EnglishA SHARPER FOCUS ON EYE SAFETY AT SEA
Published: 13 January 2026
Eye injuries remain one of the most common injury types that are handled by the Club.
Most injuries occur to personnel engaged in a task such as using power or hand tools, welding, or handling harmful powders or liquids, as well as cargoes. However, there are many examples of personnel who were in the vicinity of other work being carried out and were injured accidentally.
In many cases reviewed, no personal protective equipment (PPE) for the eyes or face was worn, almost always by the injured person’s choice. Often the works being carried out were routine or considered simple, quick tasks, where the risk of injury was not perceived or appreciated. In some cases, personnel chose not to wear eye protection, due to personal dislike or the uncomfortable nature of the eye protection available. Analysis also indicates that eye injuries occur across all ranks and experience levels.
Another area of concern are the safety guards fitted to tools and machinery to reduce the chances of material being thrown towards an equipment operator. On occasion these are found to be missing or inadequate during condition surveys or following an incident.
Risk Assessment
All shipboard tasks should be risk assessed, and the possibility of personal injury both for those taking part in the task and others not involved should always be considered.
Where able, the best option is to prevent personnel being put at risk at all. If the specific task can be replaced by an engineered solution, for example installing fixed piping rather than relying on manual handling of liquid drums, this will reduce the chances of eye injuries. However, realistically, many tasks will always require at least one person to be close enough to a work activity where injury to the eyes is possible. For this reason, PPE, often called the last line of defence, is necessary.
The risk assessment for each task should consider the danger posed to eyes and detail the protection that will be required based on the hazard(s) faced. For example, when welding, the protection must prevent damage due to harmful optical radiation. Similarly, whilst safety glasses may be suitable for many tasks, they would not provide the full scope of protection required when working on systems containing pressurised liquids where safety goggles and/or face shield may be required. Many companies provide a simple matrix showing the eye protection (and other PPE) required for different work activities, and this can simplify decision making substantially.
As noted, personnel in the vicinity of works can also be injured. The risk assessment should consider the provision of physical barriers and/or warning signage to provide physical separation or a reminder to put eye protection in place.
Safety Guards
Safety guards are there for a reason and must be in place when equipment is in use. We recommend that safety guards on fixed and portable tools are regularly inspected as part of a planned maintenance routine to ensure they remain fit for purpose. Some companies allow only authorised personnel to use fixed workshop tools, with portable power tools kept under control and only issued after receiving authorisation from a senior officer. This can help to prevent misuse and may allow a further check of the equipment before it is used.
Comfort and suitability
Experience shows that uncomfortable PPE will not be worn as often as it should be, also if eye protection is unavailable or difficult to find, many personnel will take a chance and not wear it. It is therefore recommended to seek feedback from the users and personnel conducting the work, to ensure that adequate protection is available for each task and crucially when it is required.
Each person should be responsible for checking their eye protection fits properly. Everyone is different, but most eye protection is standardised and mass produced. If the equipment is unsuitable, seek guidance from a senior officer or your ship’s manager.
It is of paramount importance to make quality, approved eye protection available for all crew members. Individual crew members using personal eye protection that may be of lower quality or not fit for purpose must be discouraged.
As we note in our recent safety poster, your eyes are precious. The technology and knowledge exist to keep them safe, and all have a part to play in ensuring that eye safety remains a high priority throughout your time onboard. You can tear out the following page to display in any shared area to encourage and remind fellow crew members to consider every aspect of eye safety.
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