Eye and Face Protection in the Laboratory
By
James A. Kaufman, Ph.D., Director
Laboratory Safety Institute
Natick, MA
Labsafe@aol.com
Introduction
Choosing eye and face protection in
the laboratory is often a challenge.
It’s a challenge for a variety of reasons:
1. Lab
workers (including teachers and students) and their
management (administrators) may not understand the
relevant
regulations and standards.
2. They
may not be able to correctly identify the various types of
eye protection devices. In particular, distinguishing between
some types of goggles and between some goggles and
spectacles can be difficult.
3. Many
employers (including all educational institutions) have not
yet accepted and implemented one of the
fundamental
principles of effective safety programs.
This article discusses each of these
areas. In addition, it comments on
device selection, face shields, contact lenses, eyewash fountains. It concludes with the recommendation of a
simple good sense eye and face protection policy.
Relevant Regulations and
Standards
Two
documents can help significantly with the challenge: the Occupational Health
and Safety Administration (OSHA) 29CRF1910.133 Standard and the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z-87.1 Standard. Let’s begin with OSHA.
The
OSHA eye and face protection standard, 29CFR1910.133, makes two important
points:
1. "The employer shall ensure that
each affected employee uses
appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to
eye or face
hazards …"
2. "Protective eye and face devices
purchased after July 5, 1994
shall
comply with ANSI Z87.1 - 1989, …or shall be demonstrated by the employer to be
equally effective"
Who
should decide if a hazard is present, the employee or the employer? OSHA answers this question in 29CFR1910.132. It says it's the employers' responsibility
to determine the presence of hazards, select the appropriate device, and train
the employees.
These
requirements apply to all of the private sector employers in the United States
and roughly 75 to 80% of the public sector employers. It's hard to suggest a reasonable argument to justify not doing
what's good for about 90% of all employers in the USA just because your
employer is not regulated. And, it’s
equally hard to justify not extending this same protection to students whose
eyes and faces are every bit as vulnerable as those of employees'.
ANSI
creates many consensus standards. They
bring together groups from government, industry, academia, and professional
organizations. Some of the standards,
like Z-87.1 get adopted by OSHA and then have the force of law. The Z-87.1 standard is actually maintained
by a Secretariat at the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE).
For
more information about the ANSI Z-87.1 standard, contact:
Z87
COMMITTEE, PRACTICE FOR EYE AND FACE PROTECTION, AN ANSI ACCREDITED STANDARDS
COMMITTEE, 1800 E. Oakton Street, Des Plaines, IL 60018, Phone: 847/699-2929,
Fax: 847/296-9221.
Identifying the Types of Devices
There are three major types of eye and face protection devices: spectacles, goggles, and face shields. Within each category there are also several types. The ANSI Z-87.1 standard describes the various types. The following points from the standard help to identify goggles: (italics added)
1. “6.3 Goggles. Primary protective devices intended to fit the face
immediately surrounding the eyes in order to shield the eyes from a
variety of hazards. Goggles commonly
are available in two styles: eyecup, to cover the eye sockets completely; and cover, which
may be worn over spectacles.
Goggles are commonly available with rigid or flexible frames, and are
usually ventilated to allow passage of air to minimize fogging.”
2. “7.4.1
Devices with Adjustable Features.
Adjustments should be made on an individual basis for a comfortable fit
that will maintain the protective device in proper position. Extra care should be taken in fitting
goggles for protection against dust and chemical splash to assure that they are sealed to the
face. Where manufacturer’s
instructions are available, they shall be followed."
LSI's understanding of the above
passages is that if the device does not fit the face immediately surrounding
the eyes or does not seal to the face, it should not be considered to be a
goggle. What do you think?
The ANSI Z-87.1 standard has a section
devoted to protector selection, section seven.
This section contains a “selection chart” which shows five major
hazards, thirteen types of commonly available devices and indicates which ones
are appropriate for each type of hazard.
Spectacles with side protectors offer the minimum protection. Where there is the possibility of a chemical
splash, a chemical splash goggle is required.
If the splash hazard is severe, then the face shield should be added.
First, note that the goggle for
chemical splash is a chemical splash goggle (indirectly vented) not the impact
goggle which is directly vented. This
latter type often has lots of small holes on the sides. Second, the face shield is not a replacement
for spectacles or goggles. Rather, it
is a supplement. It is worn over
spectacles or goggles to protect the rest of your face and your throat.
Reminder, according to the OSHA PPE
Standard, it is the employer's responsibility (and not the manufacturer's) to
determine which type(s) of device are needed for the hazards presence in the
workplace. Both ANSI and OSHA make this
point.
Certification
of Devices
It
is not mandatory for a manufacturer to produce products that comply with the
ANSI Z-87.1 standard. It is voluntary
but clearly in their best interests. It
is the employer who must ensure that the devices comply with the Z-87.1
standard.
Who
certifies that a manufacturer's eye or fact protection device complies with the
standard? There are two allowed routes:
Self and independent third party.
Some
manufacturers choose to provide their own certification that the device meets
the requirements of the Z-87.1 standard.
LSI sees some problems with this approach. We would prefer that this certification be done by an impartial
third party.
ANSI
recognizes a few organizations to do this independent testing. The Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) is
one. SEI visits the manufacturer and
does a review of the quality control, etc. and more. SEI then sends the devices to independent testing labs for the
technical specification tests.
In
speaking with one of these testing labs, LSI learned that their testing does
not determine into which category a device belongs. We were told that the manufacturer does this. There have been instances where the testing
laboratory disagreed with the manufacturer.
Interestingly,
the ANSI Z-358.1 (safety showers and eyewashes) standard in its definitions
contains the word “certify”. The definition
there is “to test by a third-party to verify performance requirements as
specified in this standard.” The Z-87.1 standard does not have this definition
use this word, or require this process.
