Insurance Against Airborne Pathogens in Individualistic Eyewear for Healthcare

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines state that personal protection equipment (PPE) should “fit comfortably, encouraging worker use.”¹ Ill-fitting PPE, OSHA says, “can make the difference between being safely covered or dangerously exposed.”¹

In a 2020 hospital survey, noncompliance with PPE was seen most often in eye protection. Further questions in the survey revealed that the lack of compliance, mostly among surgeons, was primarily due to discomfort, poor visibility and frequent fogging.²

Documented cases of COVID-19 traced disease contraction through the eyes of doctors who were otherwise protected in head-to-toe PPE.³ These recent studies along with decades of evidence to support ocular disease transmission will likely lead to stronger recommendations for universal eyewear as part of healthcare PPE standards.

As eyewear settles into the protocol for healthcare organizations, infection prevention and purchasing departments should consider the key user factors of performance and comfort. Healthcare workers need gear that not only stands up to the wear and tear of long shifts; they need PPE designed for individuals.

A Good Fit for the Job

PPE across product categories has evolved to meet the needs of a diverse workforce. Hospital staff demographics have changed over time, but some facilities still struggle to stock broad enough offerings for their workforces.

Offering a variety of high-performing eyewear to staff provides healthcare networks and facilities an avenue for appreciating front-line workers. People have different needs. Faces are unique. Front line workers need the right tools—and eyewear—for every job.

The Right Eyewear: Four Benefits for Healthcare

Healthcare workers in busy environments need eyewear that’s durable, comfortable and styled for multiple tasks and interactions. Honeywell’s PPE product research and manufacturing expertise have yielded a line of goggles and eyewear that satisfies various attributes:

Protection

Providing too much or too little eyewear PPE protection can hinder or endanger healthcare professionals. When staff can access a variety of fully enclosed goggles, lower profile fully sealed goggles and eyewear with and without side shields, the whole team is appropriately protected. Indications of safety include ANSI and CSA product approvals.

Comfort

In environments where infection prevention best practices prohibit touching the face, comfortable eyewear frees healthcare professionals from discomfort distraction. Long shifts and critical work require PPE eyewear that is lightweight and non-irritating. 

Performance

Special lens coatings allow full visibility when doctors and support staff need it most. Vision reduction slows care and can endanger patients, while it frustrates healthcare staff. Goggles and eyewear that allow prescription inserts serve the needs of healthcare professionals who need vision correction, a situation affecting three out of four Americans.

Fogging of goggle and eyewear lenses is a primary factor in eyewear PPE non-compliance. Honeywell’s anti-fog features, like HydroShield® on the Uvex Avatar^TM eyewear and Anti-fog cloths are a key differentiator against other eyewear PPE options.

Individuality

Workers need choices. One goggle or eyewear style might fit better for some people than others. In procuring eyewear for different people in different departments, one size never fits all. Eyewear can be as individualized as the treatment and care each doctor, nurse, or technician provides.

At Honeywell, we know how to support safe, productive work environments with high-performing PPE. Because eyewear is a critical part of the wardrobe of many healthcare professionals, Honeywell continues to collaborate with customers to offer one of the largest selections of top-rated products in the industry.

Whether you work in a hospital, dental office, or private practice, we strive to provide the PPE you can count on.
Click here to learn more or to contact one of our healthcare PPE specialists.

References

¹ Personal Protective Equipment: Overview; Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA.gov); Accessed 5/19/2022;

² Compliance and perception about personal protective equipment among health care workers involved in the surgery of COVID-19 negative cancer patients during the pandemic; Gagan Prakash, Preethi Shetty, Shivakumar Thiagarajan, et al.; J Surg Oncol. 2020;122(6):1013-1019; doi:10.1002/jso.26151

³ The eye as the discrete but defensible portal of coronavirus infection; Corneo, MT; Ocul Surf; 2021;19:176-182. doi:10.1016/j.jtos.2020.05.011