While the Australian Standards do not indicate a set replacement schedule for protective eyewear, at some point, your safety glasses will need to be replaced. Whether it’s from normal wear and tear, or changes to your circumstances, here are five signs that it’s time to replace your safety specs. 1. You have recently changed jobs, […]
Up to 50,000 eye injuries occur in Australian workplaces each year, with 60 per cent of those in construction, mining and agriculture, forestry and fishing industries, according to Commcare. While eye injury prevention is the priority, in the event an eye injury does occur the following first aid guide may help you provide care or […]
When an angle grinder blade randomly exploded in the hands of 44-year-old construction veteran, Scott Chandler, smashing him in the eye, he was immediately covered in blood. While a guard was installed on the grinder, the near new four-inch blade exploded while the grinder was facing upwards, meaning there was nothing between it and his […]
Prescription glasses and most sunglasses are usually not suitable for use as protective eyewear against airborne workplace hazards. Eye protection must comply with Australian Standards and provide appropriate protection against the hazard. Depending on the application, that may mean offering low, medium or high impact protection, and/or welding, chemical handling and dust protection (see more […]
Grinding and welding are the two most common tasks resulting in an eye injury, according to a 2008 report from Safe Work Australia (SWA). The report found that a substantial number of injuries occurred in the presence of PPE with workers saying that foreign bodies went under, over or around the sides of the safety […]
Preventing fogging in protective eyewear is critical to worker Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), with clear visibility and comfort being critical to compliance of safety glasses. Eye injuries are most common in construction and manufacturing, followed by other blue collar industries. Among those eye injuries, not wearing protective eyewear is the leading contributor. Given the […]
The dangers of sun exposure and associated ultraviolet radiation that can lead to life-threatening cancers is equally relevant to the eyes as it is the rest of the body, according to the Australian Cancer Council. The Council describes in its position statement on eye protection how repeated exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause permanent […]
More than half of people attending hospital for eye damage caused by metal fragments from grinding and similar applications were not wearing safety glasses at the time of the accident, according to a study by The Centre for Eye Research Australia. The study, conducted in 2009 by Professor Rasik Vajpayee, looked at 100 patients over […]
