POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

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Are Safety Glasses Mandatory For Technicians?

YES - Techs must wear them no matter what they're working on
9
18%
NO - Techs make that decision themselves
40
82%
 
Total votes: 49
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POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by abauto »

I have a question for everyone.

In your shop, have you made it mandatory for mechanics to wear safety glasses or is it still left up to the tech??

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Re: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by ricmorin »

I want to make sure I understand before I vote. Do you mean that techs wear safety glasses at all times while in the shop or only when the work they are performing dictates? Or do you mean that techs are required to wear safety glasses when proper or let them decide if they want to wear them at all?
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Re: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by steven kiser »

we are required by me to all wear safety glasses when in the working area of the shop. i've seen a rust slag explode and the sparks carry into the other bay. i've had particals blown into my eye when a tech two bays away blow mice nests out fom under an intake manifold. a full face mask is required at the grinder or wire wheel. we also use padded gloves when using air tools along with ear plugs.
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Re: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by abauto »

ricmorin wrote:I want to make sure I understand before I vote. Do you mean that techs wear safety glasses at all times while in the shop or only when the work they are performing dictates? Or do you mean that techs are required to wear safety glasses when proper or let them decide if they want to wear them at all?

When the work they are doing dictates that they should be wearing glasses or some other form of eye protection. Do you require them at all times, when it's proper, or let them decide if they want to or not??

Sorry if I made that unclear.
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Re: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by ricmorin »

We require and provide them when dictated. We do not require them at ALL times while the employee is in the shop, only when the work they are doing dictates. This policy has the full support of our local auto dealers association and our insurance carrier. The shop hasn't had an eye related injury in years; maybe 7 or more. Our policy holder has ongoing training programs held here at the shop that promotes safety.
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Re: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by gatorgirl »

We require safety glasses only when the work being done is a potential situation for an eye injury. Our techs always use common sense & they are readily available at anytime.
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Re: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by steven kiser »

safety is a huge issue with me. i wear glasses so i'm pretty much covered. i have welding helmets on each piece of equipment that needs one to operate along with aprons and gloves. i treat my techs as if they operate like me. that's not a good thing :oops: . on occasion i find myself in a bit of a rush and that's when safety seems to fall a bit behind. if i need to use the torches for a quick cut and the glasses aren't hanging on the caddy i'll spend no time looking for them. the same goes for the mig and plasma cutter. while we're on the subject i think i'll take it to the next level. safety goes way beyond glasses. it includes educating everyone in safety procedures starting with how to set a vehicle on a lift and perserve a detached piece of mmmmmmmmmmm body. each bay has a fire extinguisher, eye wash bottle, small first aid case and sterile water with alka seltzer packets attached to it. this will neautralize acid. i have a main eye wash station in the middle of the shop, a burn kit, along with a well stocked medicine cabinet. i have a bottle of liquid benidryl on hand in case of an allergic reaction. unforunatly, when i get those e/mails of the stupid things people do (we've all seen them, the car on it side braced by 2x4's, etc.) i find myself ooking at them and thinking "i never thought of that". :shock:
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Re: POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by Tim Martin »

I didn't vote and while I am strongly in support of safety glasses and other safety features, I have a question: Are safety glasses available that do not fog over or heat up when worn? I have a hot head, literally and have tried wearing safety glasses but every time I do, they for over and I can't see. Any ideas?
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Re: POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by steven kiser »

there are good glasses available that won't fog over. aw direct, lowes, home depot all carry them. i have shaded ones for outside work as well. if you scratch a good pair i've found the headlamp refinishing kit can get some scrapes off. so the next time you buy one of those one time kits don't throw the leftovers away.
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Re: POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by Tim Martin »

thanks for your suggestion steve. I will check these places out soon. It sure is good to have fellow techs/shop owners that know their stuff. My hat is off to ya steve. I wear bi focal glasses, can these safety glasses be worn over top of them or how does that work? I well nigh can't see much at all without my specs. Ya know how it is - - - - - its called gettin older.
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Re: POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by steven kiser »

