This document discusses ocular hazards and safety considerations for traffic police. It notes that traffic police are exposed to outdoor hazards like UV exposure and physical trauma. It outlines the visual needs for the job like good distance and near visual acuity. Potential hazards are discussed like prolonged sun exposure increasing risks of dry eye and UV damage. Head and eye protective equipment are recommended like hard hats, safety glasses, and goggles. Factors for selecting appropriate eye protection include fit, durability, comfort, and blocking UV, dust, and chemicals. Protection is especially important for traffic police who also wear prescription glasses.

1. Ocular Hazards and Safety among Traffic Police
Raju Kaiti
Consultant Optometrist
Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University

2. 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

3. 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

4. • 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. • 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

8. 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.

9. Types of Head/Eye hazards
– Impact
– Heat
– Chemicals
– Dust
– UV Light and/or Radiation

10. Head protection
Why 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 .

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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

14.  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

15. 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.

16. 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

17. • 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

18. • 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

19. 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