With an ageing workforce, the number of people using prescription glasses is increasing. Tellingly, there is a common belief that regular prescription eyewear is suitable enough in hazardous workplaces. This is not true.
The risks associated are many and anyone who has developed the need for prescription eyewear, would know it’s never the same as before; image distortion, limited peripheral vision, lack of dust protection with regular prescription glasses, are some of the inherent problems.
For employers, looking after the health of employee’s eyesight is paramount in providing a safe and efficient workplace. Regular prescription eyewear simply won’t cut it for hazardous areas requiring a level of impact protection from flying materials.
With over 500 people hospitalised per year with serious work-related eye injuries, it is imperative that the message gets through to everyone. That is: if you need to use eyewear in the workplace, make sure it is fitted correctly, meets all applicable safety standards, and where necessary, the lenses meet the required prescriptions.
“Australian standards require a certification to 1337.6 for all prescription safety eyewear. Eyewear supplied under this
standard provides the wearer confidence they have coverage to chemical resistance, impact protection to 1337.6 standards and penetration levels,” says Steve Carter of All Australian Safety. “Regular prescription eyewear doesn’t meet the standard, and the risk is, chemicals, impact or and foreign objects can penetrate causing injury-blindness or even death.”
If you use prescription safety glasses, be aware of the following:
• Do not surrender comfort for safety
• If you use protective eyewear over your regular glasses, ensure that your
vision is not impeded. If a worker’s vision is blurred or distorted, then the chance
of human error causing an accident increases significantly
• What are the best lens options and extras for your situation? For example, most work-related
eye injuries are the result of flying materials, such as dust or filings. If this may happen in
your workplace, ensure your eyewear has the appropriate side protection and your glasses
fit snugly against your face, without significant and potentially dangerous gaps
• Again, ensure that all appropriate safety standards are met.
Blackwood’s partnership with All Australian Safety (AAS) simplifies the entire process for acquiring stylish, protective safety eyewear. Our prescription safety eyewear program provides either an Onsite solution for your employees or via Optician locations from (AAS) nationwide network. Utilising HOYA’s unique proprietary Phoenix 1.53 lens material customers can select from a variety of lenses and frames, and complete the process quickly and easily.