ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- The depot's Eye Clinic, located in the Nichols Industrial Complex, assists employees with ordering prescription safety glasses.
"Employees cannot use regular glasses as safety glasses and side shields are made to only fit on safety glasses," said John McGriff, branch chief for the Services Branch of the Directorate of Material Management.
The process to order safety glasses begins with ANAD form 40-4E. Once this form is filled out and hand signed by the employee's supervisor, a current prescription may be attached and the form sent to the Eye Clinic.
Terry Tidwell, an optical clerk for DMM, said the current prescription must be less than 18 months old and cannot be modified by the clinic.
"Under federal law, the clinic cannot deviate from the prescription at all," said Tidwell.
Once the clinic receives the form, a file for the employee is created (if they have not ordered glasses previously) or updated. The clinic staff will then call the employee and schedule an appointment.
Tidwell said it is important for supervisors and employees to be conscientious of appointment times. The clinic often sees 30 or more employees weekly and rescheduling an appointment may be difficult.
During the appointment, a clinic staff member discusses frame options and glass tinting with the employee, helping them choose the right style and type for their job duties.
"There are some situations where an employee needs anti-glare tinting, so we will recommend the appropriate type," said Tidwell.
Employees who work primarily indoors in the shops receive clear glasses, while those who spend more time outside, such as material handlers, will receive tinted glass.
Welders receive the darkest tinting, according to Tidwell.
In addition to ordering glasses, which take between two to four weeks to arrive, the clinic is able to perform basic repair on damaged frames.
Parts for the repairs are typically salvaged from older glasses, which have been turned in. For this reason, Tidwell recommends everyone turn in old frames when receiving new glasses.
Social Sharing