Labor Day
Labor Day – what a great time to talk about eye safety in the workplace, right?
Do you often skip the safety protection when your on the job? Think about all the time you’ve decided to not wear the safety glasses when you are using the table saw. But hey, you’ve been doing your job for so long, being careful and not doing anything stupid come second nature now, right?
WRONG.
Until that one time the tool failed, the materials fell off the ledge, the new guy didn’t set up the workspace properly, a machine malfunctioned, the list goes on…
Accidents happen all the time. 300,000 people go to the ER for workplace eye injuries every year. In most cases, safety eye wear is not being worn, or, worn improperly. Eye injuries in the workplace are very common.
Another statistic: more than 2,000 people injure their eyes at work each day. About 1 in 10 injuries require one or more missed workdays to recover from. Of the total amount of work-related injuries, 10-20 % will cause vision loss.
The type of eye protection is important too. If your work environment has particles or flying objects within it, you need to wear safety glasses with side shield protection. Working with chemicals? You need goggles. Welding? Wear your face shield.
Common Causes for Eye Injury:
- Flying objects (bits of metal, glass)
- Tools
- Particles
- Chemicals
- Harmful radiation
Types of Eyewear Protection:
- Non-prescription and prescription safety glasses
- Goggles
- Face shields
- Welding helmets
- Full-face respirators
So, have a great day off this Labor Day, but remember to “Safety-Up” when you return to work tomorrow.
For more information on how to properly gear up, go to:
https://www.preventblindness.org/eye-safety-work
