Workplace eye injuries are more common than you might think. According to the Center for Disease Control, “Each day about 2000 U.S. workers sustain a job-related eye injury that requires medical treatment”. These injuries can occur at construction sites, movie sets, manufacturing plants, and a number of other skilled labor workplaces. Many of these injuries can be easily avoided through simple safety precautions and the use of safety glasses.
Eye Injuries in the workplace can include:
- Flying Particles: The most common workplace eye injury is the result of small particles striking or scraping the eye.
- Tools: These penetration injuries can come from nails, wood, metal shards, etc. These objects can puncture the eye, sometimes resulting in permanent loss of vision.
- Chemicals: Industrial cleaning products and chemicals frequently cause damage to both eyes.
In order to prevent workplace eye injuries, it is necessary to take a few simple safety precautions. First protective eyewear should be worn during all potentially hazardous work. Dr. James Khodabakhsh at the Beverly Hills Institute of Ophthalmology recommends using protective eyewear that is ANSI rated, signified by a Z87 marking on the lens. Additional care should be taken to reduce the risk of flying debris using safeguards such a protective shield and by keeping workspaces clean. If an incident should occur it is smart to have contact information for both the local emergency room and a trustworthy ophthalmologist on hand.