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Safety glasses does anyone know if it's requeierd to wear them on the fire scene
Well we have gone back and fourth on this around the fire house about safty glasses requeirede on the fire scene. Personaly I do agree to a point we should wear them exp. ems, extercation or overhauling where thiers a change of getthing something in your eyes. but going inside for a alarm off or working on a fire ground it's pain in the ass to were them. We been told it is osha violation if we doin't where them I do understand in some buissness it can be of what their doing thier but not for us so much I don't think I have ever seen any other company where them before. I'm looking for some input if anyone eles requires it and if it is true about osha or any other agenices requirements to wearing them.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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It would depends on the enviroment you were entering, that company's policy, and your department SOP's and SOG's. There is no OSHA requirement saying you have to wear safety glasses at every type of call.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on
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Since I wear glasses anyways, I have some amount of built-in eye protection - or so I thought. Until some years ago, when I got a cinder in my eye while working at a chimney fire. I was on the roof and the wind was kind of swirling, and the cinder got behind my glasses and... a trip to the doctor two days later and a lesson learned.
I have Ess goggles now on my helmet and I think these are the only real eye protection. The glasses some of my comrades wear meet ANSI standards but in my opinion won't keep cinders or other stuff out.
In the long run it's better to be safe than sorry, whether or not OSHA mandates them.
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Permalink Reply by Robert B Pierce on
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Your face shield is considered a secondary means of eye protection. Safety glasses should be worn as you say while doing auto extrication or operating saws, tools and power equipment without your SCBA mask on. As far as wearing them to general alarm activations I know of no department that does that.
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I stand corrected, although OSHA doesn't require the use of safety glasses on all fire department calls, they do require them to be OSHA compliant and ANSI rated. One of them loop holes I guess.
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Permalink Reply by Greenman on
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Brother, it takes less than it takes less time than for you to blink your eye to lose your eye!
How hard is it to slip a pair of Safety specs on when you get in the cab for a non-emergency call? Most nowdays are pretty fashionable and look like Oakleys, only with clear lenes...some even are Oakleys.
Even routine, non-emergency calls go bad sometimes, and when they do you don't have time to put them on.
I'm currently in the Army, and even though I'm not stationed in Iraq where bombs go off all the time, we're all getting in the habit of wearing them with our gear. Just like buckling-up when you get in the rig, once you're in the habit you don't even think about it anymore - you just do it.
How do you know the alarm panel won't short when you open the box? How do you know you won't find something unexpected on a routine call, or a public assist? Does the owner's son have a meth lab hidden in his closet where the breaker panel is? You just don't know, so why not wear the spiffy eye guards and retire with your eyeballs intact?
IF your department or company sees the need for FFs to wear them in your district, then what's the harm in doing it? Put in an SOP and move on to harder issues, or do a crew drill.
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Permalink Reply by Spanner 122 on
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On every call, all the time? No, that does not seem necessary, but of course it depends on your department's SOP/SOG. Instead of arguing it back and forth, is there not a reference somewhere for you to know for sure, or maybe a Safety Officer with the department can clear it up for you. I will wear them on an EMS call (might take them off, depending on what's going on), extrication, on the fire ground I will use my visor when operating the chainsaw, using my axe or breaking windows (from the outside of course, inside I would be wearing SCBA), for overhaul, I'm on air... it's free, no pesky glasses required.
That being said, I have a pair in one of my pockets at all times incase they are required at a scene when you wouldn't expect them to be required.
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I just come from the other end of the spectrum....I'd rather take them off if they're not needed, than have to get them out if they are needed.
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Clearly, as noted, I wear them until not needed and keep them with me as a just in case. Very rarely do I need to be wearing safety glasses to an alarm at a commercial highrise downtown... lol... Not sure how this is the other end of the spectrum... sounds like we're sitting side by side at the same end!
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We wear SCBA's to an alarm activation as is. If the crap hits the fan, safety glasses would be the least of our worries as we would have full facial protection with the mask. To play the devils advocate wearing safety glasses to every call because you never know, would that mean wearing a SCBA and breathing air because you never know? I keep the glasses in the coat until needed
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Good find Ed. Only one I question (as I always play the devils advocate LOL) is this.
5-10.1 Primary face and eye protection appropriate for a given specific hazard shall be provided and used by members exposed to that specific hazard.
Such primary face and eye protection shall meet the requirements of ANSI Z87.1.
This quote seems alone to be a total cover your ass regulation so that they can say that eye injuries could have been avoided through the policies of NFPA. It doesn't target specific's, nor does it say you must wear them on every call which is the focal point of the forum topic.
Isn't it amazing how they can cram a ton of words together in legal speak (like reading a law journal) instead of laying it down in clear English with absolute definitions? Of course they wouldn't do that, because that would be specific enough to hang them with. It is simply another guideline to build Department SOG's off of
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Permalink Reply by Greg Hunts on
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Were going through a similar issue here. I work for a federal fire department and NFPA is the bible. NFPA says that a face shield is a second means of eye protection and it refers to ANSI. ANSI says an SCBA mask with the regulator in place is considerd full eye protection and if it is not being used you must were an approved goggle for any other action requiring eye protection. On EMS calls it requires saftey glasses with side guards. I've gotten into the habit of whereing saftey glasses on all calls no matter what they are. I've gotten into the habit of whering them most of the time even around the station for day to day duties. That way I never forget to put them on. It is just like whering persciption glasses. New people ask me why I don't get contacts and are surprised that there not perscription. A couple of the pobis and some of the "old timers" are even starting to where them all of the time now.
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I didn't mean with SCBA.
I did say on "Even routine, non-emergency calls" such as Public-Assistance calls, etc. Might not be a bad idea during some inspections and preplan visits...depending on the type of occupancy, cleanliness, etc...
But I'm a Safety Officer and wearing a pair of $5 glasses will save your eyes if something totally unexpected happens. IMHO it's not only our job to make sure everyone goes home, but also to make sure everyone goes home with all of their digits, limbs, hearing and eyesight intact. Especially if the prevention is as cheap and easy to use as safety glasses. We can't avoid every hazard, but we can mitigate the effects if something unexpected happens.
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