Safety in the workplace should be a top priority, yet one crucial aspect is often overlooked: eye protection. Every day, employees are exposed to hazards that can cause serious eye injuries or even permanent loss of vision. Eye hazards are omnipresent yet frequently overlooked in sectors such as agriculture, agri-food, forestry, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals.
Unlike other personal protective equipment (PPE), such as boots or bibs, safety glasses are sometimes perceived as secondary. Why is this the case? Visibility? Fogging? Uncomfortable fit? Bingo, these are all common reasons for not wearing safety glasses. Fortunately, these obstacles can easily be addressed with LookSecure eyewear.
Our experts share their top tips for educating your employees about eye protection.
Eye health risks to consider in the workplace
Workplaces present numerous risks to your employees’ eye health, making it essential to identify and address these hazards effectively. Wearing suitable safety glasses is a critical step in minimizing these risks.
Mechanical risks
Mechanical risks include splinters from metal, wood, or other materials propelled by tools or machines. They can cause serious injuries, such as cuts, abrasions or contusions, and can even perforate the cornea.
Chemical risks
Exposure to corrosive or irritating chemicals represents a serious risk of eye injury. Such substances can lead to burns, irritation, poisoning and other serious health problems, especially when protective measures are not in place.
Physical and thermal risks
Employees may encounter UV and infrared rays, as well as heat sources like flames and blowtorches. Proper eye protection is vital to prevent long-term conditions, such as cataracts.
Selecting the right safety eyewear tailored to the specific risks in your workplace is crucial. This ensures not only optimal protection but also greater comfort, encouraging regular use by employees. A well-matched combination of risk assessment and equipment improves overall safety, productivity, and employee well-being.
The importance of wearing protective eyewear at all times at work
Safety glasses act as an effective barrier against splashes, particles, splinters or chemicals that can cause serious eye injury. Simply wearing safety glasses consistently in high-risk areas can prevent serious accidents and preserve your employees’ vision.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 90 % of eye injuries can be prevented by proper eye protection. While wearing safety glasses may seem restrictive, it is an essential preventive measure that ensures not only safety but also enhances employee productivity and well-being.
Discover the importance of wearing safety eyewear at all times at work:
Complying with current standards
Workplace safety laws require companies to provide and enforce proper eye protection for employees exposed to vision hazards. Respecting these standards not only protects your employees but also the company against potential lawsuits.
Increased productivity
By providing your employees with protective eyewear adapted to their environment, you enable them to work with enhanced comfort, ease and precision. Promoting a culture of safety not only reduces the risk of accidents but also work stoppages, replacement costs and the drop in productivity often caused by the fear of an incident.
Preventing serious accidents
Most eye injuries can be avoided by wearing the right safety glasses. In fact, a survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that nearly three out of five workers were not wearing safety glasses at the time of their accident. Even minor accidents can lead to long-term vision problems, underscoring the importance of prevention.
The consequences of an eye accident at work
An eye accident affects not only your employee’s health but also their personal well-being, career trajectory, and, by extension, the company’s finances and productivity. Promoting the consistent use of protective eyewear is crucial to preventing these negative outcomes and maintaining a safe workplace.
Impact on personal and professional life
An eye injury can lead to limitations in mobility or autonomy, making certain everyday tasks impossible to perform. In the long term, this can affect your employee’s quality of life and career.
Costs for employees and employers
Eye injuries are expensive: involving medical treatment, salary compensation, lost productivity, and more. For companies, these incidents also bring administrative burdens and disruptions to business operations.
To mitigate these costs, remember: raising employee awareness about the importance of wearing safety eyewear is not just a precaution—it’s an investment in their well-being and your company’s success.
Psychological trauma
Beyond physical harm, eye accidents can cause post-traumatic stress. Injured employees may develop a fear of returning to work or lose confidence in their professional environment.
5 strategies to encourage employees to wear safety glasses
To make wearing safety eyewear a consistent habit, companies must adopt a proactive and integrated approach.
Here are five strategies for raising employee awareness:
1. Training and awareness
Educating employees about the importance of safety eyewear is essential. Clearly explain the risks they face and the numerous benefits of proper eye protection.
This can be achieved through actions such as information sessions, posters, and visual reminders in common areas (cafeterias, restrooms, washrooms). Including these messages in onboarding training for new employees reinforces their importance. Clear and consistent communication is key to embedding these practices into your corporate culture.
2. Easy access to eyewear
Offering a prescription safety eyewear program, such as LookSecure‘s, ensures that every employee has access to eyewear tailored to the specific hazards in their workplace.
Our eye protection programs are designed to:
- Improve eye safety management for employers.
- Provide CSA Z94.3-certified eyewear that meets the highest safety standards required by CNESST and Health Canada.
- Prevent all risks of eye injury in the workplace.
- Simplify employee access to eye care and frame fitting services.
No more excuses!
3. Identify an eye safety manager
Appointing an eye safety manager centralizes prevention and response efforts in the event of an eye accident. This person should be trained in eye protection best practices and be able to manage incidents. The eye safety manager becomes a key advocate for the eye protection program, raising employee awareness and ensuring proper use of safety equipment at all times.
4. Confortable eyewear adapted to the employee’s environment
Modern safety glasses with corrective lenses combine comfort and lightweight design that makes them suitable for all-day wear. With integrated lenses, these glasses provide sharp, precise vision, reducing eyestrain and improving employee focus throughout their shift.
LookSecure‘s eye safety experts go a step further by assessing your organization’s specific needs. They take into account the risks specific to your working environment to recommend frames and lens treatments that are perfectly suited. This personalized approach ensures optimum protection while promoting employee compliance, contributing to their safety and efficiency on a daily basis.
5. Building a culture of safety at work
Establishing a culture of safety encourages all employees to take an active role in protecting their health. This requires the involvement of team leaders who lead by example, regular training to raise awareness, the sharing of stories of accidents avoided thanks to safety eyewear, and easy access to suitable protective equipment.
Protecting your employees’ vision means investing in their well-being and productivity.
Protect your workers’ vision with LookSecure
Encouraging your employees to wear prescription safety eyewear is a crucial step toward ensuring workplace safety. Corporate eye protection programs are effective solutions for providing optimal protection, simplifying eye safety management and reducing equipment purchase costs.
LookSecure‘s prescription safety eyewear programs are flexible to meet the needs of your industry.
Our prescription eyewear programs provide access to:
- A wide selection of CSA Z94.3-certified frames
- A fully computerized web platform to manage all aspects of the program
- Competitive pricing
- Access to Canada’s largest network of optometrists for vision care and frame fitting services (New Look, Iris, Greiche & Scaff)
- Training in best practices for eye protection
- Exclusive employee discounts on personal eyewear at our partner stores