Eye Safety WHS.1 – Toolbox Talk Evolve Safety – We cover Australia and want to manage WHS on your site – enquiries@evolve-safety.com

WHS.1 – Eye Safety Creating and maintaining a safe working environment is the responsibility of employers and employees. It is a team effort! A risk assessment will determine when the risk of an eye injury is extremely likely. Some areas, such as construction, grinding or machining locations will have mandatory eye protection signage. The wearing of eye protection is not optional when you have been instructed to use it. Employers are required to provide their workers with properly fitting protective eyewear - appropriate to the job and to ensure that workers use the eyewear. Eye injuries happen when you least expect them – when you do a job that’ll only take a minute; when your safety glasses are 10 metres away; when the boss isn’t around and nobody will know you aren’t wearing your PPE. Don’t risk it! Wear the correct PPE when the job needs it. Evolve Safety – We cover Australia and want to manage WHS on your site – enquiries@evolve-safety.com

Eye injuries impact everyone, not just the injured worker. WHS.1 – Eye Safety Eye injuries impact everyone, not just the injured worker. Why is eye safety important? WHS regulations require that employers provide a safe work environment, which includes supplying the appropriate personal protective eyewear. For workers, eye injuries can lead to pain and discomfort, medical costs, lost work time, lost wages and even permanent disability. For employers, eye injuries may impact on productivity and worker morale. An eye injury at work may severely impact daily living, family and recreational activities and one’s enjoyment of life. Evolve Safety – We cover Australia and want to manage WHS on your site – enquiries@evolve-safety.com

WHS.1 – Eye Safety Injury Statistics Each year, over 1400 Australian workers have a job-related eye injury that requires medical treatment. Eye injuries are common in all industries, but workers in construction, mining, agriculture and manufacturing have the highest rates of eye injuries on the job. From 1999-2006, 24.5% of eye injuries occurred whilst working for an income. The most common diagnosis for eye-related injury and disease compensation claims was a foreign body in the eye. The median time lost from work because of a foreign body in the eye in 2004–05 was 1.6-1.8 weeks. Evolve Safety – We cover Australia and want to manage WHS on your site – enquiries@evolve-safety.com

WHS.1 – Eye Safety Common Eye Injuries The most prevalent sources of eye injuries include the following: Scrap materials, waste, and windblown dust. Flying material particles or slivers from wood, metal and cement. Chemicals or chemical products. Falling or misdirected objects. UV light from welding torches. Additional risks exist from coolant and oil sprays and air supply lines Evolve Safety – We cover Australia and want to manage WHS on your site – enquiries@evolve-safety.com

Common eye injuries (Continued) WHS.1 – Eye Safety Common eye injuries (Continued) Swarf penetration injury Injury from wire wheel attachment Injury from a chemical splash ‘Arc Eye’ – sunburn to the cornea from welding Foreign body in the eye from grinding Evolve Safety – We cover Australia and want to manage WHS on your site – enquiries@evolve-safety.com

The most common types of eye protection include the following: WHS.1 – Eye Safety The proper type of eye protection must be selected to match the type of hazard. The most common types of eye protection include the following: Safety glasses with side protection shields - designed to withstand impact from common workplace hazards and to provide the minimum level of workplace protection. Goggles – provide a tighter seal than glasses, against dust ingress. Face shields - are used to protect the wearer’s face and eyes from dangers such as sparks or chemical splashes and can be used as a secondary barrier, in addition to goggles or safety glasses. Welding helmets/goggles - protect the eyes from intense UV welding radiation, which can cause severe burns to the eye and surrounding tissue. Evolve Safety – We cover Australia and want to manage WHS on your site – enquiries@evolve-safety.com