PROTECTING EYES & EARS
A PERFECT FIT
Jim Lythgow, Director of Strategic Alliances at Specsavers Corporate Eyecare, look at the challenges that come with safety eyewear and its avoidable risks.
Eye safety is of course essential but for some it may be a difficult task. Safety professionals have to assess the precise risks, try to mitigate them, work to find other solutions and then - if the risks are unavoidable - they must ensure the correct type of eyewear is provided. The simple part of the process should be the actual wearing of the prescribed safety eyewear, but this is not always the case.
We recently carried out independent research among over 100 heads of UK companies, representing between 255,156 and 434,106 employees. Shockingly, nearly half, 49%, said they worry that staff remove safety eyewear when it is not safe to do so.
What is so frustrating about this figure is that the vast majority of those removing their safety eyewear are doing so because of the choice of eyewear. A lack of comfort, not fitting correctly and a dislike of the style were all cited as reasons why employees remove safety eyewear when it is not safe to do so.
No matter how much time has been spent assessing the risks and selecting the correct level of impact protection, safety eyewear will of course, only be effective when it is actually worn. The research shows that a huge amount of employees are putting their eyesight at risk for very simple reasons.
In today’s high-tech society, it seems a step forward that many safety professionals no longer choose their safety eyewear from a catalogue. There are now many options for making online purchases. The issue with this, however, is that employees are not able to physically try on the eyewear for comfort and fit. We cannot stress enough how important it is that safety eyewear is both comfortable and properly
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fitting. PPE should be exactly that: personal protective equipment. In particular, safety eyewear must fit correctly around the temples and across the bridge of the nose. The employee needs to feel the weight of the eyewear and to be sure that it will not slip down the nose when they move their head. One of the best ways for this to be achieved is by having a professional fitting, in person.
The research showed that just a quarter of employers (25%) stated that their employees have the opportunity to try on safety eyewear before it is purchased. How many people would buy their everyday glasses without trying them on? It is remarkable then that they do so with something as important as safety eyewear.
In recent years, safety eyewear has moved on a great deal. There are now different sizing options for smaller and larger faces. Styling is also surprisingly important. Employees are less likely to wear the safety eyewear provided if they are not happy with the way it looks. Safety eyewear is now available in male, female and unisex designs, with different colourways and designs, including wraparound- style glasses. Offering employees a choice does not have to cost any more and will help to engage them and encourage their buy-in to wearing the safety eyewear provided.
The message is simple: do not let your employees take avoidable risks. It makes sense to give your employees a choice of safety eyewear and the opportunity to try before they buy. This does not have to cost the employer anything over and above the usual eyewear expenditure, but it could save both the employer and the employee a great deal in terms of protecting someone’s eyesight.
www.specsavers.co.uk/corporate www.tomorrowshs.com
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