The strategy

• Research and development of eyewear
• Standards
• Workplace practices

The strategy for dealing with this issue has a number of components. There is a need, as discussed above, to deal with design flaws and limitations in the Standards. In the short term, while the development of more suitable eyewear is investigated, an interim solution for workers and employers should be adopted.

Research and development of eyewear

Workers have shown a clear preference for the wide-vision spectacle design. They were almost universally used by both injury cases and other workers on the floor. Discussions with supervisors and workers indicated that wide-vision spectacles were chosen because they were light, comfortable, and did not fog or produce sweating problems in hot weather. It is, therefore, sensible to determine if this design can be improved to provide adequate levels of protection. The current use of a European male head-form is inadequate given the age, racial and gender mix of the workforce. To provide a proper fit, a better understanding of the variability of facial shapes among workers is required. One avenue of investigation could involve computer modelling of face shapes which may provide a much better basis for eyewear design. Work on facial modelling is being done by injury researchers to inform the United States ANSI Standards Committee on Eye Protection.

Once the design parameters are better understood, there is a need to explore the use of modern flexible materials to achieve better fit. Possibilities include the use of light aramid cloths to bridge gaps and mouldable plastics to increase the precision of individual fit.

Standards

There is a need for more empirical evidence to be used in the preparation of safety standards. Standards AS1336 and AS1337 do not adequately define the design and choice of protective eyewear for buffing and grinding, or spot welding operations. In light of the evidence presented here, and elsewhere, the Standards should be reviewed and amended.

Workplace practices

Many eye injuries could be prevented by implementing a close fit policy for all workers using wide-vision spectacles when grinding, buffing or spot welding metal. Where it is not possible to achieve a fit with gaps of less than 1 mm, alternative eye protection should be used. The figure of 1 mm has been chosen as being sufficient to allow some ventilation, but to trap or exclude solid particles. Further research is needed to determine the exact size of the gap that can be accepted.