Safety - Field Sampling: Principles and Practices in Environmental Analysis - page 94

type glasses (See Figure 4.3.) Protective eyewear is especially needed in areas that are
heavily contaminated or are suspected of being heavily contaminated. They are also
needed when working with drilling or powered sampling equipment.
Workers have many reasons and excuses as to why they should not have to wear safety
glasses or goggles. Often the complaint of workers is that they cannot see through them.
After wearing them for a couple of hours, however, they often forget to take them off
when they leave the work
FIGURE 4.3 Safety goggles (left) and visitor-type safety glasses (right).
area. Another argument is that the person will not spill anything and so there is no reason
to wear eye protection. In this case the counterargument is that they cannot say the same
thing about the people with whom they are working.
Goggles in the Laboratory
During the past 30+ years I have taught students laboratory skills and safety.
In that time I have never had a student lose his or her eyesight. For the whole
30+ years students constantly complain about safety goggles. The most
common complaint is that they cannot see with them on. After several
laboratory sessions, however, students often forget they are wearing goggles
and forget to take them off when exiting the laboratory!
Reminding workers and students to wear goggles is a constant chore. Even
after 3 years of reminders I will walk into a laboratory and find students not
wearing their goggles. I never allow anyone to work or even be in the
laboratory without goggles.
Workers have two valid complaints about wearing goggles. One is that in hot weather
they fog up. The second is that they leave marks on their faces. Fogging is a problem in
hot, humid conditions. Antifogging goggles are available, and workers can leave the
work area and remove the goggles and allow them to air out if need be. If marks are left
on the face then the straps are not adjusted correctly. Goggles need only be tight enough
to prevent liquids and solids from getting into the eyes; they generally do not need to be
tight enough to leave marks.