Visual habituation to colored safety goggle frames impairs environmental risk recognition

In hazardous work environments, vivid color markings and personal protective equipment, including goggles, are commonly used. However, routine and reduced vigilance often contribute to accidents, potentially driven by habituation to a color scheme constantly present in the visual field. This study draws attention to insufficient guidelines regarding the color neutrality of protective equipment—not limited to lenses but also encompassing frames and other structural parts. Using eye-tracking technology, visual activity was recorded in 201 participants during a simulated Health and Safety inspection. Results showed that wearing goggles with red or yellow frames, even for a short time (4–9 min), had a direct impact on visual attention. This effect was evident in when and how both experienced and inexperienced workers noticed and observed six different objects, either stationary or moved by people. Participants wearing yellow or red-framed goggles exhibited delayed first glances at similarly colored objects compared to those with neutral, gray, frames. Additionally, color goggles influenced how participants monitored objects that had already been noticed. Most significantly, it was found that habituation goes beyond simple color matching. Participants conducting the safety inspection while wearing red goggles also exhibited delayed glances at yellow objects. The likely cause is the structure of the eye—specifically, the red-sensitive opsin, located in the L cone, is activated by both yellow and red wavelengths. For this reason, habituation to colored distractors may occur concurrently. These findings emphasize the need to eliminate factors that, while individually supporting safety, may become ineffective or even counterproductive when combined.