Guidelines for contact lens use in industry

Contact lens use in industry is controversial. National eye organizations recommend that companies establish their own policies on contact lens use. A survey questionnaire was sent to 100 corporations to gather descriptive data on the existence and content of their policies. Data were collected on policy enforcement, areas of contact lens restriction and basis for restriction, identification of workers who wear contacts, and use of eye protection. Among the 67 respondents, 43 companies have a policy on contact lens use. It was found that companies need to identify workers who wear contact lenses. The decision whether or not to allow the use of contact lenses in the industrial environment appeared to be dependent upon the perceived level of risk in a specific environment. More importantly, the current written policies do not appear to recognize the results of recent research. Guidelines for contact lens use in industry are presented.