HSE People - Health and Safety Community

ok so again we face the problem of what is easier and what is safer.
I worked in south eats asia and onshore and off in the middle east where humidity meant impaired vison whilst wearing safety glasses and their solution was to remove the glasses! easy? Hazard Analisys & Risk control! great tool , look at each task identify the hazards eliminate or control the hazard. once this tool is complete its the down to the comittment of management to provide the resources with which to impliment the prevention and mitigation. I alsoworked in the northen isles of scotland and North Sea and it was the same then what is easier is not the same as what is safer.
At any time of day at least 70% of any workforce will give you a reason as to why they dont think the safety side of the job is required as the risk is nothing. Our job is loss prevention and along with risk assesment and behaviour based training we can stop this question comng up.
Dont believe me? Ask any eye injury victim if they could have lived the moment again would they take their safety glasess off if they still answer yes then they are in the worng industry.

How about Safety Shields intead of glasses???

It has been my experience throughout my 25 years working offshore world wide, to take safety glasses off in severe rainy conditions because they then become more the problem and not the cure.
It should be said that this can be mentioned in your pre task meetings and added to your work permits, which means it has been discussed and risk assessed and accepted as an additional hazard.

Hope this is heplfull!!

Whats the risk working in the rain or wearing glasses in the rain, the way i see it is many people are afraid to make a decision and hide behind blanket coverage, yes i agree that if someone had an accident because they took their glasses of it would go towards the standard argument of i told you so, but what about having an accident because of the weather conditions. do a point of work risk assessment make a decision based on that and have the balls to stand by your decision.

Has the world of safety gone mad??? Why would you need a debate on this subject, surely this is what risk assessments and method statements were invented for??

Regards,

Chad Lilley

forget potatoes?. get eyewear to EN166 f or b K N and they will not mist? Same coating as our olympic ski and luge goggles 90mph, sweating you dont want misting? Nano coating ensure the rain does not edhere and falls off with the dirt it collects. Our ultrasonic goggle is used on MOD flight decks, spray, fumes, cold, hot extreme conditions. will happily send a pair out FOC. k.prout@uvex.co.uk peel offs are impracticle and will reduce the optical clarity from class 1?

Seems to me like an additional PPE assesment is needed. We all know PPE is issued as a last resort to protect from hazards identified and is issued as a part of a control strategy, it has to be worn in conjunction with any other PPE and be suitable for the wearer; and not create additional hazards to the user. If rain is affecting the vision of personnel then either additional controls are required or a review (in light of current technology) for sollutions to the problem.

As an oddball question how many people have recorded on their Hazrd register that eyeprotection in rain presents additional hazards to personnel by virtue of restricted vision?

To me, 'safety' is a common sense. Everything can't be controlled by the standard. If your risk assessment requires a 'safety glass', then it is mandatory. If not you can do away with it (considering that the risk assessment evaluated the rain factor). And when you require to work in the rain with the 'safety glass' on, try to get a larger 'head gear' which can give you the 'umbrella effect' and mimise/zeroing the risk of the 'rain factor'.

Hi guys. Locking this now as think we have covered everything. Cheers for the response.

Kevin
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