i wear shatter proof glasses. most eye glasses today aren't glass. as a rule i can use the less expensive magnifiyng glasses. there re also a special style of glasses i use that i purchased at a fishing supply store that are bifocal. they work great. they're a shaded (you can choose which one) and they have the lower focus magnified so i can easily tie a not. other wise i'm changing glasses or i feel like a onelegged man in an asskickin contest. as in fishing as well as work it always happens when i'm not in a position to switch my glasses back and forth. i'm under a dash and and can see clearly what i'm doing 12" in front of me but if i have to read the listing on the fuse panel i'm over it. i have one of those building 19 stores near me. they sell things cheap, i mean cheap. i go there and when they have the wooden crates full of the magnifying glasses at $1.50 each i buy $25 worth. i'm not that particular of the style. i'm very, very safety cautious. i've learned b my mistakes. i'm missing toes on one foot, on the other i have two toes that are fused from being shattered. i can't count the stitches i've recieved and i've had the pleasure of getting a cat scan with metal fragments in my eyes. i guess i'm an extremist as far as safety goes. i also require all my tech's to announce when they're hitting the mig trigger while welding. we use welding curtains but on occasion they'll be an angle that's not covered. the welding, cutting carts have extinguishers attached to them. as an shop owner i admit i'm safety extreme. i don't want to feel guilty if a tech looses an eye or digit because of me. if by chance something disasterous happens i want it to be becaue the unfortunate person disreguarded a shop rule. i do everything possible to instill safety. we all have had a chemical splash back into our eyes. i had a level 1 tech loosten a pressurised line on an injection cleaner hose. he pent two days in the hospitals eye care unit. the safety goggles were still hanging on the pressure guages of the solvent container. yes it happened in my shop, but the safety equipment was readily available, right on the equipment, he had to move the glasses to put the solvent into the cyliner. i'm sorry it happened but i don't feel guilty. i wish i had the safety consious attitude then that i have now. things may be a little better for me. i'de much rather listen to my tech's complain when i yell at them for not wearing safety equipment than see them get hurt. i supply them with padded mats to kneal on as well a height adjustable stools. i have the cart that allows them to lay over an engine as opposed to lean over the fender to save back strain. enough about this. it's a matter of choice for them but a matter of self imposed responsiblity for me.
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Re: POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by Johnny5 »

Someone was asking about antiflog glasses - I get my safety glasses from these guys http://www.discountsafetygear.com/eye-protection.html They have all sorts of nifty stuff... including welding gear.

I ordered two pair of http://www.discountsafetygear.com/pyv2ggoamaf.html a week ago...
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Re: POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by ischilk »

We require saefty glasses in the shop when perform a task that may cause an eye injury. Sometimes I have to remind them of the policy, but most have at 1 time or another had something removed from there eye so they are pretty good about wearing them.
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Re: POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by Qbasic8 »

We do not require safety glasses bewing worn at all times, but we our techs do use common sence. When grinding, torches, cutoff wheels, and other activities have a potential for eye injuries they wear them. Though I have worn safety glasses and still had rust sneak around them somehow and get stuck in my eye which led to a trip to the hosopital for extraction which was costly. So safety can not be stressed enough, but I do think I will make wearing safety glasses a new policy. As I know what it is like to have eye injuries due to this field.

