Compressed air is used by most industries, and is often used to blow off work places from dirt or chips. One of the most common injuries when blowing with compressed air is eye injuries, that often occur when cleaning due to chips and particles that bounces back towards the operator. This is often not considered, but it can be a big safety risk to the operator. Even small particles can cause large injuries, especially if the operator does not have access to the correct safety equipment.
According to statistics from OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in US, 90 percent of eye injuries can be prevented with the correct safety equipment. If flying chips and particles may occur in the work environment, safety glasses with side protection must be worn. These helps to prevent back bouncing particles from getting in behind the safety glasses and cause harm.
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There are three important things to think about to decrease the risk of eye injuries:
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To not work preventively with the risk of eye injuries costs a lot of money. According to OSHA the cause of eye injuries cost more than $300 million per year.
To increase the occupational safety even more, and to give the operator extra protection, air blow guns with safety shield can be used. The air shield minimizes the risk of chips and particles to get in behind the safety glasses and cause injuries.