Ocular Hazards and Safety among Traffic Police

Raju KaitiConsultant Optometrist

Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University

Introduction• Traffic police are police officers who direct traffic or serve in

a traffic or roads policing unit enforcing rules of the road.

• Traffic police include officers who patrol major roads and also police who address traffic infractions on other roads.

• One of the major groups, who are exposed to outdoor ocular hazards like UV exposure, physical and mechanical trauma

Job Description• Monitor traffic to ensure motorists observe traffic regulations

and exhibit safe driving procedures maintaining road safety

• Regulates vehicles and help pedestrians for safe walking• Provides traffic enforcement to all areas of the City

• Completes traffic surveys for review by Police/Government on both traffic patterns and accidents, and areas of concern

• Responsible for care and maintenance of traffic unit equipment

• Maintain preparedness for patrol duties• providing temporary road closures

• Providing rolling road closures to hold traffic back to allow removal of debris, installation of temporary traffic management and other purposes

• Provide road information to assist motorists.• dealing with accident damaged, broken down and abandoned

vehicles• clearing debris, animals and found property from the network• identification of defects and potential improvements to the

network• monitoring road works• planning arrangements for forthcoming special events• educating road users

Visual Needs• For a Traffic cop to be competitive and well efficient in his/her

job, ocular conditions with ocular health should be in good condition.

• Followings are some of visual needs– Good distance and near visual acuity– Binocularity/stereopsis– Good color vision– Good ocular condition including healthy anterior and posterior

segments

Task Analysis• Distance visual acuity must be within Normal range i.e. 20/20

– They have to see distance vehicles and note down the vehicle numbers in cases of necessity

– Also they have to look for pedestrians walking and crossing roads

• Near visual acuity must be within Normal range i.e. N6– They have to look for number directories, time in watch, check licenses,

bluebooks and other important documents related to vehicles

• Normal Color vision– Color vision is one of the important visual functions for both Traffic

officers and drivers to ensure safe and accident free drive– Traffic lights should be well read during drive and monitoring Traffics

• Binocularity and Stereopsis– Depth perception will be another important visual function necessary

for traffics and drivers– It is important for driving in heavy traffic and for traffics to figure out

mistakes in cases of accidents

• Good ocular health– Healthy eyes free of diseases like conjunctivitis, cataract, glaucoma

etc. will add efficiency in the works of traffic– Dry eyes, complaints of redness, watering and others may hinder the

efficacy of traffic duties

Potential Hazards• Long hours under the direct glare of the sun, prolonged exposure to UV

rays and pollution have led to increased eye disorders in traffic police personnel. 

• High pollution and harsh sunlight increased the occurrence of the dry eye syndrome, while the UV rays reflected from the footpaths in harsh sunlight could burn the surface of the eye.

• They may encounter some physical/mechanical trauma during duty hours

• Dust trauma, trauma during protests and strikes, trauma during Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs)

• However several of these problems can be cured with necessary precautionary measures.

Types of Head/Eye hazards

– Impact– Heat– Chemicals– Dust– UV Light and/or Radiation

Head protectionWhy is Head Protection Important?• In and around your head are:  – Your eyes, with which you see – Your ears, with which you hear – Your nose, with which you smell – Your mouth, with which you eat and speak – Your brain, with which you think

• Injuries to the head are very serious. For this reason, head protection and safety are very important .

Types of Head hazards

– Impact (common)• Falling or flying objects• falling or walking into hard objects• injuries include neck sprains, concussions, and skull fractures• RTAs

– Electric Shock (rare)• Live exposed electric wires• Injuries include electrical shocks and burns

– Drips (rare)• Toxic liquids such as acids, caustics, and molten metals can

irritate and burn the head/scalp

Head PPE

• Hard hats (not usual in uniforms)– A rigid shell that resists and deflects blows to the head – A suspension system inside the hat that acts as a shock

absorber – Some hats serve as an insulator against electrical shocks – Shields your scalp, face, neck, and shoulders against

splashes, spills, and drips – Some hard hats can be modified so can add face shields,

goggles, hoods, or hearing protection to them

• Hard hats are not much common among traffic polices because of mismatch with their uniforms but care should be taken for potential head injuries.

Potential Incidences of Eye/Head Hazards

Thermal and Radiation Hazards – Eyes are exposed to heat, glare, ultraviolet, and infrared radiation all

the day– Possible development of pinguecula, pterygium, early cataract, dry

eyes and other ocular abnormalities

Object Striking Eyes– Dusts, Powders, Fumes, and Mists

• small airborne particles with the wind and air in the road may harm ocular structures and periphery

• Possible corneal, tarsal foreign bodies, ocular allergies, dry eyes

Contact with Chemicals (less common)– Toxic Gases, Vapors, and Liquids

• Toxic chemicals in the form of gases, vapors, and liquids can damage eyes.

• Possible chemical injuries

Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs)– RTAs are not uncommon and Traffics are also prone to injuries – Head injuries – ocular injuries

Eye and Face protection Elimination or Control of Hazards– Signs and Warnings • Obstructions and protruding objects should be identified

and marked in an around the streets and police booths

– Eyewash Stations • Eyewash stations should be located within 100 feet of

work area. If accidentally get something in eyes, should go directly to the eyewash station and flush eyes with water for 15 minutes.

Eye Protection criteria for selection Protective equipment for Traffics should be comfortable to use

and wear; should not restrict vision or motility; should be durable and easy to clean and disinfect; does not interfere with the function of other required PPE

Proper Fit and Use of PPE Using appropriate filter as per working station, climate, temperature and

light intensity Photochromatic will be better option

Must stay on face during all work activities• Should not slide off face or pinch side of head and create a headache• Good fit

• Safety Glasses – Are much stronger and more resistant to impact and heat than regular glasses – equipped with side shields that give you protection from hazards that may

not be directly in front – Safety glasses should be Z-87 approved to meet OSHA regulations – Should fit comfortable on face through all job tasks. Ensure that glasses are

not too big or too tight

• Goggles – surround the eye area, they give more protection in situations where one

might encounter splashing liquids, fumes, vapors, powders, dusts, and mists

• Absorptive Lenses – Provide additional protection for Traffics who must work in bright light or

glare – must be used in conjunction with safety glasses or goggles

• Since it is an outdoor work, UV protection, cosmesis, durability, comfort and glare control, gas, fumes, smoke and dust blocking should be the prime factors to be considered.

• Outdoor work; he/she might have allergies with frame materials. So, selected hypo allergic materials like plastic (cellulose acetate) and metallic (Titanium) should be chosen. Wood frames may address such dermatological issues.

• Ultraviolet protective lens is another important lens property. Polycarbonate and Trivex are good examples.

• Photochromatic lenses to control light intensity

• Polarized lenses to cut off annoying reflections

Eye protection for spectacle wearers• For those Traffics who wear spectacles (power Spectacle), only

ordinary glasses do not provide the required protection• Also the eye wear must be impact resistant like polycarbonate, fog

resistant (incorporating anti fog coat), Anti-reflection coated, oleo phobic coated and scratch proof coated.

• Anti-static coating for dust protection as they are mostly exposed• Simply, multilayer coated lens must be of choice for spectacle

prescription.

• Proper choices include:– Prescription glasses with side shields and protective lenses – Goggles that fit comfortably over corrective glasses without disturbing the glasses– Goggles that incorporate corrective lenses mounted behind protective lenses–Also use of contact lens and incorporating UV blocking polarized sunglasses over it

THANK YOU!!!