Obtaining Safety Shoes & Prescription Safety Glasses

When it has been determined that your job duties pose a hazard requiring the use of steel toed safety shoes or safety glasses, the college will provide these to you at no cost.

Safety Shoes

College employees can receive safety shoes by contacting the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. You will be issued a voucher for the purchase of shoes through a local vendor. The voucher is valued at $100 and will provide choice of multiple shoe options that will allow all employees to obtain a pair that fit comfortably.

Foot Protection

1. Selection
   Use steel toed safety shoes when there is a potential of falling or rolling objects, sharp objects, molten metal, hot surfaces and when performing manual handling of heavy materials. It is important to make sure shoes fit properly; consult with the safety shoe vendor on advice on fit and appropriateness to specific work conditions.
2. Proper Use – Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
3. Limitations – the greatest protection of the foot will be under the area of the steel insert, other parts of the foot will not have as great a protection but will have some.
4. Inspection and Maintenance – keep footwear clean and polished to last longer. Replace broken or frayed laces and be attentive to overall wear and deterioration.

Safety Glasses

If you wear prescription glasses, safety prescription glasses (where required due to your job duties) can be obtained by contacting the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. You will be issued a voucher for selection and fitting of glasses at a local vendor. The employee is responsible for obtaining an eye exam and providing a current prescription to the vendor.

If you do not wear prescription glasses, you can obtain plain safety glasses through your department where required due to your job duties.

Eye and Face Protection

National injury data shows that 60 percent of workers with eye injuries were not wearing eye protection. For workers who were using eye protection, 40 percent were wearing the wrong eye protection for the job. It is estimated that more than 1,000 eye injuries occur each day and that over the course of a year, more than 100,000 of these injuries will result in some form of vision loss.

1. Selection of the Correct Eye Protection
   1. Safety glasses with side shields – Must be utilized where there is potential for flying particles and chips or other debris, when working around power tools and equipment and other impact hazards.
   2. Goggles and or safety glasses and a face shield – Must be utilized where there is a potential for a splash from liquid chemicals, vapors or gases, molten metal.
   3. Shaded eyewear – Needed for working around light radiation sources such as welding, cutting, lasers, etc.
2. Proper Use
   1. Eye and face wear should be adjusted to provide maximum protection and comfort. Goggles or safety glasses can be worn over prescription glasses. Face shields are not adequate for eye protection and must be worn with safety glasses or goggles.
   2. Contact lenses may be worn under safety glasses but wearers should know that heavily contaminated or chemical environments may present additional hazards if chemical vapors or gases get trapped under their lenses. Proper eye protection must be utilized in conjunction with, or instead of, contact lenses.
3. Limitations: Eye protection may decrease peripheral vision, they may fog (use vented goggles), of if scratched and dirty will obstruct vision.
4. Inspection & Maintenance: Keep clean, inspect daily, clean with soap and warm water or a cleaning solution. Replace scratched or pitted lenses.