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OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY


Safety in numb3rs


Jim Lythgow, director of strategic alliances at Specsavers Corporate Eyecare, explores the results of comprehensive research into safety eyecare policies across the public sector and considers how the risks could be reduced.


professionals we questioned were unable to correctly identify who can specify safety eyewear requirements for employees:


• 18% believe this can be carried out by the occupational health manager.


• 20% believe this can be done by an optician. • A worrying 14% either do not know or believe it is up to the employee requiring safety eyewear to specify their needs.


T


he public sector has large numbers of people employed in hazardous industries


with the armed forces, emergency services and construction perhaps being the more obvious examples. Employee eyesight is, however, at risk in a much wider sphere, covering roles within the NHS, utilities, transportation, research and development, waste disposal and many more. Health and safety regulations cover the eyecare of all of these employees and a full risk assessment should be undertaken to ascertain the appropriate protective eyewear for each individual situation.


Yet our research suggests that far greater education is required regarding the risks and the obligations for the employer. We surveyed 75 public sector organisations, specifically targeting the person responsible for health and safety. The responses represent the wellbeing of up to 826,587 employees.


Specification Over half (52%) of the health and safety


• Just 48% were able to correctly identify that it is a qualified health and safety manager alone who can specify safety eyewear requirements for employees.


Comfort


Over half (55%) of health and safety professional believe employees remove safety eyewear due to lack of comfort or fit and an alarming 7% believe their employees do this on a regular basis.


The number of people regularly removing safety eyewear suggests that employee education policies may need to be strengthened. It should go without saying that personal protection equipment only works if it is actually worn but it is amazing how often employees do not comply with the regulations.


Comfort and fit are very important factors for safety eyewear. Problems in this area may be due to the specification of appropriate eyewear:


• Well over a third (41%) of employees who wear spectacles for day-to-day use are not provided with prescription safety glasses but are instead expected to use over-goggles. These are not suitable for long-term or regular use due to the physical discomfort of wearing two sets of eyewear and the light refraction caused by two sets of lenses.


• Only an enlightened 23% of public sector organisations provide prescription safety eyewear.


A crucial part of the procurement of eyewear is ensuring that it is properly and individually fitted. Only a fully qualified optician can correctly fit safety eyewear for comfortable and reliable protection, however:


• Less than one-third (31%) of employees receive their safety eyewear during an


appointment for fitting with the optician. • Nearly a quarter


(24%) receive their safety eyewear from their health and safety or HR manager.


Impact


The point of eye protection is to withstand impacts from various substances at various strengths or forces, however:


• Only 10% of public sector health and safety professionals knew that normal spectacles are sufficient for ‘low impact’ protection. • 5% are putting their employees’ eyesight at serious risk in the belief that normal spectacles are sufficient for ‘medium impact’ resistance. • A staggering 37% simply didn’t know.


While nearly half (48%) were incorrect in believing that normal spectacles are never sufficient, at least their misunderstanding errs on the side of caution. Although this means that employers will, in some cases, be funding unnecessary eyecare. Multiplied by the number of public sector employees working in hazardous environments, this could be a massive additional expense.


Education


To paraphrase former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, most health and safety managers ‘know what they don’t know’ about safety eyewear and, as professionals, will seek advice and further information. It is clear from our research, however, that further education is required and that this would both reduce the risk to employees’ eyesight and may also be financially beneficial for the organisation.


Jim Lythgow FOR MORE INFORMATION


T: 0115 933 0800 E: corporateeyecare@specsavers.com W: www.specsvers.com/corporate


public sector executive Jul/Aug 12 | 59


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