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December 17, 2013

Four Considerations for Cold Weather Eye Safety

Latest posts by Atlantic Research Team (see all)

As winter approaches and temperatures drop, workers in outdoor environments face additional challenges to staying warm and safe on the job. Basic precautions to working in extreme cold include wearing protective and insulating layers of clothing on the body, including the head and hands, to block wind and keep the body warm. With the proper adjustments in outerwear, workers can endure cold and harsh climates much longer. As the mercury dips, special attention should be paid to eye safety, as well.

 Exposure of the eyes to winter conditions such as cold temperatures, wind, and intense glare caused by snow poses a variety of hazards. Injuries incurred from exposure to extreme cold range from eye pain and blurred, decreased, or double vision to severe sensitivity to light and even vision loss. Overexposure to glare can cause snowblindness, a corneal injury that leads to redness, swelling, or a dry, scratchy feeling in the eyes. Wind not only blows debris and snow into the eyes, but also can cause temperatures to feel far colder than they actually are, exacerbating dryness, discomfort, and injury.

Protecting workers’ eyes from wintry conditions is an important, yet easily overlooked, part of an overall eye safety program. Without the proper cold weather eyewear, workers are vulnerable to an array of hazards, and the chances for injury increase significantly. If an accident involving the eyes does occur, it is imperative that the proper first aid be immediately available to support the best possible outcome. This article looks at the special precautions employers should take to protect workers’ eyes and treat injuries in harsh winter work environments.

Maximize Face Protection OSHA calls for employers to provide employees with proper eye protection wherever hazards to the eyes exist. Such eye protection must meet the ANSI Z87.1-2010 standard for impact protection and must be marked with “Z87” on every major component. The various styles of safety spectacles available today meet the basic protection requirements for the majority of indoor applications.

This article retrieved from Ohsonline.com

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