Prescription Safety Eyeglasses Program at Goddard Space Flight Center

Every day an estimated 1,000 eye injuries occur in American workplaces. The financial cost of these injuries in lost production time, medical expenses, and workers compensation exceeds $300 million per year. However, no dollar figure can adequately reflect the personal toll these accidents take on the injured workers. It is the policy of the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to provide protective eyewear to civil servants involved with operations where there is a reasonable probability of eye injuries. The Safety and Environmental Branch has contracted with Chesapeake Optical Company to dispense prescription and nonprescription safety eyeglasses from their mobile van.

Dates
Contact the Industrial Hygiene Office for dates and location at (301) 286-6669. They will be announced to all GSFC employees at least a week before the scheduled date.

Who is eligible for this program?
GSFC Civil Servants who operate equipment or are involved in processes which present potential eye injuries from physical, chemical or radiation agents.

What do I need to do to obtain a pair of prescription safety eyeglasses?
GSFC Civil Servants can obtain prescription safety eyeglasses by:

Filling out a Request for Issuance of Safety Glasses Form (Health Unit Form 92-01) and obtaining the appropriate approval signatures (Supervisor, Local Safety Office and Local Health Unit Representative); Submitting forms, with all required signatures, to Cathy Cavey, Code 205.2; Bringing an up-to-date prescription from the employee's own Optometrist and then selecting the desired frame and lens features.

It is the responsibility of each employee to wear eye protection when performing operations where eye hazards exist. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that employees comply with this requirement. Contact the Industrial Hygiene Office at (301) 286-6669 for assistance with selecting the appropriate type of eye protection or questions about the prescription safety eyeglass program.

Are there any limitations to the frames and lenses I can select?
Yes. While a wide selection of basic frames and lens options (tinting, scratch coating, bifocals, etc.) are available at no cost to GSFC Civil Servants, designer frames and progressive lenses may require a co-pay from the employee. Ask the Chesapeake Optical Optometrist about which frames and lens options require a co-pay. Civil Servants are allowed two pair of prescription safety eyeglasses each year. Employees, whose job entails work outdoors, as a function of their position, are allowed to a normal pair of prescription eyeglasses and a pair of prescription sunglasses.

Can Contractors or other Civil Servants use the Chesapeake Optical van?
Yes. Contractor employees can utilize the van, but their Company must set up its own account, arrange for payment and provide guidance to Chesapeake Optical on limitations on the type of frames and lenses available to the employee (if desired). Civil Servants who are not exposed to eye hazards can obtain personal glasses from the van, but payment must be made using a personal credit card.