Bottom
line … employers should be absolutely sure they know what kind of device they
need and are actually purchasing. Use
caution because there can be confusion. You might wish to know how a
manufacturer obtained the certification of its devices and how the category of
proper use was determined.
The Fundamental Principle
The folks that have the best safety
programs understand the "working safely is a condition of
employment." To say it another
way, if you want to play on our team, you play by our rules.
The state of New Hampshire got it
about right. Their legislature and
governor passed regulations requiring all public and private employers to have
a safety program. The safety program
must include provisions for verbal warning, written warning, and termination
for failure to follow company safety rules and policies.
LSI recommends adding one more step to
the process. We encourage including a
paid decision-making leave of absence (or suspension from class) after the
written warning and before termination.
This provides the employee (student) the opportunity to reassess whether
he or she is willing to follow the rule without further exception or would
prefer to resign (withdraw) at this point.
Three More Important Points
There are three additional issues that
should be mentioned briefly in conjunction with this discussion on eye and face
protection devices: contact lenses, eyewash fountains, and portable shields.
Contact
lenses
are now generally accepted in the laboratory.
In June of 1998, the American Chemical Society's Council Committee on
Chemical Safety published in C&EN its new policy on contact lenses.. They joined other professional organizations
Prevent Blindness America and American Optimetric Association) to say the use
of contact lenses in labs was acceptable as long as all appropriate eye and
face protection devices are worn.
Contact lens wearers should wear the same eye and fact protection
devices require of everyone else in the lab.
Eyewash fountains are essential emergency
equipment for all laboratories where there is risk of chemical splash. The ANSI Z-358.1 (2000) standard discusses
both eyewash fountains and safety showers.
According to the ANSI standard, the eyewash fountain should be
accessible within ten seconds. It
should be activated weekly and tested monthly.
The water should turn on (and stay on) with the pushing of a lever and
protective covers should automatically uncover the eye pieces.
Many people have never tried to use an
eyewash fountain. The worst time to
learn would be in an emergency. Have
you ever had this experience. You were
in the shower and got soap or shampoo in your eyes. What did you do? If you
are like most people, you clamped your eye shut, rubbed it, did a little dance
and perhaps even cursed. The water was
on, right there, aerated, and tempered.
How
is this going to go in the lab? You're
in pain, can't see, rubbing, dancing and perhaps cursing. But now there's furniture everywhere and a
device on the other side of the room that you've never used before. This is the recipe for a disaster.
What's
the solution? Practice. And, practice the buddy system. When a person says, "My Eyes," the
nearest person guides them to the eyewash.
The person closest to the eyewash turns it on so that it is ready when
the injured person and guide reach the eyewash.
LSI recommends making up a card that
says, "You have just splashed chemicals in you eyes." The card is given unannounced to someone in
the lab to initiate an eyewash drill.
Portable shields should be used whenever
there is risk that a reaction, experiment, or demonstration may cause an injury
to an employee (student) or to an audience (class). None of the demonstrations that hospitalized 50 children in 2000
had shields between the demo and the students.
The
recent explosion (June 2002) at a college in New England illustrates the need
for great use of shields. A graduate
student scaled up an experiment involving a reactive material. The experiment was done in a fume hood with
the sash down to within one inch of the airfoil. When the explosion occurred, fragments of the glass and shattered
metal hotplate bounced under the sash and off the airfoil lacerating the
graduate student's chest and face. A
portable shield would likely have prevented this injury.
A Good Sense Eye and Face Protection
Program
LSI recommends that both academic
institutions and other employers adopt the following eye and face protection
policy for their laboratories:
Eye protection must be worn at all times in the
laboratory. These devices must comply
with the ANSI Z-87.1 standard (including being appropriate for the
activity). The minimum acceptable
protection is spectacles with side protectors.
If the hazard is chemical splash or hot liquids (about 60 degrees
Celsius), chemical splash goggles should be worn. If the splash or impact hazard is severe, a face shield that
covers the face, neck, and throat should be added.
It will be beneficial to have all
types of devices present in a variety of sizes and shapes. No two people have the same size or shape face. Providing an element of choice is very
helpful and improves acceptance.
Conclusion
Proper eye and face protection requires
understanding the hazards that are present or likely to be present, the
relevant OSHA and ANSI standards and the differences between various protective
devices. It also requires that
management (administrators) make wearing the designated devices a condition of
employment (class participation).
If
you have questions about eye and face protection, please contact the Laboratory
Safety Institute (192 Worcester Road, Natick, MA 01760 Tel: 508-647-1900 Fax: 508-647-0062 Email:
labsafe@aol.com Web:
www.labsafety.org). Free copies of
LSI's Laboratory
Safety Guidelines are available on request.
References
1. The Code of Federal Regulations, 29 Part
1900 to 1910.999, revised as
of
July 2000, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC
2. American
National Standards Institute, ANSI Z-87.1 1998, (office: 25W. 43rd
Street, New York, New York 10036; headquarters: 1819 L Street, N.W.,
Washington, DC 20036 (www.ansi.org)
3. American National Standards Institute,
ANSI Z-358.1 2000
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to thank the many
colleagues who assisted with commentary, reviews, and suggestions to improve
and insure accuracy in this article: Sandra S. West, W.H. (Jack) Breazeale, Ken
Roy, Peter Markow, and Eileen Segal.
Author
James A. Kaufman is founder and director of
the Laboratory Safety Institute. For
over 25 years, he has been writing and lecturing on laboratory safety and
effective lab safety programs. More
then 50,000 scientists and science educators have attended his training
programs. Over two million copies of
his Laboratory
Safety Guidelines have been distributed making it one of the most
widely read lab safety publications in the world.