There should always be a designated area with free hearing protection, eye protection, and at least latex gloves available.
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Re: POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by Stellar »

We don't require them at all. Come to think of it in the one shop I don't think they have any (I don't really agree with this) and in the other they use them to their discretion. If I had my way they would have at least enough pairs for each tech AND be required to wear them, but since it's not I just sit here and wait and hope nothing happens. I know they definitely use the welding masks when welding but that's about it. I'm kinda a safety nut so it drives me crazy but I just stay in the office and it's all good :)
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Re: POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by steven kiser »

Stellar wrote:We don't require them at all. Come to think of it in the one shop I don't think they have any (I don't really agree with this) and in the other they use them to their discretion. If I had my way they would have at least enough pairs for each tech AND be required to wear them, but since it's not I just sit here and wait and hope nothing happens. I know they definitely use the welding masks when welding but that's about it. I'm kinda a safety nut so it drives me crazy but I just stay in the office and it's all good :)


in some instances (this being one) I'd make it an issue so when something happens i wouldn't feel guilty. in my shop i'm the one that looses when someone gets hurt. i feel responsible if i didn't make sure that safety was adhered to. i've sent tech's home because they were irresponsible when it came to safety. i supply all sorts of safety equipment. kneeling pads, good eye protection, head sets and ear plugs for ear protection, welding masks, welding gloves, hats, vests, and breathing apparatus if we're welding galvanized. i make sure the lot is taken care of and the trash barrels aren't overloaded to save a back issue. it's very unfortunate
that common sense has to be dictated but it has to be. i'm the one that will get sued or my comp will skyrocket when someone gets hurt. even though i have everything documented and signed by the tech i'm still financially responsible if they get injured. all i've done is to relieve the personal guilt associated with an injury. i have cameras outside the shop for theft deterrents as well as lowering my liability insurance. i'm putting them into the shop so i can have accidents recorded for liability protection. guilt is a terrible thing to shoulder. if you feel that you haven't done enough so if someone looses an eye then do it. hindsight guilt is a burden. you can relieve the possibility of carrying it now. do it............
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Re: POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by Stellar »

You make some very good points. The thing is I just don't have the finances to get the safety stuff, it would have to come from my own pocket and funds are simply VERY limited at the moment. The owners just don't see it the way you do. They see it as 'money wasted'. As much as I try to argue the point home that it's going to cost more in the long run if something does happen, they're of the mindset that nothing will. As you know from my thread of "cutting costs", I'm in a fight with them about almost everything. They just want the money, and only come in maybe once a week but we can't do anything without their approval (which can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks). There are no safety procedures in place here, customers walk around like they own the place... what if it's one of them that gets hurt?!?! I've been fighting this battle for months now and they all look at me like I'm talking another language. I'm trying to find the outline of safety for my area to strengthen my argument. They also have cameras in and outside of the shop but more for the GM to watch what we're doing than anything. I don't know if anything is actually recorded inside or just streamed. The techs work really hard and should at least have the option of doing it safely. I know I'm a young woman in a man's world and I don't actually know a lot about car repair, just the admin side of things but that doesn't mean I don't understand safety and business. Cause and Effect. Okay now I'm just starting to ramble and my fingers are moving faster than my brain lol. Thanks for the advice Steven and I'm always open to more :)
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Re: POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by crmeyers »

We all know the first "RULE" in the book - "Always wear safety glasses". But being a technician for many years, it's not always practical! We hire professional adults that hopefully will choose the proper times to wear eye protection. Will there be mishaps? Hopefully not! We're all supposed to wear seatbelts too!
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Re: POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by myfiveshop »

We've tried just about everything to get the guys to wear safety glasses at all times. We had one guy get metal shavings in his eye and lost almost 15% of his vision in that eye and it still didn't motivate everyone to wear them. More recently, I put a new plan in place that rewards each employee with a $100 bonus each month that they are not cited for not wearing their safety glasses. We've got a big chart up on the wall that I update each week that shows if someone got busted or not. For the most part this has really gotten a majority of the shop wearing there glasses. It's a bit expensive, but far less expensive then the additional medical costs with an injury. Money talks I guess. Should have figured.... :D

I've also started letting the guys pick there own style of safety glasses and ordering one person his favorite style. Everyone seems to like something a bit different. Buying them online has let me get away from having to by case quantities of the same style. I've been getting most of them here: http://www.coopersafety.com/safetyglasses.aspx.
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Re: POLL: Mandatory Safety Glasses?

Post by Pauls Automotive »

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the information. :D
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