March is Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month: Where are eye injuries most likely?

Where are eye injuries most likely? At work.

Even with safety programs and protective equipment, more than 2,000 working people in the U.S. suffer an eye injury every day.

Damage to the eyes is usually caused when something unexpected happens. It could be a sudden splash of caustic chemicals or an airborne sliver of metal.

Workplace injuries are the leading cause of vision loss and blindness caused by an accident. Of the 2,000 injuries per day, 10 percent to 20 percent will be disabling because of temporary or permanent vision loss.

Many of those injured say they didn’t think they needed to wear eye protection, or were wearing inappropriate eye wear.

Doctors at the American Academy of Ophthalmology say proper eye protection is vitally important, especially in construction, manufacturing and automotive repair.

In mechanical and technical environments, workers should always use machine guarding, work screens and protective eyes wear.

The top causes of workplace eye injuries are:
* Flying shards of metal or glass
* Tools that slip or malfunction
* Particles such as wood splinters, metal shavings or crystalline silica
* Spattered chemicals

Eye health includes more than accident prevention. As more people use computers, eye fatigue and difficulty focusing have become common sources of eye fatigue. Everyone should take breaks, frequently allowing your eyes to focus on distant objects.

There you have it. Wear eye protection when there is even the slightest chance of an injury, and make changes in your work habits to relieve eye fatigue.

Your eyes will be safer and healthier if you make the extra effort.