Have You Implemented A Employee Prescription Safety Glasses Program?

Employees are exposed to numerous hazards on a daily basis, and the exposure to these hazards can be prevented by using safety glasses, safety goggles, helmets, and face shields. Protective equipment in the workplace like safety glasses is vital to the safety of workers and the health of workers. Unfortunately, there are many employees who will not wear their safety glasses, even when it is required by a policy. What are some of the reasons why some employees make the decision to not wear safety glasses?

Some of the reasons are listed below:

• The safety glasses do not fit properly
• Many employees find that the safety glasses are completely uncomfortable
• Employees are not able to see clearly when they are wearing the glasses
• Employees are bothered by their glasses becoming fogged

These problems are widespread, especially in situations when the glasses are of poor quality or are not made with any consideration to the eyesight of the employee. Some employees need to wear prescription glasses, and this will require them to need prescription safety glasses. If the glasses do not take the employee’s vision into consideration, this can result in nausea, dizziness, headaches, and fatigue.

What steps can you take to encourage all of your employees to wear their safety glasses while at work?

What’s In The Policy?

Protective equipment policies are designed to reduce the number of hazards and risks in the workplace. If the policies you have established are not being enforced, a variety of things can happen, including confusion and frustration. Some employees will obtain the mindset of “if the next person is not following the policy, then why should I follow it?”. When employees gain this mindset, this will lead to a variety of workplace issues because employees are failing to adhere to the precautions.

When your employees know why a policy has been established, they are more likely to follow the policy that has been put in place. Giving your employees a pair of safety glasses and only telling them to wear them without informing them of the importance will not be a good strategic move. You can get your employees to consistently wear the safety glasses by providing them with as much information as possible, but the information should be given to them in a manner they will understand and find beneficial and respectful.

A large portion of our workforce includes people who need to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses. You likely have many employees who will need to wear safety glasses and prescription lenses. In order for your workplace to accommodate the employees who need to wear corrective lenses, you will have multiple options, including the following:

1. Provide insurance coverage for prescription safety glasses

2. Provide prescription safety glasses for the employees who need it, and at zero cost to them

3. If employees will prefer to wear their own prescription glasses, you can provide non-prescription safety glasses that employees can wear over their corrective lenses

There are many employers who make the decision to provide prescription safety glasses at zero cost to the employees. Sometimes employers may make the decision to host their own vision screenings to determine the vision issues of their employees. Some employees may not even be aware of their vision issues until after the workplace vision screenings. If vision issues are left unnoticed and untreated, this can result in more risks to the employee and the workplace.

The Perfect Type Of Prescription Safety Eyewear Program

Non-prescription glasses and prescription safety glasses will be best for protecting your employees from chemicals, flying objects, dirt, debris, etc. The lenses in your prescription safety eyewear should meet the standards and regulations that have been established by ANSI. When looking for safety eyewear, you should make sure the safety glasses should contain the ANSI Z87 sticker because this will mean the eyewear has been approved to be used in a workplace where risks and hazards are prevalent.

Safety goggles can also be used as part of the safety eyewear program because of the ability to provide protection to the eyes, in addition to the sides of your eyes. This type of safety eyewear will be great for protecting your eyes from dirt, dust, and chemicals. If safety goggles are preferred over safety glasses, the goggles can be worn over an employee’s prescription eyewear for better safety on all sides.

Needing corrective lenses should not hold employees back from doing their job while wearing safety glasses. An employee’s vision does not have to be placed at risk because of the need to wear safety glasses with a prescription. Your workplace can incorporate a safety glasses program that will include protective equipment for those who do not need a prescription and those who do.

Does your company currently provide access to safety glasses to those who have a prescription for corrective lenses? Does your workplace offer vision insurance coverage that includes safety glasses? Do you have any problems that will prevent you from offering prescription safety glasses as part of the insurance coverage?

We understand how important prescription safety eyewear is to those in your workplace who have to wear corrective lenses to improve their vision. In order to ensure all of your employees are working in a safe environment on a daily basis, it is essential that you have an effective employee prescription safety glasses program in place.