Two Thousand Workplace Eye Injuries Occur Daily Throughout the US
Every day across the United States, about 2,000 workers experience job-related eye injuries, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
About one-third of these injuries require treatment in hospital emergency rooms and one in 20 results in lost work time.
According to the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), eye injuries most commonly occur in the manufacturing, construction and trade industries, where workers are at risk for projectiles and chemicals entering their eyes.
“Workers in the health care industry at hospitals, labs and health clinics are also at risk of contracting infectious diseases through the eye’s mucous membranes as a result of direct exposure,” notes ASSE. “Ensuring that employees have the proper eye protection for the job they are performing is key to helping reduce the risk of injury in hazardous situations.”
Not only is eye protection important, it must be the correct type for the job being performed and must fit properly.
According to the Vision Council, approximately 90 percent of eye injuries are preventable. Nearly three out of every five workers who experience eye injuries were either wearing the wrong type of eye protection or no eye protection at all.
Info to go: To view or download a copy of The Vision Council’s Eye Safety At-a-Glance: Protecting Your Vision in Workplace issue brief, click on the Info to Go safety links at www.SafeSupervisor.com
Read MorePharmaceutical Company Facing $251,500 in Proposed Penalties
REGION 8
OSHA launched a comprehensive investigation after a company that manufactures pharmaceutical tablets and syrups did not adequately address a complaint relating to alleged employee exposure to air contaminants. It was also alleged that workers were covered in dust while performing work in the manufacturing area and when leaving the work area. Willful violations alleged by OSHA pertain to fall hazards, recordkeeping deficiencies, a lack of PPE, a lack of forklift training, inadequate machine guarding, improper electrical receptacles used in wet or damp locations and a lack of chemical hazard information training. Alleged serious violations include employee exposure to hazardous levels of methscopolamine nitrate (MSN), an inadequate respiratory protection program, a lack of eye/face protection, housekeeping and sanitation deficiencies, unguarded rotating shafts, confined space hazards, lockout/tagout hazards, unguarded live electrical parts, a lack of electrical cord strain relief and no chemical hygiene plan. [Provident Pharmaceuticals LLC, Colorado Springs, CO. Release Number OSHA 07-263-DEN].
Read MoreHydrochloric Acid Spill Leads to Willful Citations
REGION 2
Carrying Proposed Penalties of $273,000 OSHA cited a North Collins, NY, manufacturer for 39 alleged violations of health and safety standards, along with failure to correct a hazard cited in a previous OSHA inspection. A spill of 250 gallons of hydrochloric acid forced the evacuation of the plant and a school on Sept. 6, 2006. The company was issued three willful citations carrying $148,500 in proposed penalties, for failing to provide medical evaluations, fit testing and respirator use training. Several repeat violations were cited regarding alleged lack of hand protection, lack of eyewash facilities, lack of hazard communication training, lack of hazardous energy control procedures and training, and electrical hazards. Dozens of serious violations were also cited. They included blocked aisles, obstructed exits, unsecured materials and equipment, problems with powered industrial trucks, machine guarding issues, compressed gas storage concerns and additional electrical hazards. [Crescent Marketing Inc., doing business as Crescent Manufacturing, North Collins, NY. Release number 07-333-NEW/BOS 2007-055, March 7, 2007].
Read MoreSeekonk, MA, Freight Terminal Faces $109,500 in Proposed Fines
REGION 1
An OSHA inspection has alleged several hazards for which the company had previously been cited at other locations, including fall hazards, lack of eye and face protection for employees filling batteries, blocked access to emergency eyewash stations, no training in fire extinguisher use and forklift operations, failure to inspect forklifts for defects and failure to remove defective forklifts from service. Serious violations cited allege the lack of an emergency response plan, improper distribution of fire extinguishers, improperly installed electrical wiring and allowing pigeon waste to accumulate on the terminal floor and other surfaces. [Central Transport Inc., Warren MI. Release Number 07-515-BOS/BOS 2007-084, April 12, 2007].
Read MoreAlleged Asbestos Exposures Lead to $117,000 in Proposed OSHA Penalties for Queens, NY, Employer
REGION 2
A residential complex that failed to protect its workers against asbestos hazards has been issued four willful citations. These citations allege failure to provide workers with required safeguards, failure to monitor employees’ exposure levels, failure to inform them of the presence, location and quantities of asbestos, and failure to institute a training program and label asbestos-containing material. Employees were routinely required to enter crawlspaces known or presumed to contain asbestos material. An OSHA inspection was undertaken in November 2006 in response to a complaint. The complex was also issued five serious citations alleging failure to provide appropriate hand, face and eye protection, absence of a hazard communication program, failure to properly label and dispose of asbestos-contaminated materials, a lack of quick-drenching eyewashes and respirator safety deficiencies. [Parkway Village Equities Corp., Queens, NY. Release Number 07-529-NEWA/BOS 2007-107].
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