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Eye Injuries

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0900

Work-related eye injuries are a common cause of lost time, costs and disruption. Although most of the injuries that occur appear to be relatively minor (not requiring hospital admission) and most involve foreign bodies on the eye, particularly on the cornea, eye injuries are an important area of concern – especially as they are almost always preventable. Grinding and welding are the two most common tasks being performed when an eye injury occurs, and products such as the Autolift welding helmet (http://www.autoliftweldinghelmet.com) from Servore (http://www.servore.com)can help prevent eye injuries because workers have better eye and face protection and are not required to carry and additional face shield or goggles. \ Eye injuries also frequently occur in the construction and manufacturing industries, and to a lesser extent the agriculture, forestry and fishing and mining industries probably due to the tasks being undertaken and the processes being used. Not surprisingly, many of the eye injuries occurred when the person was not wearing appropriate eye protection – welders for example are often tempted to chip and grind without eye protection if it is not easily available to them – frequently resulting in minor injuries. But a substantial number of eye injuries also occur when eye protection is being used – indicating a need to review the type and quality of eye protection used and sometimes re-train personnel in the use of PPE to ensure they are aware of risk factors and how to avoid them.

Fall Protection

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0900

Many occupations require people to work at height. Sometimes this may involve climbing up ladders or using scaffolding and platforms but whatever the circumstances, when people are working off the ground the risk of falling is very real indeed and accidents involving falls account for a large proportion all accidents occurring in the workplace. Most countries have regulations that require fall protection. Even where there are no regulations fall protection should always be used. Fall protection can help prevent the many serious injuries and even deaths that occur each year and often results in increased productivity as workers feel safer and can work better.

Employer Responsibilities

Employers must ensure that any work which is to be carried out at height has been properly planned, is fully supervised and only carried out by competent trained personnel. Where possible, working at heights should be avoided as it is costly and potentially dangerous but where it is necessary, proper planning and safety equipment can ensure the job is done right and on time, with the minimum of risk.

Worker Responsibilities

All employees should take personal responsibility for checking, understanding and using their equipment and to follow all training and instruction to the letter, except where the worker feels the instruction still has the potential to be dangerous – in which case a review of the safety instructions and procedures should be conducted.

Risk Assessment

Employers should ensure that a risk assessment is carried out before any work at height is started. Falling is only one of the potential hazards and falls can be caused by other safety hazards such as trips and slips. The risk assessment should also cover any additional protection that is already in place, such as rails, barriers etc. and even the risk assessment itself should be regularly reviewed and treated as a ‘living document’. In many industrial situations such as construction the environment is constantly changing so each time the environment changes a risk assessment needs to be carried out by the people working so their understanding of safety is critical.

For expert advice on all aspects of fall protection contact Industrial Safety and Protection.

Foot Protection

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0900

In an industrial situation you may be exposed to many different hazards which could cause serious injury to your feet. For this reason safety boots are an essential item of personal protective equipment (PPE).

The Dangers To Your Feet

Dangers to your feet may include electrical cables, heavy equipment, tools, climbing hazards, chemicals and slippery services to name but a few. Here is a breakdown of some of the injuries that occur to workers every day somewhere in the world – almost all of them preventable:

• Cuts and broken toes or feet (including severed toes or feet) - from unguarded machinery, using mowers and chainsaws • Sprains and twisted ankles (including fractures) - from inadequate lighting, slippery floors, littered floors and walkways, improper footwear • Electric shocks - from coming into contact with electricity and static electricity • Punctures of the soles of feet - from sharp loose objects on the floor such as broken glass, nails and sharp metal • Crushed or broken feet (including amputation) - from feet being trapped between two heavy objects, moving vehicles such as using bulldozers or fork lift trucks • Burns – from working with molten metal and chemicals and the result of splashes and coming into contact with fire and flammable materials

Employer have a moral and often legal responsibility to tell employees what footwear they should be wearing. Steel or metal toe-capped boots may be required to provide additional protection to your toes and the top part of your foot. Special impact protection may be required for some jobs involving heavy equipment or where there are other specific risks. Puncture resistant soles may be required in environments where there may be nails and other sharp objects on the floor. When working with electricity, safety boots or shoes which have insulation and conductive properties are needed. Special or different safety shoes or boots may be needed in different areas of the same work site. Wearing the wrong type of safety shoes in a particular environment may not provide adequate protection and may result in injury.. Never underestimate the potential for foot injuries and always take appropriate safety precautions when it comes to wearing the correct footwear.