About 20,000 eye injuries occur in the workplace each year-and cost an estimated $300 million a year in lost productivity, medical treatment and worker compensation. These injuries range from simple eye strain to severe trauma that can cause permanent damage, vision loss and blindness. The most important thing you can do to protect your vision at work is to ALWAYS wear appropriate protective eyewear. This can prevent more than 90% of serious eye injuries – an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
1.Use machine guarding, work screens or other engineering controls to protect your eyes from hazards such as:
- Flying shards of metal or glass;
- Tools that slip or malfunction;
- Particles such as wood splinters, metal shavings or crystalline silica;
- Spattered chemicals
2. Choose the best protective eyewear for your profession. The eyewear you need depends on the hazards you face. Wear:
- Safety glasses with side protection (side shields) if you work around particles, flying objects or dust;
- Goggles if you handle chemicals;
- Specially designed safety glasses, goggles, face shields or helmets if you work near hazardous radiation (welding, lasers or fiber optics).
All protective eyewear should comply with OSHA regulations for eye and face protection.
