Chemical Engineering March 2017 - 57

manufacturing plant, moisture in the
air causes tiny droplets of water to
collect on lenses, primarily the outside
surface.
Worker exertion. Lenses fog when
workers exert themselves. As an
individual's body temperature rises,
the heat and sweat produced around
the eyes, face and head need to dissipate
into the atmosphere. Since
safety spectacles, goggles and
sealed eyewear all restrict ventilation,
moisture condenses and forms fog
on the inside surface of the lens.
Transitions between warm and
cool
environments. Whether
workers move from warm to cool
environments, such as a hot loading
dock to a refrigerated storage
unit, or from cool to warm settings,
such as a wintry outdoor site to a
heated vehicle, transitions between
warm and cool environments cause
fogging, primarily on the outside of
the lens.
Lens washing. A lesser known factor
behind fogging is washing. Each
time lenses are cleaned with soap
and water they are exposed to
moisture - the very element they
are designed to manage. With each
washing, most lenses' anti-fog
properties erode, making them less
capable of managing water from
the environment.
Given the variety and prevalence
of factors that contribute to
fogging, it is easy to see how fog
impacts the majority of workers
across most environments.
Impact on safety
Whatever the cause, workers with vision
that is obscured by fog cannot
clearly see the hazards around them,
and are therefore left vulnerable to an
array of injuries, from minor bumps to
life-threatening harm. Workers who
remove their eyewear in the presence
of hazards to avoid the hassle
and distraction of fog are vulnerable
to eye injury from falling objects, airborne
particulate matter and splashing
chemicals.
Removal of safety eyewear has
other safety implications, as well. In
addition to the obvious physical hazards,
safety eyewear also protects the
eyes from harmful visible and invisible
light. The effects of overexposure to
optical radiation range from eye fatigue,
dryness and irritation, to shortterm
and permanent vision loss. In
fact, long-term exposure to the sun's
invisible ultraviolet (UV) rays is a leading
cause of cataracts and blindness
in the U.S. [1]. Therefore, when workers
remove their safety eyewear -
and keep it off - due to fogging, they
face greater risk from physical and
optical radiation hazards alike.
Impact on productivity
Foggy lenses negatively impact productivity,
too. When safety eyewear
fogs, workers have little choice but
to remove it and wipe it clear, which
can lead to repeated interruptions
throughout the shift. When eyewear
is removed in the work zone, even
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Circle 32 on p. 90 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66426-32
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
MARCH 2017
57
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Chemical Engineering March 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering March 2017
