So workers were provided with safety glasses, but they choose not to wear them. Why does this happen?
Poor Lens optics resulting in poor vision
Everyone’s needs are different. Some employees may require prescription glasses, whether it be single or progressive lens. Imagine wearing safety frames that lack clear and sharp optics. This will deter wearing them on the job! Also, it will costs safety eyewear providers additional to cater to different vision needs. To compensate, some may import poor-quality material from third party suppliers. This puts workers at risk with conventional lenses that may have distortion and or blurriness. Workers will be less likely to wear the safety glasses provided knowing they won’t be able to see well.
Limited styles
Just because it is a piece of protective equipment, doesn’t mean it needs to be ‘one-size-fits-all’. Giving workers a variety of styles, colors and sizes for both men and women will allow them to show their individual styles through their glasses.
Poor fit, discomfort and slippage
Safety glasses that don’t fit well can be a hazard – and a liability in the making. Safety glasses should neither be too loose nor too tight, but fit just right! Your employees should also experience no irritation around the bridge of the nose with long-term use. Frames should not be sliding down their noses. It should be hassle-free so they can focus the job at hand.
No sun, fog or blue light protection
Tinted, polarized or photochromic safety sunglasses are essential for bright working conditions where light reflections and glare are present. Having an anti-fog coating is very important for cold weather and fog-prone environments- after all, who likes their glasses fogging up in the winter? Meanwhile, blue light blockers help reduce eye strain, fatigue and headaches due to blue light. It is important to determine the coatings that are appropriate for the work environment.
Solution:
What is the point of a safety eyewear program if your employees are deliberately not wearing their safety eyewear? If you noticed workers not wearing their safety glasses, communicate with them to determine why. Don’t brush it off as there could actually be something bothering them. Do they require prescription lenses? Do they find the glare outdoors hindering their ability to perform? What protective coatings may be helpful but not provided? Providing the safety glasses is not enough. If the workers are not complying, their safety and your business may be at risk. Also, offer a variety of styles and sizes from reputable safety frame manufacturers like ArmouRx, Uvex, OnGuard and Wiley X will boost worker compliance.
Tune in next week for our final #SafetyTipTuesday for #SafetySeptember!
A safety eyewear program is not expensive or difficult to implement.
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