Categories: Cornett's CornerToolbox Talks

Tool Box Talk: Eye Safety

Why is eye safety at work important?

Eye injuries in the workplace are very common. About 1 in 10 injuries require one or more missed workdays to recover from.

Of the total number of work-related eye injuries, 10-20 % will cause temporary or permanent vision loss.

Experts believe that the proper use of the correct eye protection could have lessened the severity or even prevented 90% of eye injuries in accidents.

What are the common causes of eye injuries?

Common causes for eye injuries are:

Flying objects (bits of metal, glass)
Tools
Particles
Chemicals
Harmful radiation
Any combination of these or other hazards

What is my best defence against an eye injury?

There are three things you can do to help prevent an eye injury

Know the eye safety dangers at work-complete an eye hazard assessment
Eliminate hazards before starting work. Use machine guarding, work screens, or other engineering controls)
Use proper eye protection.

When should I protect my eyes at work?

You should wear eye protection in designated areas where they are required. Anyone working in or passing through areas that pose eye hazards should wear protective eyewear.

What type of safety eyewear is available to me?

Safety eyewear protection includes:

Non-prescription and prescription safety glasses
Goggles
Face shields
Welding helmets
Full-face respirators

What type of safety eye protection should I wear?

The type of safety eye protection you should wear is laid out in our PPE procedure. These include monogoggles, safety glasses, face shield and welding shield all meeting international standards.

If you are working in an area that has particles, flying objects, or dust, you must “at minimum” wear safety glasses with side protection (side shields).

If you are working with chemicals, “wear monogoggles.”

If you are working near hazardous radiation (welding, lasers, or fiber optics) you must use special-purpose safety glasses, goggles, face shields, or helmets designed for that task.

Eye Safety Tips at work and at home:

Keep all household chemicals, paints, pesticides, fertilizers tools, etc. locked up away from children. Almost anything that can splash into the eye can damage it.
Wear protective eyewear when working with: detergents, cleaning solvents, etc. Never mix cleaning agents.
Car batteries contain sulphuric acid and produce hydrogen gas while being charged. This is one of the gasses used to send rockets into space. Always wear protective eyewear when working with batteries. Know the proper procedures for handling batteries and jump-starting cars.
Never remove Safety guards from power equipment. Wear protective eyewear to protect against flying particles.
Pick up all yard debris before using lawn treating/cutting equipment and wear protective eyewear while operating it. Children should not play in areas where lawn equipment is being used.
Ultraviolet and infrared light from the sun, welding arcs and tanning beds can damage your eyes; it may also contribute to age-related macular degeneration.
Use proper eye protection and never look directly at a solar eclipse Never allow children to play with Laser pointers they are not toys. The light from a laser pointer aimed into the eye can be more damaging than staring directly into the sun.
In the car, use infant and child safety seats, safety belts and shoulder harnesses. Keep children in the back seat away from air bags.
Three out of four of children’s eye injuries happen when no adult is present.
To avoid eye infection do not share eye makeup or eye drops with anyone.
Do not let children play in areas where cats and dogs go to the bathroom. Roundworm (Toxocara) larvae in cat and dog droppings can cause blindness and other health problems.
Wash your hands good after working in the yard, cleaning litter boxes, or handling animals.