March Industry Highlight: Eye Protection
Eye protection isn’t only for the workplace. Eye protection should be worn when working in the garage, the yard, outdoor activities such as hunting, to protect your eyes from chemicals, dusts, and other debris.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), approximately 2,000 workers sustain work-related eye injuries that require medical treatment. These injuries are usually because the worker wasn’t wearing eye protection or the appropriate kind of eye protection.
The type of eye protection needed depends on the hazards.
- For areas with flying particles or dusts, wear safety glasses with side protection.
- When working with chemicals, wear safety goggles to protect from splashes.
- Hazardous radiation like welding or lasers require special glasses, goggles, or face shields.
- There are special safety glasses that fit over prescription glasses for people who wear glasses. Safety glasses can also be fitted with a wearer’s prescription to avoid wearing two pairs of glasses.
What to do…
- If you do get particles or dust in the eye, do not rub the eye. Try to let your tears wash out the particle or rinse with water.
- For chemical splashes in the eye, immediately flush with water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention.
If an accident happens remember to remove contact lenses and glasses before irrigating. - Check out this impactful
Watch the impactful video about how losing your eyesight affects you and the people you love.
