Dinamitek presents the guide on identifying risk factors for workers' eyesight.

Eye Protection: Everything You Need to Know with Dinamitek

To protect the eyes, as with any other part of the body, it is essential to identify and classify the risk factors to evaluate the protective measures and PPE to choose to ensure the health and safety of the worker. In other words, not all protective eyewear is created equal.

I want to see the full range of PPE for eye protection

The choice of PPE for eye protection is based on three macro categories of risk factors :

1. mechanical risks
2. risks from optical radiation
3. chemical risks

Let's start by seeing what these 3 risk areas consist of.

For mechanical risks , the operator must be protected from:

• particles released at high speed,
• splinters,
• processing and non-processing dust,
• droplets,
• splashes of liquids.

For optical radiation risks we have 3 types of radiation that put eye health at risk:

• visible radiation (which makes up the so-called "visible spectrum")
• ultraviolet (UV) radiation
• infrared radiation (IR)

Chemical risks include:

• Fumes, vapors and gases, liquid aerosols
• fine powders
• chemical splashes

This table clearly illustrates the complexity of the world of worker eye and vision protection. We can delve into more detail to understand how these risks manifest themselves.

For mechanical risks, this involves accidental contact risk, the likely accident that occurs during a work shift when the action generates the movement of foreign bodies at high speed.

The damages caused to the operator by these events can be:

• corneal injury
• iris laceration
• lens opacity
• irritation
• pain
• conjunctivitis

Generally, the work environments in which these risks can occur are those where the following operations are carried out:

• turning
• milling
• sandblasting
• riveting
• grinding

and all operations in which projections of volatile solid particles of metal, stone, sand, wood frequently occur

The appropriate PPE to deal with this type of risk without worries are:

• glasses for low energy impacts “F”, i.e. with impact speeds up to 45 m/s (162 km/h)
• masks for medium energy impacts “B”, i.e. impact speeds up to 120 m/s (432 km/h)

I want to see the full range of PPE for eye protection

As for the risks from optical radiation, as we said before, we have 3 types of radiation that put the health of the eye at risk, recognizable in situations where the operator is exposed to sources of infrared and ultraviolet radiation, or glare due to intense light.

Suitable PPE for proper eye protection includes protective glasses equipped with special lenses or filters. They are identified by their European regulatory marking.

• ultraviolet filters (EN 170)
• solar filters for industrial use (EN 172)
• welding filters (EN 169)

In this case, physics comes into play to determine the means of protecting the eye; let's return to the notions learned about the corpuscular theory of light. In short, sunlight passes through ozone and appears in various forms, the three indicated in the introductory table.

• “visible spectrum” radiation : electromagnetic radiation perceived as colors.
• ultraviolet (UV) radiation : this is invisible electromagnetic radiation that is harmful if the eye is exposed to it for too long.
  
  They cause:

or corneal injury

or conjunctivitis

or partial blindness

or premature aging of the lens

or cataract

• Infrared radiation (IR): This is harmful electromagnetic radiation. It is the same radiation that comes from heat-generating processes, such as welding and glass and metalworking. In this case, the damage is felt immediately after exposure.
  
  They cause:

or opacification of the lens

or cataract

or partial blindness

For chemical risks, the worker must be careful of fumes, vapors and gases, liquid aerosols, fine dust, and chemical splashes.

These risk agents are encountered in specific types of processes:

• handling of toxic dust
• handling of corrosive liquids

The fields of application where this occurs are:

• medical profession
• agri-food sector
• waste management

In all these places there are microorganisms that can cause contamination of the individuals called to work in these contexts.

The risks you are exposed to are:

• conjunctivitis
• corneal ulceration
• viral infections
• partial blindness
• total blindness

I want to see the full range of PPE for eye protection

PPE for eyesight: Identify risk factors and the right protection with Dinamitek