Eye Safety Awarenessy yElla Agbettor

SHEQ Foundation

Eye Safety

Why is Eye Safety Important?

• Eye injuries in the workplace are very common. More than 2,000 people injure their eyes at work each day. About 1 in 10 injuries require one or more missed workdays to recover from. Of the t t l t f k l t d i j i 10 20 % illtotal amount of work-related injuries, 10-20 % will cause temporary or permanent vision loss.

• Experts believe that the right eye protection could have lessened the severity or even prevented 90% of eye injuries in accidents.

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Common Eye Injuries

The most prevalent sources of eye injuries include the following:

• Scrap materials, waste, and windblown dustf• Flying material particles or slivers from wood, metal, plastic, and

cement • Chemicals or chemical products • Falling or misdirected objectsFalling or misdirected objects • UV light from welding torches

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Learning from the Past

1. The Incident occurred while ship staff was charging air-bottles on lifeboat. Observing that the pressure had not increased in the air bottle the compressor was stopped To test for the leakage with thebottle the compressor was stopped. To test for the leakage, with the compressor in stopped condition, the filling valve was being slowly opened, when the (brass coupling) hose connection disconnected by itself from the compressor. (The actual cause of the pressure not y p ( prising in the air bottle was Pressure Maintaining Valve (PMV) stuck in closed position due to dirt. The hose snapped back and struck the staff attending to the work causing an injury(cut) on his left eye & b& eye-brow

Lessons learnt• Wear proper PPE appropriate for the work undertaken at all times• Wear proper PPE appropriate for the work undertaken at all times• Properly maintain compressors and associated fittings regularly

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What can we do to prevent eye injuries

Use the Hierarchy of Control to reduce the likelihood and severity of eye injuries:y y j

Elimination: keep by standers out

Substitution: Alternative cutting devices

Engineering controls: Ergonomically-designed g gtools, machine guarding, ongoing maintenance

Administrative controls: Facilitating toolbox talks, hazard identification forms, Permit to Work, isolations.

PPE: eye goggles/ glasses/ sheilds are the last line of defense

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What can we do to prevent eye injuries

Proper selection and use of eye and face protection will help prevent eye injuries. Other precautions that employers and employees can take to reduce the risk of eye injury include the following:take to reduce the risk of eye injury include the following:

•Ensure that the appropriate eye protection is available at the worksite.

•Keep bystanders out of work areas and/or behind protective barriers.

•Use your tools properly and keep them in good working order.y p p y p g g

•Use caution flags to identify potential hazards, such as hanging or protruding objects.

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What can we do to prevent eye injuries

Do not remove your protective eyewear until you leave the site or are out of the hazard zone. After you have finished with a tool or specific task there still may be hazardous materialsa tool or specific task, there still may be hazardous materials around you from other workers.

Consult your supervisor if you have any doubt about the type of eye protection needed for a job or specific location.

Contact lens users should wear goggles or full-face i t i d t l d h i l i trespirators in dust-laden or chemical environments.

If your contacts feel gritty or are irritating you, remove them immediately.

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Basic first-aid techniques•Basic first-aid techniques include the following:

– Specks in the eye• Do not rub the eye • Flush the eye with a large amount of water • See a doctor if the speck does not wash out, or if pain or redness continues

– Cuts, punctures, or objects stuck in the eye• Do not wash out the eye • Do not try to remove an object stuck in the eye • See a doctor at once

– Chemical burns• Flush the eye immediately with water or any drinkable liquid and continue flushing us t e eye ed ate y w t wate o a y d ab e qu d a d co t ue us g

for at least 15 minutes. For caustic or basic solutions, continue flushing while en route to the doctor.

• Flush the eye even if it has a contact lens. Flushing over the lens may dislodge it. • See a doctor at once.

– Blows to the eye• Apply a cold compress without pressure. • Tape a plastic bag containing crushed ice to the forehead and let it rest gently

on the injured eye. • See a doctor at once in cases of continued pain, reduced vision, blood in the eye,

or discoloration, which can mean internal eye damage.

Discussion Prompts – Eye Safety

• Does anybody in the team know of people who have suffered hand injuries?

o Ask them to tell the story…y• Is anyone in the work group doing a similar task today?• What are the hazards to our eyes in the work area today?• What controls are in place?

o Where do these controls sit in the Hierarchy of Control?• Which type of eye wear is appropriate for this task? Are you using the

correct type of eye wear today?

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Eye Safety Poster

• Wear goggles or a face shield around flying chips or particles, electrical arcing or sparks, chemical gases or vapors, harmful light liquid chemicals, acids, or caustics, molten metal, dusts, or swinging objects like ropes oracids, or caustics, molten metal, dusts, or swinging objects like ropes or chains• Turn containers away from the face when opening• Keep sharp or pointed objects away from the face and eyes

R t ti l ft t i ff th t l• Remove protective eye wear only after turning off the tool• You should always use the appropriate eyewear for the job, your safety

glasses are the last line of defense!

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