| Seeing Eye to Eye | Eye Protection & Safety |
Each day, approximately 2,000 workers require medical treatment for workplace eye injuries. These injuries are most often caused by small flying particles, falling objects, and sparks that strike the eye. Of course, larger objects can also hit the eye and cause serious injury. Workers who perform tasks such as grinding, sanding, hammering, and chiseling, where particles or objects could fly off, are at particular risk. Chemical splashes are also common injuries that can quickly damage the eye.
One eye injury could mean the difference between a long career and a disabling incident. Fortunately, most eye injuries can be prevented with the appropriate eye protection. The great majority of workers who experience eye injuries either were not wearing any eye protection or were wearing the wrong type of eye protection when the injury occurred.
If during the course of your work, an object could fly into your eyes, you must wear eye protection on the job. Make sure that your protective eyewear is matched to the hazards in your workplace. The needed personal protective eyewear might include safety glasses, goggles, face shields, and more.
To increase your safety, as well as your odds of actually wearing the eye protection, make sure your safety goggles fit well and are comfortable. If you wear prescription glasses, get the proper safety eyewear to place over your glasses or have goggles made with your prescription. Ensure that the eyewear is free of scratches and that you can always see clearly.
It’s critical for workers to learn when eye protection is needed on the job. Wear and care for your eye protective equipment as if your eyesight depended on it. Replace your eye protection as needed to keep your protection levels intact. By using the appropriate eyewear for the job, and taking eye safety seriously, workers can protect themselves from being another eye injury statistic.
For more information, see OSHA’s Eye and Face Protection eTool.
