By Kristine Catimbang, OSHAcademy Training Coordinator

Those of us who wear glasses know foggy glasses can be quite an inconvenience. Glasses become foggy when water vapor condenses and collects on the lenses. This happens because the water vapor does not have enough energy to keep itself in a gas state once it hits the cool surface of lenses. Different factors cause fogging lenses, such as humidity, temperature changes, body heat, and face coverings (Young, 2020). With the pandemic still looming over the world, it is still common to see people wearing face coverings while working and performing day-to-day activities. Those who wear glasses or safety glasses at work know all too well that foggy lenses can get in the way. Wearing masks and face coverings has led to a growing demand for anti-fog safety glasses and solutions. 

Safety glasses are important PPE because they are the best defense against eye injuries. They can keep debris and foreign objects from getting into your eyes, shield your eyes from chemicals, and provide UV light protection if you are working long hours outside. Fogging lenses cause workers to remove or not wear safety glasses in their workplaces, especially if they are wearing face coverings to protect themselves from getting sick. One solution to this problem is to provide anti-fog safety glasses to employees. Anti-fog safety glasses have their lenses treated with anti-fog sprays, gels, wipes, or coatings during the manufacturing process. Anti-fog solutions help keep lenses clear of fog and allow workers to continue performing their work safely.

Workers in various industries may benefit from anti-fog technology. Healthcare, food service and processing plants, and construction are just a few industries with workers who can benefit from using anti-fog safety glasses. Healthcare workers wear full PPE to protect themselves while treating patients with COVID-19 and other diseases. Safety glasses can protect food service workers from having food particles go into their eyes. Construction workers who work long hours outdoors can have their eyes protected from UV rays and not fog up as the weather gets warmer.

If anti-fog solutions are not available, these are a few tips to mitigate fogging (Cleveland Clinic, 2020):

• Ensure the mask fits securely over your nose.
• Use your glasses to create a seal at the top of your mask to prevent warm air from escaping from the top of your mask.
• Tape down the mask on your nose and/or cheeks using sports or medical tape.
• Wash your lenses with soapy water and shake off the excess liquid. Allow the glasses to air dry or wipe them off using a cloth before wearing them again.

References

Cleveland Clinic. (May 2020). How to Keep Your Glasses From Fogging Up While Wearing a Mask. Retrieved from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-keep-your-glasses-fog-free-while-wearing-a-mask/

Young, Saundra. (October 2020). Face Masks and Foggy Glasses: A COVID Consequence. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20201020/face-masks-and-foggy-glasses-a-covid-conundrum

By Kristine Catimbang, OSHAcademy Training Coordinator

Safety education and training are ongoing experiencing that help build safety mindsets, knowledge, and skills. Companies must demonstrate their employees are knowledgeable and trained to do their jobs safely to prevent risks that can cause accidents, illnesses, and fatalities. Training using technology has become a growing learning method over the years. However, COVID-19 has become an accelerator in the use of technology in training at companies. An increasing number of small- and medium-sized companies now use technology to collect and analyze data to help them make their workplaces a safer environment during the pandemic.

Training resources, such as KPA and PURE Safety, provide online training and on-site auditing services to help companies create safer and healthier work environments. These training resources help companies comply with the OSHA published guidelines and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to mitigate the spread of the virus and keep their employees safe and healthy. Technology like this provides small- and medium-sized companies with easily accessible COVID-19 training modules, business-specific best practices, and other resources that help address state and federal pandemic regulations. Resources may allow companies to gather internal data on their workplaces to make better business decisions. Some training platforms are centered around mobile applications, which makes them easily accessible for all employees. The training management systems allow companies to manage the safety and health training they require their employees to take. Some training management systems even send reminders and quick refreshers to employees who have completed training to help them remember their workplaces’ safety, health, and legal requirements. Resources such as KPA also provide the option of conducting in-person risk mitigation audits to help companies identify hazards and control methods (Selko, 2021). Information collected through online resources and audits can help employers improve their safety and health programs.

The use of new apps may assist companies further in managing safety and health in the workplace. New apps are on the market that allows companies to communicate with their employees about safety and health concerns and contact trace while employees are away from their workplace (Rouvalis, 2020). Some apps allow employees to record their temperatures at home to determine if they can be at the workplace that day. Other apps track the time, distance, and frequency of contact among workers on company property. These apps allow companies to comply with social distancing guidelines and easily contact trace if any cases were to be traced to the workplace. These apps provide data that may help companies improve their illness prevention programs and make necessary changes to the workplace to keep their employees safe and healthy.

Using technology to make training more accessible makes it easier for companies to ensure their workers receive adequate training. Technology allows more companies to comply with state and federal guidelines to help mitigate the spread of the virus and keep workers safe.