How much do you care about your eyes???

[jackhartjr]

Hi folks, the thread about the drill bits made me think about eye safety!
In 1994 John Deere made a corporate decision that eveyone...from the president down...would wear safety glasses while in the working area of their plants...worldwide!  After one year there were exactly ZERO...None...no  not one...eye injuries.  (I forgot how many they had the year before, if I can find out I will post it.)

Do you ALWAYS wear eye protection while grinding, drilling, even hammering?

I have found that if I have the safety glasses handy and easy to get to I will wear them more!

I keep on pair dedicated to the grinder...that way it is always there.

Just food for thought!

Jack

[Runcutter]

Jack, good reminder.  One property I worked on had a pair of safety glasses mounted on the shop foreman's office window - with a big chip in the center of one lens.  It was a good reminder to everyone, that flying metal can be stopped better by lexan, than by a human eye.  Last night, I was turning something on the wood lathe, and a chip hit my face shield.  Without a shield it could have caused injury.

Going a step farther, I've also seen what's left after a bird strike on a bus windshield.  I've worn glasses for several decades, and have no intention of changing from eyeglasses (and I use polycarbonate lenses) - for the eye protection that they add at all times (of course, the Mr. MaGoo image also comes into play when my glasses are off).

Arthur

[travelingfools]

I've been wearing safety glasses when I use the grinder and occasionally when drilling. Although, I have to say, when I don't have them on, and a piece of steel hits my face, I stop what I'm doing and go get them..Having them handy iS definitely a big decider on if I wear them...

But nothing bad will ever happen to me...

[jackhartjr]

Arthur, I saw a company once that manufatured aircraft windshields.  They test them by shooting a frozen chicken out of a cannon divise at 400MPH.  I didn't know that.  I learned about it when I saw a broken, (But not destoyed) triangular winow like you see all of the time!  I thought Charles Manson had been through the plant with all of the blood on it.
Jack

[HighTechRedneck]

I've been bad lately at not wearing them because they tend to get scratched up and hazy, making them annoying.  This thread is a good reminder that I really need to wear them.  I wear vision correcting glasses too, but usually take them off for close up work.  But for that matter, safety glasses are under $10, my eyeglasses are over $200.  I should let the cheap ones take any hits anyway.  Note to self:  Wear those annoying safety glasses!

One thought towards making them more handily available, attach a lightweight strap to the arms of the safety glasses and hang them around your neck.

[skipn]

 Thanks Jack,
It is one of those good habits to get into.
I was used to putting them on when I started work and taking them off when I went home.
I've worn corrective lenses almost my whole life. When I wore contacts I paid good money
for well fitting safety glass. When I went back to wearing glasses fulltime I always got the safety
version.  Even with safety equipment sometimes you get nailed and wearing a patch is no fun BTDT.

The newer style glasses don't cover the eyes as much as my coke bottles did so I will be getting something
to go over my glasses or buying correct shop glasses.

 Other shop items to watch out for..........
   Air tools (nozzles, wire brushes ect.) If you have ever had a wire wheel blow up picking the quills out is NO fun.
   Soldering electric tip or gas
 
 Well the more I think about it if you are going to work with any tool
 Wear protective gear.

   FWIW
 Skip

[rv_safetyman]

Good reminder!

I only have one good eye, so it is really important to me.  I always wear safety glasses when I grind or drill.

Having said that, I have had steel particles ground out several times (usually seems to embed in my good eye ).  My safety glasses have side shields, but when grinding the particles seem to bounce off of something nearby and bounce back past the glasses.  It has happened several times, so it is not just chance.

What I do now, when grinding, is to wear one of my old welding helmets with the welding lens up and only the clear lens in use.  That really has stopped the problem.  It also lets air in and stops the fogging issue on hot days.

I just read a hint where a person used his wife's swimming goggles.  Full protection, and no fogging.  Hope his wife did not find out !

I often struggle with the material that the glasses are made of.  Most cheap protective lens are made with cheap plastic from what I can tell.  That will stop small particles, but does not have the strength of polycarbonate that is often used in premium eye protection.  My normal glasses are made with polycarbonate, but I don't wear them in the shop.

Not sure how far you go, but I really try to be careful

[belfert]

I wear safety glasses just about any time I am working on the bus regardless of power tool use.  It saved me once when my friend helping me hit my face with something.

I ask everyone to wear safety glasses if they help, but not everyone does.

[WEC4104]

Arthur, I saw a company once that manufatured aircraft windshields.  They test them by shooting a frozen chicken out of a cannon divise at 400MPH.  I didn't know that.  I learned about it when I saw a broken, (But not destoyed) triangular winow like you see all of the time!  I thought Charles Manson had been through the plant with all of the blood on it.
Jack

Chickens, yes.  Frozen chickens, no.

Launching frozen chickens (by mistake) at plane windshields is just an urban legend.  Ref: http://www.snopes.com/science/cannon.asp

[jackhartjr]

Hi guy, maybe I thought they said frozen.
I do know that it was 400MPH because the cannon would only shoot it that fast.
Thanks for the correction.
Jack

[jjrbus]

Real men don't need safety glasses or respirators!!!! In this day and age you can get new eyes or lungs. Besides it is hard to smoke with a respirator on.
When I was younger I had to go to an eye doctor to get a woodchip removed from my eye, most painful experience I ever had. I always wear safety glasses. When working on batteries I use goggles!!! Ever see one of those suckers explode?

[boogiethecat]

A REALLY good trick, should you get a piece o' steel in your eye for whatever reason, is to have a neodymium supermagnet on hand.  Put it right up to your eyeball and the steel goes "poof" and sticks to the magnet.  This has saved my ars so many times I can't tell you, safety glasses or not (I wear them)
Works for little grinding bits, drill chips, etc.  Too bad it doesn't work on stainless... only steel....
Cheers

[Chaz]

I am a FIRM believer and my friends and especially girlfriend have to remind me to take them off on a fairly regular basis.  Really! I have become pretty attached to these pearls.
   
  Seeing clearly,
    Chaz

[buswarrior]

Go out and buy EXCELLENT safety glasses.

Who cares what they cost?

If they aren't good to see out of, you won't wear them!

More than likely you'll have to go to a safety supply house, not the big box stores.

Get good ones, comfortable frames, clear lenses, put them on your face in the morning, take them off in the evening, you'll forget they are on there.

Get crappy ones, you'll discard at the first moment you really need to see.

What price will you put on the safety glasses AFTER losing an eye?

Great advice, any powered tool, or striking tool, put 'em on!!!!

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[belfert]

BW, can you recommend any excellent safety glasses?  I had ordered four or five pair from a place when I started on the bus, but all but one pair has been broken or lost.  The ones I have now are very good and I sometimes forget I have them on, but no information on them as to model number or something on them.

I bought a box of safety glasses from Sam's Club and they were junk.  They caused optical distortions and I returned them.