One question we need to answer for our employees is – When do I need to wear eye protection? The simple answer – anytime there is a risk of something getting into the eyes. In general, this includes common construction tasks such as sawing, hammering, grinding and drilling, and similar jobs that create dust or particles. For animal care facilities, dispensing and collecting dry bedding is a prime example. Also keep in mind mixing or using chemicals and cleaning solutions, or jobs that can produce a splash. Finally, do not overlook the less common operations such as welding, soldering, lasers, and radiation that produce special hazards.
The major groups of eye protection are safety glasses, goggles, and face shields. There is an optimum type of eye protection for each of the tasks listed above. First, suitable eye safety wear must bear the Z87 marking. This refers to meeting the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) testing criteria for safety eyewear. Safety glasses (non-prescription) must withstand a 1/4 inch BB shot at 100mph and dropping a one pound pointed weight from four feet. The lenses must not break in either test to receive the Z87 mark. Prescription safety glasses must only withstand the dropping of a two inch steel ball from four feet, unless they have the Z87+ mark indicating passing the tougher tests. Most safety lenses are made of polycarbonate, a material much more impact resistant than glass or plastic. Polycarbonate tends to just crack when impacted where glass and plastic will shatter into many small sharp pieces.
Safety glasses, by far the most common eye protection, are used for impact hazards such as sawing, hammering, drilling, and optical radiation from lasers and torch soldering. If flying particles are present, then side protection should also be used. Older style safety glasses used side-shields where newer styles provide wrap-around design.
Goggles are the next step up in protection. If the particles are bigger, heavier, or falling from above, goggles provide more impact resistance and complete coverage. Goggles are also used to guard against splash hazards like mixing or using chemicals and cleaning solutions. Many goggles are designed with venting to prevent fogging during use but these are not suitable against splashes or very fine dust. We tested a set recently where, if you were splashed on the forehead, the liquid was directed to the eyes by the vents. So be careful in your selection.
Face shields offer an extra level of protection. They provide higher impact resistance and protect the wearer’s entire face, not just the eyes. However, they should always be used with either safety glasses or goggles as particles or chemicals can get around the shield and into the eyes. Also, it is a common tendency to lift face shields to check the work progress thus leaving the eyes unprotected if used alone. Face shields are typically used for spraying and pressure washing. Face shields and goggles should be worn when working with primates.
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