Eye protection must be fit for purpose

Eye protection and other safety gear must be fit for purpose the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned, after a worker was injured. 

The man was badly burned when molten metal sprayed from the back of a machine and landed on him, burning his right arm, shoulder, leg and face.

An investigation revealed that the company had ignored its own risk assessment and previous accidents involving "blow backs" of molten metal - failing to install guarding and issue appropriate workwear that could have prevented the accident.

Commenting on the incident, the HSE said: "While personal protective equipment is not a substitute for effective guarding, the operators' overalls and eye protection were unsuitable for the amount of molten metal spray."

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 state that safety gear must be assessed for suitability before use, maintained and stored properly, come with instructions on safe use, and be used appropriately by employees.

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