Protective eyewear is used to protect the eyes against various hazards including flying particles, dust, molten metals, gasses, vapours and radiation. For example, radiation from welding, furnaces or the sun.
The selection and provision of eye protection should be based on the type of hazard and be specific to the work environment. For example, perspex safety glasses are appropriate for low velocity flying particles. However they may not be appropriate in an industrial environment where goggles or helmets may be required for medium to high velocity flying particles and with different work materials or metals.
For people with vision impairment, prescription protective eye wear is available to perform the same functions as their glasses or contact lenses. Protective eye wear can also be made to accommodate prescription eye glasses or other vision aids such as coloured filters.
Workplace solutions and adjustments
Eye protection prevents employees from sustaining serious eye injuries or blindness.
The provision of eye protection and other personal protective equipment should be part of an integrated organisational approach to occupational health and safety provided in the workplace and should be used to complement other hazard control methods. Eye protection should be provided where it is not possible for an employer to eliminate or control eye hazards via other control methods.
Other protective equipment that should be provided in the workplace where necessary includes:
References
WorkCover NSW 2010, Personal protective equipment, NSW Government, Sydney, viewed 30 November 2011, http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/healthsafety/healthsafetytopics/Personalprotectiveequipment/Pages/default.aspx.
Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand 1997, AS/NZ 1336:1997—Recommended practices for occupational eye protection, Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand, Sydney.