Eye safety toolbox talk

Eye safety toolbox talk is our today topic. Toolbox talks are an opportunity to bring the team together and get everyone on the same page. This means we need a clearly defined topic, key points, and room for questions so that we clearly understand the safety talk.OSHA requires employers to require their employees to wear eye and face protection against flying particles, molten metal, chemical liquids, acids or caustic liquids, and other hazardous chemicals, chemical gases or vapours, or potentially harmful light radiation.

More than 1,000 eye and facial injuries occur in the workplace each day. According to OSHA, these injuries are costing more than $300 million a year in lost production time, medical expenses, and workers' compensation. Many of these injuries result in some severe pain and suffering ending in partial or total blindness. Eye and face injuries can be prevented if the hazards are recognized and with the correct selection of eye and face protection.

5-minute eye safety toolbox talk

There are a lot of things that have been designed to protect company property. There is a fence around the plant and there are locks on the doors. There are guards. There are firefighting devices. In the offices, there are a lot of things to protect important papers.

But the company has not only thought about it, there are also a lot of things that have been designed to protect us and only us. For example, take a pair of safety glasses or a mask. This would not prevent a thief from robbing the business or prevent a fire or prevent a machine from breaking down. No, 

this eye and face protection has only one purpose. Prevent any flying particle or splash from "stealing" your sight. This protection exists for you, it has been designed for you. But it will protect you only if you let it protect you. There is nothing automatic about sight prevention. Goggles and face shields are of value to you provided you wear them as they are intended.

A safety helmet is the same thing: It is protection for your head, and it will only protect you if you wear it. Safety shoes will protect your feet, not my feet, or the company manager's, but yours.

We're trying to do one thing right and for your good, trying to help keep you free from accidents that can disable or kill you. We are happy to help in a lot of different ways, we have learned from experience what kind of protective equipment is needed in different jobs.

Certain classes that you are expected to get. Some are required by regulation and others are recommended but not essential.

But let's be clear about one thing. I can't be at the foot of each of you every minute telling you "put that thing on now" it's up to you, and that's the way it should be, because protective equipment is designed for your protection, your safety and your health.

I know sometimes it seems a bit annoying to take a few seconds to get and put on your protective glass for a job that's going to last a few seconds. Like a little grinding job that seems so insignificant that it's not worth putting on your glasses.

But think about it for a minute. How long does it take for a bit of steel powder and sparks to fly from the wheel to your eyes? This will hardly take the smallest fraction of a second. And the same thing can happen in a job that lasts only ten seconds or one that takes you all day.

Not wearing your glasses at work is as silly as the cashier saying "I'm going to have a cup of coffee. I think I can leave the money here on the table since no one is going to come to steal it?"

Applying this to glasses is even sillier. The worst thing that can happen to the teller is that some money is stolen. But with all this, he will have his two eyes, whereas if you don't put on the glasses it is your sight that you are losing.

Excuses for not wearing safety glass

My friend, I think we can all think of many very good reasons to wear glasses.  But I have recently noticed that some fail to wear glasses when they need to protect their eyes. I've heard a lot of excuses.

Some of the most frequent excuses I've heard for not wearing glasses at work are: "they interfere with my vision", "they are uncomfortable", "they make me look ridiculous", and "I always forget them".

Let's see if it's true that some of these excuses make any sense.

1.  Glasses interfere with my vision: There is some truth to this, I think, but remember that it is easier to see through glass than it is to see through a black patch. Many of those who complain that they can't see well because of their glasses should try to clean them more often. Because it is dirty, dusty, smudged glasses cut your vision.

2.  What about the fogging of the glasses? This is another common complaint. Well, this is also true, but you guys can easily solve that problem. Wash the inside of the lens with soapy water. And in hot weather, or if you sweat a lot, use your scarf as a sweatband to keep perspiration off your glasses. Naturally, it takes some effort to keep your glasses clean, but this effort is not an excuse to go without glasses and, if possible, lose an eye.

3.  Glasses are uncomfortable: This is true, too, especially if they don't fit well. Take a little time to adjust them and you'll hardly know you're wearing them. As for me, I'd rather wear a piece of glass in front of my eyes than lose my eye. Ask the one who has only one eye or some who lost their eye. He will tell you which one is more uncomfortable. And if the discomfort of glasses bothers you, think about the pain of a splinter stuck in them or what can happen to them from a splash of corrosive acid.

4.  I forget to put on my glasses: This is the most logical of all excuses for failing to protect your eyes. There is no denying that all of us are forgetful at times. But that time you leave your glasses in your pocket, or on your workbench may be the costliest memory lapse of your life.

Conclusion

So make wearing glasses a habit. I can't think of any excuse or valid reason why anyone would not like to protect their eyes, they are priceless. Therefore, protect them. Wear your glasses. So get the safety glass as your job demands and wear it whenever you're on the job. Keep the money inside the drawer and closed the door against stealing your sight.

Thank you for listening

Any question?

Question:

What is ANSI Z-87?

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