Why
Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) is important.
CNIB states “every day, 200 Canadian workers sustain eye
injuries on the job, often resulting in lost time and,
in some cases, either temporary or permanent vision
loss.” They go on to say that 90% of these injuries were
preventable if proper eye protection had been worn.
Remember that wearing the wrong type of eye protection
can be just as dangerous as not wearing any at all!
Some common causes of workplace eye injuries are:
• Flying objects, such as bits of metal, glass, stone or
wood
• Unsafe handling of tools
• Particles such as sand or sawdust
• Chemical splashes
• Radiation
• Sparks and slag from welding and cutting
• Pipes and wire sticking out of walls
• Objects hanging from ceilings
• Sun and wind
Choosing the right safety eyewear for your employees can
be a complex process. The Canadian Standards Association
(CSA) recommends the user guide for the CSA Z94.3
standard, “Selection, Use, and Care of Protective
Eyewear”. It offers direction on proper selection and
examples of hazards with respective recommended eyewear.
Including staff during the selection process of
workplace protective eyewear could mean the difference
between using and ignoring the safety glasses. Comfort,
a good fit, adjustability, design, clarity and some
illumination have become big hits with employees. Always
ensure the eyewear is stamped “CSA” ensuring that it
meets or exceeds the CSA standards in protective
eyewear.
