Why Safety Glasses Are Important in The Workplace

Not wearing eye protection or not wearing the appropriate eye protection can lead to eye injuries. It was reported in Manchester Royal Eye Hospital that three out of every five workers injured were not wearing eye protection at the time of the accident, and a huge 90% of all eye injuries could have been prevented.

Safety glasses are important because they prevent dangerous chemicals, sparks, and flying and falling debris from striking your eyes. Safety glasses can also protect your eyes from the radiation caused by welding equipment.

Benefits of Wearing Safety Glasses

1. Prevents dangerous particles from entering your eyes.
2. Protects the eyes from heat, sparks and flames.
3. Shields the eyes from chemical splashes.
4. Protects against bright or unsafe lights.
5. Stops tools that can slip making contact with the eyes.
6. Prevents short and long-term eye strain and other eye illnesses.

How to Choose Safety Glasses

You should choose safety glasses based on the area of work you are in; all glasses must be appropriate for the hazard at hand. For example, if you use a grinder or chiseller, you should wear safety glasses that have side protection. Likewise, if you are working with chemicals, you will need chemical-resistant goggles. It all comes down to what you need to keep you protected in your role.

Other elements, like Light Transmission, Radiation Protection and Strength of Lens ratings, should also inform your decision. Speak to your employer if you are unsure what strength for each element you need in your workplace.

For some fields of work, you will be required to wear a much larger visor or face shield that aren’t considered glasses or goggles – e.g. welders and glass blowers.

Can My Employer Make Me Wear Safety Glasses?

Yes – it is a legal requirement for all employers to provide every employee with the appropriate safety equipment, including safety glasses. All eye safety wear must be appropriate for the hazard encountered and properly fitted.

All employees should be taught when safety equipment must be worn. This includes the different types of eye protection for different hazards. Employees should also know, where possible, how to eliminate hazards before starting work. To further remind employees to protect their eyes, safety signs, likely blue mandatory signs, should be put up around the workplace.

Alongside harm prevention, employees should also have first aid training in the workplace. Should someone get injured as a result of no or poor eye safety wear, employees should be able to administer basic eye first aid before the injured person is seen by a medical expert.

No matter what industry or work environment you operate in, you should always ensure there is a fully stocked, up-to-date first aid kit available for your employees — make sure that it complies with British Standards or HS and has the correct equipment in. For eyes in particular, your first aid kit should include an eye wash, or you should have an eye wash station in your workplace or first aid room.

When Are Safety Glasses Required?

This depends on your area of work but, as a general rule of thumb, safety glasses should be worn when you are working in an area that has chemicals, particles, flying debris or dust, or if you are grinding, hammering or chiselling. The latter requires you to wear safety glasses with side protection.

If you are working near hazardous radiation, you must use special purpose glasses / goggles designed for the task at hand.

At morSafe, we stock a range of safety glasses and goggles, and other first aid and safety supplies, with free next day delivery available. If you need more guidance, please do contact us on 01686 611 377 or sales@morsafesupplies.com.