Canadian Occupational Safety

December/January 2016 19 December/January 2016 19 go into the back of the face shield and bounce into the face," he says. "Look at the hazard and calculate what kind of angles and what kind of material could actually get between the face shield and the worker's face." Depending on the hazard, Rick- etts adds, workers may need to be equipped with shields that have a greater curvature. "For example, if you have chemicals that can splash and the chemicals are below waist height, you need to make sure the splash shield has coverage below the chin. So the shield might fi t closer to the chest so that it protects the bottom of the face and the throat." Workers often need to wear safety glasses or goggles underneath the shield to protect their eyes from any hazardous material that could get behind the shield. If workers are exposed to high heat, the best shield material to protect against this risk is polycarbonate, says Greg Blackhurst, marketing manager at Intertex Textiles in Oakville, Ont. Face shields made of polycarbonate are designed for such processes as steel-making, heat-treating, forging, die casting, glass making and alumi- num smelting and refi ning. Some polycarbonate shields have a small amount of gold bonded onto the outer surface. "Gold is the best refl ector of UV and the infrared. So you don't get UV and infrared damage to your face and eyes, and your face stays cooler," says Blackhurst. Some gold shields have a blue (didymium) tint added to the polycarbonate. These are made to protect people doing hot glass work. The blue tint blocks out different colours of the spectrum. "In hot glass work, there's a lot of yellow fl are. If you can fi lter out the yellows, you can see your work much better. You can still see the red, which helps you judge the temperature of your work," says Blackhurst. "In glass- making and glassblowing, being able to judge the temperature is important." WELDING HELMETS Welding safety equipment must pro- tect the face, forehead, neck and ears and be effective against radiation, hot slag, sparks, spatters and chemical burns. While welding, workers must wear a welding helmet, hand shield or goggles, says Mark O'Shaughnessy, director of the Institute of Technical Trades in Toronto. A short list of occu- pations that involve welding includes fabrication, automotive, airlines, food equipment and construction. Most companies today use auto- darkening helmets, he says. The worker adjusts a setting button on the side of the helmet to the kind of work she is doing. "If the person is grinding, that will keep it light. If they're welding, the lens will darken depending on the type of welding they're doing," O'Shaughnessy says. The auto-darkening feature eliminates the need to wear safety glasses or goggles under the helmet, he says, adding "but people often wear fi lters over their nose and mouth to prevent smoke going up and underneath the helmet." While welding regulations still refer to hand shields (a shield held up to the face for short-term use), they are not often used in workplaces today, O'Shaughnessy says. "You don't see it that much any- more. It's old school. People usually use the welding helmets." The helmet shell should be opaque to light and resistant to impact, heat and electricity, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). The hard, outer shell of the welding helmet is usually made of polycarbonate, which protects against UV radiation, impact and scratches. Welders may need to wear fi re- resistant clothing, such as a balaclava or skull cap, under the helmet to pro- tect from burns and UV radiation, CCOHS says. FLASH FIRE FACE PROTECTION Technology is making new kinds of face protection possible. For example, the Flame Shield FX1, made by Vic- toria-based Cooler Heads Safety, is designed to provide protection against fl ash fi res, which occur suddenly and last only a few seconds, says Edward Sawchyn, president. The shield, which fits on like shoulder pads, has four built-in ther- mocouple sensors. When the sensors detect a high heat, indicating the presence of a fl ash fi re, they instantly trigger the release of compressed CO2 gas. The gas causes the expansion of the shield, which goes up and sur- rounds the wearer's head and face. As it infl ates around the person's head, the CO2, a natural fl ame retar- dant, fi lls the airtight, two-layered shield, Sawchyn says. The average duration of a fl ash fi re is three seconds, so the shield is designed to protect through those critical moments. "If the worker is caught in an actual fl ash fi re and hit with the fl ame, and not just the heat, the outer layer will fail at about 2.2 seconds. The inner layer will last for the entire three-plus seconds. So you will not have any damage to your face," he says. But in order for any type of face shield to be effective, the worker has to wear it. Ricketts says workers often neglect to wear face shields in part because they think it will slow their work. "If it's not handy or they feel it adds to the process, they'll be reluc- tant to put it on. Or if the face shield is scratched, dirty or unhygienic, they may not want to wear it." To encourage workers to wear shields, safety professionals should train them to properly maintain the personal protective equipment. Shields should be cleaned with mild, soapy water and a clean cloth. They should also be inspected regularly for damage. Hanging them up to prevent scratching and soiling is also important. The incident that left the Regina structural steel worker with a signifi - cant facial scar, however, demonstrates another common reason that workers shun face shields. "'It won't happen to me. 'That's what they think," Ricketts says. "A lot of workers haven't received the train- ing or maybe they haven't seen the photos. But it's also a mindset: It won't happen to me." Linda Johnson is a freelance writer based in Toronto. She can be reached at lindajohnson@sympatico.ca. WINDOWS Face shield windows extend from the brow to below the chin and across the entire width of the face. Windows are available in removable or lift-front designs: • Removable windows allow replacement of damaged windows. • Lift-front windows may be raised, as needed, or left in lowered position. Plastic windows: • protect against light impact • may include a glass insert • are available clear or fi ltered. Wire-screen windows: • may include a plastic/glass insert • protect against some moderate impact • are not recommended for use involving chemical or liquid hazards. HEADGEAR Headgear supports the window shield and secures the device to the head. Adjustable headgear: • includes straps that allow the user to manipulate the size of the headgear to ensure a proper fi t • allows face shields to be shared between employees. Hard hats with face shields: • may have a window shield mounted under the visor of the hat • include face shields that may be plastic, wire-screen, lift-front or removable. Source: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), United States Department of Labor

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