Here's a surprising fact: nearly 15% of construction workplace accidents are actually eye-related injuries! Getting hurt by corrosive chemicals or hit by flying shrapnel are both all too common on construction sites, and as such, protecting the eyes is of utmost importance. Goggles are the most common form of eyewear protection as they offer adequate comfort and coverage to protect against debilitating accidents.
The problem is, that for many companies, wearing safety eyewear isn't a common part of workplace culture. It takes rules, regulations, and a great deal of encouragement from upper management to ensure that construction workers comply with safety standards. Let's take a further look at what makes safety goggles such an important addition to the construction industry!
Protection Against Corrosive Liquids
The construction industry uses many liquids that are both harmful and corrosive in nature, making them doubly more dangerous to handle than common chemicals found in households. These liquids are almost always industrial grade and high strength, which means additional safety precautions are a necessity. Safety goggles are a critical element in keeping eyes safe, especially when handling or mixing these chemicals without a readily available sink or water source nearby.
Whether performing roadside maintenance or working a construction site in a rural zone, exposing the eyes to chemicals without the ability to quickly rinse them doubles anyone's chances of sustaining a permanent injury. Safety glasses or goggles are a great way to simply avoid all of this!
Protection Against Flying Objects
Shrapnel or small flying projectiles are once again common in the construction industry. What's more, removing these small lodged particles proves nearly impossible without timely medical assistance. Unfortunately, a common reaction to this problem is to simply rub the eyes in hopes that the shrapnel will dislodge itself, but in truth, it just causes the object to settle deeper. Once again, safety goggles are the only way to avoid this problem in a responsible manner.
Accidents Caused By A Third-Party Individuals
There's no way anyone can ever foresee how others work around them, and that means construction workers need adequate protection against third-party injuries. Unfortunately, even if one person follows all of the outlined safety protocols, it doesn't mean that the workers around them have the same knowledge or experience, which means a greater risk for indirect injury. Safety goggles are a responsible way to protect against co-worker mishaps and third-party accidents.
Harmful Flash Burns
Working with electrical arcs in the construction industry are common places to sustain permanent flash burn injuries. These eye-related injuries cause permanent harm to the corneas, whether they're a result of electrical wiring or indirect sunlight exposure. It's crucial to adequately protect eyes from harmful light sources by opting for goggles that properly wrap around the eyes and offer safety and protection. More importantly, these goggles are also available in tinted designs that further refract light and offer additional safety.
Keeping Up With Safety Guidelines
In most instances, wearing safety goggles is also a requirement and a necessity in order to comply with safety standards ANSI Z87.1. These compliance standards are also responsible for regulating other aspects of protective eyewear such as the testing, use, selection, and markings. Fortunately, most workplaces in the construction industry already are in close compliance with these safety standards, and as such, they provide their workers with the protective equipment necessary to perform their jobs well.
Eyewear protection is doubly important in the construction industry as workers handle corrosive and dangerous liquids while also being subjected to sharp projectiles in the field. Meanwhile, most workplaces are compliant and adhere to strict safety guidelines, workers themselves also need to ensure they're properly protected against direct and indirect injuries.
Why Are Safety Goggles Important For Construction Workers To Wear?
