Safety Checklist: How to Avoid Workplace Eye Injuries
January 12th, 2018
According to the Bureau and Labor Statistics, over 20,000 workplace eye injuries occur every year. These injuries range from something as minimal as eye strain to permanent trauma that causes long-term vision loss.
The best way to protect your eyes at work is by using good workplace safety procedures. It’s been estimated that just wearing protective eyewear could eliminate roughly 90 percent of all workplace eye injuries.
Here are five ways you can stay safe and avoid workplace eye injuries:
Evaluate your workplace for safety
The best way to protect yourself from eye injuries is by assessing your workplace and watching out for common hazards. The most common causes for eyes injuries are flying objects, chemicals, and the improper use of tools.
Make sure that all employees know how to properly use their tools and ensure that all safety procedures are in place.
Wear adequate eye protection
Wearing eye protection can dramatically decrease your odds of workplace eye injuries. However, poorly fitting eyewear won’t fully protect your eyes so make sure your protective eyewear is fitted by an eye care professional.
Use good workplace safety practices
Make sure you keep your protective eyewear clean and never rub your eyes with dirty hands. Also, try to get rid of any debris from your clothing before removing your protective eyewear.
Have an eye washing station available
If something gets lodged in someone’s eye, it’s very important you that you don’t rub at it. Instead, you should try to wash it out with plenty of clean water.
For that reason, it’s a good idea to give all employees easy access to an eye washing station.
Don’t ignore signs of injury
It’s important to recognize the signs of an eye injury immediately in yourself and others. Doing so could help prevent serious vision loss.
If someone begins to have trouble seeing, if one eye seems to have trouble moving, or if they have something stuck in their eye, don’t wait — seek medical help immediately.
For more information on workplace eye safety or for general eye care tips, contact our office to schedule an appointment with one of our Decatur eye doctors today!
