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Campus Security Safety and Health Plan Eye Protection Required for Students The University policy on eye and face protection for students is derived from legislation enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly entitled “Policy for Eye and Face Protection,” and passed in 1969. The act requires that eye protective devices be worn by students in shops and laboratories where work involves any of the following:
Eye protective devices are to be worn at all times while participating in any of the above programs or activities. Visitors This act also provides that visitors to such shops and laboratories be furnished with and required to wear eye safety devices while such programs are in progress. Employees The University policy on eye and face protection for employees is derived from the Occupational Safety and Health Act of North Carolina (OSHA-NC). OSHA-NC states that protective eye and face equipment shall be required where there is a reasonable probability of injury that can be prevented by such equipment. In such cases, employers shall make conveniently available a type of protector suitable for the work to be performed, and employees shall use such protectors. No unprotected person shall knowingly be subjected to a hazardous environmental condition. Suitable eye protectors shall be provided where machines or operations present the hazard of flying objects, glare, liquids, injurious radiation, or a combination of these hazards. Equipment Standards The North Carolina legislature and OSHA-NC specify the eye and face protective devices, which include spectacles, goggles and face shields shall comply with American National Standards Institute (ANS) Z87.1-1979 and later revisions thereof. Selection of Devices Based on Hazard The type of device required will depend on the nature of the hazard and the frequency with which it is encountered. There are three basic types of eye protection that will meet the majority of the needs of maintenance, shop and laboratory requirements. There are safety spectacles (with or without side shields), dust goggles and chemical goggles. Each of these meets the basic eye protection standards for frontal exposure to flying particles. Safety glasses with side shields or goggles are required where flying particles are likely to enter at an angle, and are usually required where two or more people are working in close proximity. Safety glasses with permanently attached side shields, or impact goggles, will provide this protection. Clip-on side shields do not meet ANSI standards. Safety chemical goggles are required to provide protection against corrosive or hot liquids or find particles capable of penetrating the ventilation holes in dust goggles. Selection Based on Frequency of Use Dust or chemical goggles are the least expensive approved eye protection device available, fit most head sizes and facial shapes. They may be worn over ordinary glasses. They are recommended for visitors, employees and students who require eye protection periodically for short durations (less than two hours per day). Adjustable safety glasses and prescription safety glasses are generally more comfortable than goggles and are therefore recommended for employees who require eye protection frequently or for long duration (more than two hours). Photo gray lenses will not be approved unless a medical need is certified by an eye professional. Photo gray lenses will only be provided for employees needing eye protection whose job assignments are largely out-of-doors. Contact lenses are not recommended for use where eye hazards exist because they do not protect the portion of the cornea they cover; dissolved vapors, liquids, and dust particles tend to creep behind the lens. Face shields do not meet eye protection standards and are only for face protection. Appropriate eye protection devices must be worn under the face shield. Cost, Care and Reclamation Providing protection, the University is committed to a policy of providing eye and face protective devices without cost to employees. Each department is responsible for the funding of its employee eye and face protection program. Departments may lend protective devices to students or may require students to purchase their own device. Visitors should be furnished with temporary eye protection without cost. Scheduling and payment for eye examinations to obtain prescriptions and professional fittings for safety glasses are the responsibility of the employee or student. Non-prescription eye protective devices issued to employees, students and visitors remain the property of the University and are to be returned when the use of the devices is no longer necessary. For students this will normally be at the end of each semester and employees it will be on termination of employment or change in duties where eye protection is no longer required. Glasses damaged during normal wear and use may be replaced without charge to the employee or student at the discretion of the department supervisor or designated administrative officer. Replacement of lost or stolen devices will be the responsibility of the employee or student to whom they were issued. Cleaning Material Eye protective devices are personal items and should be issued for the exclusive use of each individual. Materials for cleaning eye and face protective devices are to be made available to employees and students by each department. Dis-infection Before Re-issuance Eye protective devices must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before being issued to another person. Eye Contamination Every laboratory or work place using caustic or corrosive chemicals shall be equipped with emergency eye wash facilities. First Aid Chemical Burns When the eye has received chemical irritation, the preferred first aid is to flood the eye with water immediately for at least 15 minutes and seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Neutralizers or other medication should be used only on the advice and under the direction of a physician.
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© 2004 Lenoir-Rhyne University |
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