I have always hated wearing Safety Glasses. They are always in the way, they get dirty and I simply can’t see well through them.
However, I do like having my Safety Glasses on when I am doing work that generates debris like when I am running a table saw, or a drill. I can work much faster when I am wearing my Safety Glasses while performing these tasks.
I also love having my Safety Glasses on when I am working under a dirty Jeep. A pair of well fitted, lightweight fashionable safety glasses makes going under the Jeep much more fun and productive.
One safety policy I have always opposed is the blanket Safety Glasses policy. Usually this policy is put into place by people who wear prescription glasses and they don’t see why anyone would be opposed to wearing glasses all the time. They are used to it.
My first thought when I walk into a facility that requires Safety Glasses every where is, “Why do they have so many unprotected hazards that they need Safety Glasses everywhere?”
I always prefer to address hazards at their source. PPE should be the last line of defense against hazards. Especially when it comes to eye protection.
Eyes are easily damaged and you really don’t want to take chances with them. However, by making a blanket policy that you must have Safety Glasses on every where, you dilute the message that there are some places where extra care is needed to protect the eyes.
Whenever possible, guards and shields need to be designed to protect workers form flying debris that might damage the eyes. Also, work instructions and procedures can be modified to reduce the exposure to potential eye damaging projectiles.
For those situations where eye protection increases productivity, safety glasses can be required. Whenever safety glasses are required, there needs to be plenty of conveniently placed glasses cleaning stations. The provided Safety Glasses also need to be both fashionable and comfortable to wear.
When workers see the importance of wearing Safety Glasses and they see how they can feel more comfortable and confident doing their jobs, you won’t have to resort to forcing people to wear safety glasses. People will want to wear their Safety Glasses because it helps them do their jobs.
For more safety related ideas, see: http://www.mikestrawbridge.com/workplace-safety-training.shtml