How can I protect my eyes from injury?

Eye injuries are an incredibly common thing in the workplace. Simply using the proper eye protection on the job can prevent thousands of injuries every year.

There are four things you can do to protect your eyes from injury:

- Know the eye safety dangers at your work

- Eliminate hazards before starting working by using machine guards, work screens or other controls.

- Use proper eye protection

- Keep your safety eyewear in good condition and have it replaced if it becomes damaged or broken

Protective eyewear should be selected according to the task you are performing, there are different types of eye protection, including:

Non-prescription and prescription safety glasses. Although they may look like normal glasses, they are designed to provide eye protection. Their lenses and frames are much stronger than regular glasses and they can protect against dust, chips or flying particles.

Goggles. They provide impact, dust and chemical splash protection. Like safety glasses, safety goggles are highly impact resistant. In addition, they provide a secure shield around the entire eye and protect against hazards coming from any direction.

Face shields and helmets. Full face shields are used to protect workers exposed to chemicals, heat or bloodborne pathogens. Helmets are used for welding or working with molten materials. However, face shields and helmets should NOT be used as the sole means of protective eyewear. They need to be used with safety glasses or goggles.

Special protection. Other types of protection, such as helmets or goggles with special filters can be used to protect the eyes from optical radiation and exposure. This should be used for welding or working with lasers.

Protective eyewear works best when you know exactly how to use it, and it can keep you safe from any potential eye hazards.

For a wide range of protective eyewear, contact L&A Safety, or visit one of there shops in Milnerton, vredenburg or Robertson.