wonky head? balance issues when wearing safety glasses

[carter]

i am hoping for some thoughts - ideas ....  i am a plant manager at a small plant so i do not get right in the line of fire like the assemblers do.  The safety rules are to wear the glasses and side shields in the plant.  The glasses are prescription.   For 2 years since ck, i have noted that i get the wonky head / have balance issues really bad when i wear the safety glasses with the side shields.  The side shields are clear but have scratches as they are soft plastic, they have moldings to capture the legs of the glasses, etc.  While they are clear, they are noticeable that they are there.

I see well through the lenses.  I can change from street glasses to safety glasses well if the side shields are not on.  If the side shields are on  my peripheral vision catches the side shields and it looks "distorted".  After a few minutes, the wonky head kicks in and balance issues start.  Worn long enough, i become nauseous.

To date, i have limited the use of the side shields by either ignoring the safety rule or not going to areas that require the glasses and side shields.

Now i have a corporate safety person on site.  i have to do something about the side shields.

I have tried putting these on as i get up so there is no change in the day.  This has not worked.

Has anyone has this issue and if i may ask, how do you deal with it?

i have missed about 2 or 3 partial days in total after the planned days of Ck .... i tried to wear the side shields again this morning and i am so sick feeling.  any suggestions?

[ppearl214]

carter,

Believe it or not, running into the same issue with my Rx Bi-focals.  Bad enough to have the occassional "wonky head"..... then, as you are noting, combined with a Rx lens (regardless if regular glasses or bi-focals), I'm running into the same thing. Have had bi-focals for a couple of years now... and everytime I look down into them for reading, etc... then quickly look up through the regular Rx lens, get enhanced wonky head.  So, you are not alone.

Will follow this thread as I'd like to see what others note and potential remedies for it. 

Phyl

[carter]

Dr Medbery - at CK forum suggests that i may request relief under ADA.

i hAVE TO TRY SOMETHING.... THE GUYS IN THE PLANT UNDERSTAND    BUT A NEW SAFETY GUY WNATS TO PLAY BY THE RULES AND WANTS TO IMPRESS ALL?

SO I GET TO TALK TO HR NOW.

I HAVE CONTINUED TO GET BETTER OVER TIME.... JUST HEADACHES AND A LITTLE WONKY HEAD.  AT LEAST I FIGURED OUT WHAT WAS ADDING TO MY PROBLEMS ---  SOMETHING DESIGNED TO MAKE ME SAFE?

THANKS

[ppearl214]

carter,

Not sure if you are aware (has been noted here on the forums) but I hold a town-appointed seat with our local Commission for Disability Issues (Secty of the Commission, in my 2nd term).

If Dr Medbery feels that you can speak to your organization regarding their need to comply with ADA and your issue, my only comment would be to check with your physician (ie: PCP or specialist) to confirm that it is, indeed, an issue that deems you as "disabled" for the organization to then note ADA compliancy.  The glasses are being used to help ensure OSHA compliancy but not 100% sure you can claim ADA on this........ more homework would need to be done, IMO.

Your eye dr may be able to make a recommendation for another version of safety glasses/goggles as they may be asked about it by other patients. May be worth pursuing......

Just a thought....
Phyl

[carter]

hi  Phyl

i have the advantage that Dr M (CK Forum) is my specilaist.  i went to him for follow up care.

Your reply made me stop and think.  To think not of an alternative for the side shields as i have already tried this.  The alterantives for the side shields are goggles or a face shield.  These alterantives do the same thing to me. 

at least i figured out the cause .... i used to feel terrible at the end of a day.  the discovery came one as i never ahd the bad days on the weekends.  i think that my wife started to question thisgs as i felt good most weekends and came home feelign like crap during the week.

today , i tried again to wear these and  i walk like a drunk.

i took white out and painted all areas that areas of the side shields that really stood out as bing clearly in the line of sight.  then i cut off these areas.  i will try tommorrow to see how this affects things.  alterted safety gear - but it may pass a casual observation!  i cut off 30% of the plastic.

i did read about ADA and safety gear.  i read about companies that worked with employees and those that fought.  my employer would fight?  i work in a remote location, but we never hear of acts of compassion?

i will keep reading  and trying to remove the plastic that is in my vision to see how this may work.

thanks for the replies.


carter

[Doc]

Carter - Like ADA, ANSI  and OSHA Safety Guidelines are Federal, strictly enforced safety regulations. Arguing ADA compliance won't do you any good; its almost like one set of standards trumps the other. I'm in and out of a lot of manufacturing facilities on a weekly basis and experience similar vision anomalies while using side shields. Lucky for me though, I'm not in the environment for long periods of time. Like the Force, balance issues are always with me..!

Good luck with that!
 
Doc

[HeadCase2]

Hi Carter,
  Are there other brands of safety glasses, that meet the relevent specs, that you could try?  And if you don't need to see through the side shields, would it help if they were completely opaque?  Try some paint on the side shields, or tape temporarily, to see if that helps.  Good luck with this.

Regards,
  Rob

[Tod]

Carter, I want to echo Rob's suggestion as it was my thought reading through the posts. If you put black tape over the side shields, would this affect your wonky head. While it is an alteration, it is not permanent and it does not reduce the effectiveness of the protection.

Good luck,
Tod

[carter]

i ended up taking a dremel tool to the side shields to remove the areas that were in my peripheral vision.  i used white out to color small areas until i no longer saw clear areas.   i then removed the areas that had been "painted".

the side shields will keep items from entry from the sides.  there are openings from the top and from the front from a very low angle of approach.

i wore the glasses and side shields for a week - no one noticed the fact that they had been altered.

i wanted for the corp safety director to come.  i explained my situation and handed the glasses to him.  he looked at the glasses and i pointed out how much that i had removed.  As they were no marks on the side shields to show the rework, he could not tell what i had done.  He said - good enough.

so i did  not have to get into any ADA conversations.

i doubt that anyone would have ever noticed even though 30 to 40% of the side shields are gone???  Not unless they were an accident.


carter

[Jim Scott]

Carter ~

I admire anyone that, when presented with a problem, takes the initiative and employs a bit of creativity to solve it, as you've done. Well done!

Jim