The study

Twenty two cases of eye injuries that occurred while workers were wearing approved and recommended eye protection were examined in detail. Originally, it had been intended to examine a larger number of cases, but very early in the study it was found that the problem under examination was obvious. It was decided to abandon the collection of repetitive data and to examine the cases and the tasks which generated them in more detail. Further confirmatory work could be done on a more diverse environment, however it is unlikely that these would provided substantially different findings.

Information was collected on the nature and pattern of injury, the task being undertaken, and the type and fit of eyewear used. A purpose built measurement device was used to measure the shape of the faces of the injured workers and gaps around the eyewear were measured using digital photography.

This study was jointly funded by Workcover SA and Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services.