There’s more than one reason to wear proper eye protection on the job. Preserving vision is the obvious reason, but another for workers in the sewer and drain industry is to prevent infection.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends eye protection for settings where workers may be at risk of acquiring infectious diseases – and sewer and drain cleaners certainly face such risks from the many pathogens in wastewater.
Infectious diseases can be transmitted through various mechanisms, including through the mucous membranes of the eyes.
Some of these viruses and bacteria can cause infection of the eyes themselves. Others can cause systemic infections. Pathogens can be introduced to the eyes by way of splashes, or from touching of the eyes with contaminated fingers. Ordinary prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses do not provide protection. Proper protective eyewear does provide a barrier to infectious materials.
What to wear
There are many kinds of eye protection, and the best kind for specific work situations depends largely on the nature and extent of the hazard. In general, eye protection must be comfortable, must allow for adequate peripheral vision, and must be adjustable to enable a secure fit. Employers may need to provide several types, styles, and sizes to accommodate different people and various tasks.
Appropriately fitted goggles with a manufacturer’s anti-fog coating provide the most reliable practical eye protection from the splashes and sprays encountered in pipe cleaning. Newer styles of goggles may provide better indirect airflow to reduce fogging, and provide better peripheral vision and more size options.
Goggles must fit snugly, especially from the corners of the eye across the brow. Directly vented goggles may allow penetration by splashes or sprays, so indirectly vented or non-vented goggles are more appropriate for infection control.
Safety glasses provide impact protection for the eyes but do not provide the same level of splash or droplet protection as goggles and generally should not be used for infection control.
For those who need prescription eyewear, many safety goggles and safety glasses fit comfortably over street eyewear. Prescription safety glasses with side protection are available, but do not protect against splashes or droplets as well as goggles. Special prescription inserts are available for goggles.
Contact lenses by themselves offer no infection control protection, but they can be worn with any recommended eye protection device. Workers who wear contact lenses should rigorously stick to hand-washing guidelines when inserting, adjusting, or removing the lenses.
Removing eyewear safely
Contaminated eye protection should be removed by handling only the portion that secures the device to the head (plastic temples, elasticized band, ties), as this material is considered relatively clean.
The front and sides of the device should not be touched, as these are the surfaces most likely to be contaminated by sprays or droplets. Non-disposable eye protection should be placed in a designated receptacle for cleaning and disinfection.
Where possible, workers should be assigned their own eye protection to ensure appropriate fit and to minimize the potential of exposing the next wearer.
Employers should keep track of incidents in which employees are exposed to splashes or droplets to the face. Incident reports should be reviewed to identify incidents that could have been prevented by the proper use of protective eyewear – whether or not actual infection resulted.
