Document 58ERpnabGg9dY2LO7V9drK0J

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT protective devices must be considered as op tical instruments, and they should be care fully selected, fitted, and used Contact lenses should never be considered as being a replacement for safe protective equipment for the eye Workers have had their eyesight permanently unpaired and have even been blmded by corrosive chemi cals or small particles getting between their contact lenses and their eyes The amount of money spent to acquire and fit eye protective devices is small when measured against the savings afforded by the protection given For example, the pur chase and fitting of a pair of impact-resist ant spectacles may cost from 5 to 15 dol lars, compensation costs for a lost eye may range from 1,600 to 10,000 dollars If the eye protection program is super vised, directly or indirectly, by an industrial ophthalmologist, on either a full-time or consultation basis, there will be an addition al return from proper utilization of the visual abilities of the work force Unfortunately, there is no impartial test ing laboratory set up to approve eye protec- Fig 36-7 Earmuffs being worn in con junction with a respirator and tinted safe ty glasses. bve devices according to generally known and accepted minimum performance specifi cations The American Standard 2121-1959 Safety Code for the Protection of Heads, Eyes, and Respiratory Organs, NBS Hand book H24, details such specifications The Code classifies occupational eye haz ards into eight categories (A through H) and establishes minimum performance stand ards for the devices needed to protect against the hazards m each category Table 36-A summarizes these standards Impact goggles Two general types of goggles are com monly used to protect eyes against flying ob}ects spectacle goggles and cup goggles Spectacle goggles, with or without side shields, are supported by a rigid nose bndge and temple bows, and protect mainly against objects flying toward the front (code styles 1 and 2) Cup goggles are supported by a headband and die cups which rest on the face bones surrounding the eye sockets These goggles protect against ob jects flying toward the front and odes (code style 3) Some spectacle and cup goggles are shown in Fig 36-8 Factors which should be considered in the selection of impact goggles include the protective properties of the goggles, the comfort with which they can be worn, and the ease with which they can be maintained m good repair For general protection and ease of main tenance, metal frame goggles with side shields and impact-resistant glass lenses are best However, there may be considerable worker resistance to wearing this type of goggle Newer styles with tinted plastic frames and shapes similar to regular eyewear are cosmetically more pleasing and are usually worn with less resistance Plas tic coverall types are preferred by many, because of their light weight and conveni ence These coverall types generally have a shorter useful life than the sturdier frame and glass lens types (Fig 36-8e and -8f). It is much better to settle for 00 per cent protection all the tune rather than 100 per cent protection 60 per cent of the time Plastic and glass Increasing use of plas tic as eye protectors resulted m research to determine their characteristics in compan- (Text continues on page 38-14 ) 36-11