Selling safety eyewear can
open more doors for you—just be aware of the critical
education component that comes with carrying these frames.
More than 2,000 people injure their eyes
at work every day and of those total work-related injuries,
10 to 20 percent will cause temporary or permanent
blindness. Experts agree that more than 90 percent of these
injuries could have been prevented with some simple
precautions. That makes wearing the right safety eyewear
critical. Unfortunately, those who tend to wear their safety
eyewear the most often and keep up to date with their safety
eyewear needs are usually people who have already had
accidents. As eyecare professionals, selling safety eyewear
should be more than a revenue booster—it’s also an
opportunity to educate.
“It’s definitely true that people who
have already suffered from an eye injury are the patients
that are the biggest buyers of safety eyewear,” reports
Terry V. Hulvey, optician and owner of Harrisonburg,
Va.-based Colonial Optical. “If that person who has
suffered a serious injury could use themselves as an example
where they work, and tell everyone that they know first-hand
the benefit of wearing safety eyewear, then it could help
save a lot of eyes.”
It’s also the eyecare professional’s
responsibility to help educate the patient. Patients should
be taught how to properly wear their eyewear and be
instructed to wear them at all times in the field/workplace.
Too many times workers wear them on top of their head,
instead of over their eyes, or even worse, forgo them all
together. There is often a, “It won’t happen to me”
mentality. But wearing safety eyewear is a simple way to
prevent serious injury. According to Prevent Blindness
America, the most common causes of eye trauma at work
include flying objects, tools, particles, harmful radiation,
and chemicals.
Hulvey says that he also likes to see
some kind of ultraviolet filter on every pair of safety
eyewear because even fluorescent lights in a place such as a
factory, will put off a small amount of UV. “And UV
protection is especially important for someone working out
in the sun,” he adds.
Polycarbonate lenses are pretty much the
standard today and they’ll protect eyes from not only
debris (they’re about 10 times more impact-resistant than
plastic or glass) but also UV light. Today’s safety
eyewear wearers also like the fact that the lenses are thin
and lightweight. Of course the downside is that the lenses
are not as scratch-resistant and since frames may get more
“beat-up” in a work environment, this is sometimes a
complaint. However, polycarbonate is less likely to fog,
which is also a common annoyance for safety eyewear users.
Regardless of what material is used, the lenses must meet or
exceed OSHA requirements for eye protection.
Beyond the Workplace
It’s important to help patients
recognize that safety eyewear is not only for work. There
are many circumstances where safety eyewear should also be
worn at home such as mowing the lawn, working in the garage,
or operating any sort of machinery or tools. “Honestly,
even things like microscopic fiberglass particles that you
can’t even see on nylon could be of danger,” says Hulvey.
“If that happened to get in your eye and you rub it, it
can actually cut the membrane of your eye.”
Hulvey says he makes a point to educate
patients about wearing safety eyewear at home. For those who
are purchasing their workplace eyewear, it could mean a
second pair sale. “We don’t want the worker taking their
safety eyewear off premises and using them at home for their
everyday needs,” he says. “We encourage patients to have
another pair at home. The workplace eyewear needs side
shields, but you may not have that on the type of safety
eyewear you’d wear for at-home tasks.”
Gary Kirshner, OD, owner of American
Vision at the Court in King of Prussia, Pa., says that he
also looks to get additional sales by encouraging safety
eyewear patients to come to his practice for their everyday
eyewear needs as well. And it’s also a way to reach out to
family members that may have their own eyecare needs.
Kirshner used to have some big contracts with a few local
companies that required safety eyewear. He’d go on-site
with a couple of his employees and the lensometer, and
handle the eyewear for the entire workforce. “We’d come
in with maybe 12 or 14 different styles and set up a sort-of
assembly line to get everyone taken care of,” he recalls.
“Then we’d go back two weeks later with the glasses.”
Kirshner admits that as a side business
safety eyewear may not be that profitable—unless you
secure a few contracts with large companies like he once
had. Today he has found it hard to compete with other local
companies that specialize specifically in safety frames.
However, Kirshner does continue to carry safety eyewear and
says he will still get patients who come in specifically
asking for it.
Making the Sale
Since they are a requirement for many
jobs, and since companies often contract with a local
eyecare practice to service their eyewear needs, safety
eyewear is not a hard sell. “What is the hard sell is
getting the employee and all their family members to also
get their regular ophthalmic frames here,” says Hulvey.
“And to drive home the message that safety eyewear is
needed at home, too.”
Hulvey says that the right education and
marketing is his best strategy. He has actually run “accident
videos” in his waiting room to enforce how critical safety
eyewear can be. Kirshner has also made some marketing
efforts as well. At one point, he says, he read an article
that had information stating that car dealerships could save
on their insurance if employees wore safety frames. He wrote
to local dealerships in his area to market his services.
If you decide to get into the safety
eyewear arena, it would be wise to inform local companies
that you’re doing so. Most industrial companies require
that all of their employees wear OSHA-approved eyewear.
Though they’re likely already contracted with someone, if
you can bid a better price, you just may gain a whole new
market of customers. And as Hulvey and Kirshner point out,
those workers often come with a family who may also have
eyewear needs.
Additional source
http://www.preventblindness.org/safety/worksafe.html
