of protectors to prevent or reduce the severity of injuries from hazards such as impact, non-ionizing radiation, and liquid splash exposures in occupational and educational environments, including, but not limited to, machinery operations, material welding and cutting, chemical handling, and assembly operations. ANSI Z87.1-2015 provides clarifications to markings on lenses and frames, and seeing a "Z87+" mark on your lenses and frames means the glasses or goggles have been tested for impact resistance and found satisfactory. The "Z87+" marking indicates high-velocity impact, while "Z87" alone means basic impact.    

Proper Vision: Some workers remove their eyewear because the very glasses that are supposed to help them at work, actually impair their ability to do their job right. This is actually the most common reason workers use for not wearing their goggles. Usually, it’s a case of lower grade lens material and/or condensation that impairs their vision. There have been recent improvements in the market and many glasses come with fogging protection. It’s important to note that not all anti-fog protection is the same. There are various levels of anti-fog technology. Paying attention to this becomes especially important when purchasing glasses that fit snuggly on the face since these are more prone to condensation.    

3M Virtua 078371-11872 Economy Protective Eyewear, Universal, Frameless Clear Frame, Anti-Fog Clear Lens

Style: Though workers are probably not trying to impress anyone with their eye wear at work, they probably still don’t want to embarrass themselves with overly large or unnecessarily thick glasses. Eye wear can be scratch-resistant, anti-fog, comfortable and still have a sleek design. Many protective glasses come in minimalist and rimless designs that are lightweight and sporty construct.

3M Virtua 078371-62105 Light Weight Protective Eyewear, Universal, Frameless Clear Frame, Anti-Fog Clear Lens

For any questions about protective eyewear or any other products sold by BlackHawk, give us a call. We’re happy to help. Our mission is to provide innovative, value-added services and products that reduce our customer’s total cost. Feel free to contact us for more information.

BlackHawk Industrial

1501 SW Expressway Drive

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74012

[email protected]

Toll Free: 855-610-1001

American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2015, American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices, establishes criteria for the general requirements, testing, permanent marking, selection, care, and use of protectors to prevent or reduce the severity of injuries from hazards such as impact, non-ionizing radiation, and liquid splash exposures in occupational and educational environments, including, but not limited to, machinery operations, material welding and cutting, chemical handling, and assembly operations. ANSI Z87.1-2015 provides clarifications to markings on lenses and frames, and seeing a "Z87+" mark on your lenses and frames means the glasses or goggles have been tested for impact resistance and found satisfactory. The "Z87+" marking indicates high-velocity impact, while "Z87" alone means basic impact.