Reprinted from the ACJ - May, 2001
`An eye for an eye' is not a swap you can make at the tool crib. The peepers you have are all you get. Without searching e-bay for an enterprising coroner that is. Safety glasses, goggles, faceshields, welding helmets, are our knights in shining polycarbonate. After ascertaining how old the coffee is, eye protection, in the shop, may be the most important safety topic we address on a daily basis. A comprehensive eye protection program is a necessity in a repair shop. Lack of a program is a necessity for OSHA's gala Christmas party they throw at our expense each year.
A complete program includes several facets; selection, education, training, and surveillance. Selection of the proper eye protection must be based on the hazards and conditions the employee will be exposed to. Just buying a couple dozen $2.00 gas station sun glasses won't cut it. Employees must be informed of the hazards present and then trained on proper use of eye protection. I'm guessing many of you are reading this and thinking, "What a dork! How hard is it to put on a pair of glasses?!" But, some of the face shields and goggles are a little tricky. Besides I'll bet one or two of you finish up the paper work your doing and, like me, head back to the shop with your safety glasses still pushed up on top of your head. There they sit, fighting the good fight, protecting our receding hairlines.
Your program must address keeping a watchful eye on employees, coworkers and visitors to ensure proper eye protection. Picture the chain-gang scene from `Cool Hand Luke'. "Taking off my glasses, boss", "wiping sweat, boss", "removing the chisel from my eye, boss". Even before you put on your safety glasses, `engineering controls' are your first line of defense. So, be sure to push the engineer in front of any flying objects. Lacking an engineer, it's probably better to place clear guards in front of grinders, saws, etc. You can completely enclose the dangerous area if continuos monitoring is not required, as with auto punch or mill machinery. If engineering controls are not feasible, as with hand grinders, drills, or torches then eyewear is necessary.
Several organizations test and rate safety eyewear. We can use their seal of approval as a guide when choosing proper protection. ANSI test and qualify eyewear according to their Z-87.1 standard. They use a number of tests. Two of the cooler tests are dropping a one pound weight on the lens from a height of 50 inches. Another is firing a quarter inch steel ball at the lens at 100 mph. Unless your safety guy is William Tell, remove the glasses before performing this test. Or just trust the ANSI certification as proof of testing. SEI also certifies safety glasses under even more rigorous conditions. OSHA has it's own unique method; you decide on the hazard, you protect your folks and OSHA will grade you when they inspect. Like the old Sears product line designations: ANSI-SEI-OSHA, good- better- bust. Just for fun you can drive a nail through a pair of safety glasses. Technically speaking the lens will `smush' rather than `splode'. Thus protecting our baby blues.
ANSI divides protective eyewear into two categories; primary and secondary. Primary eyewear includes glasses and goggles. They are designed to protect your eyes when worn alone. Secondary protection includes face shields and welding helmets. These are to be worn over primary protection and are not considered safe without the primary protection underneath. Glasses provide good protection from flying debris and some splash protection. Use the type with side shields whenever possible as the extra protection cuts down on injuries. Up to 70 % over non side shield glasses. Goggles should be worn whenever liquids may splash, or in dusty environs. They come vented or not. The vents can be direct or indirect. Always use the vented type to avoid an eyebrow steambath. Using the indirect type vents makes the best sense since a direct vent is another word for a hole in your goggles. Be sure to keep your glasses clean. Replace them if you can't see through them or if they have deep pits or scratches.
I should give OSHA a bit of credit here. In 29CFR1910 Appendix B, subpart 1 they list examples of hazard type; impact, heat, chemical splash, dust and radiation. They then list the corresponding type of safety eyewear that should be used. They also provide a listing of the proper welding helmet lens gradient for use in various arc and torch cutting and welding. The tricky part occurs when several hazards co-exist in a given job. Then it is up to you to decide on the primary protection and any necessary secondary equipment needed, in conjunction with engineering solutions. Like, here at Johnson, they make me wear a pair of glasses, cover them with a faceshield, and then and only then, do they push me in front of flying objects. I wonder if the tool guy will give me a tooth for this tooth?
The above article was written by David M. Brown, Chief Engineer of Johnson Manufacturing Company, Inc. and is published by JOHNSON with the expressed approval of the National Automotive Radiator Service Association and the Automotive Cooling Journal. Other reproduction or distribution of this information is forbidden without the written consent of JOHNSON and NARSA/ACJ. All rights reserved.
JOHNSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY
114 Lost Grove Road / PO Box 96 / Princeton, Iowa 52768-0096
Phone 563-289-5123 or Fax 563-289-3825