Toolbox Talk: Don’t Take Your Eyes for Granted

Toolbox Talk: Don’t Take Your Eyes for Granted !

It’s hard for us to imagine a more devastating loss than the loss of our sight. Yet we often take eyesight and eye-safety for granted.

About three-fifths of all eye injuries happen to workers who aren’t wearing any eye protection.

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When Lisa went to get Leonard in the workshop, she didn’t take the warning sign seriously and walked into the area without any protection. As Leonard blew debris away from his work with an air hose, Lisa had some of the fragments blown into her eyes.

Lesson: Wear your eye protection. Take warning signs seriously and always wear eye protection, even if you will only be in the hazardous area for a short time.

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Because his goggles were scratched and he couldn’t see clearly through them, Gus removed them to get a better look at the automobile axle. As he applied his drill to the work, dirt and rust fragments fell into his eyes.

Lesson: Keep eye protection clean and fit for use. Always check your equipment before starting work; replace it if it is broken or defective.

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Larry was filling a secondary drum with a chemical when the hose coming from the primary drum ruptured. Because he was wearing no eye protection, the chemical splashed him in the eyes.

Lesson: Wear the right kind of protection for the job. Make sure you know what protective equipment you need for each task you are doing and use it.

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Ricky was doing work at home that involved chipping a metal object. He was not wearing any eye protection and was struck in one of his eyes. The impact caused him to lose sight in the eye.

Lesson: Don’t take activities at home for granted, the chances of you sustaining an injury at home is greater than at work in most instances.

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Use adequate protection to safeguard against hazards. Remember that 70 percent of all eye injuries involve flying or falling particles. Refresh your safety attitude often; make sure you are always wearing the proper eye protection. Before you begin a job, determine if you need protection, what kind of protection you need and if that protection fits. There are three key steps in keeping our eyes safe.

They are as follows:

• Wear eye protection;

• Keep it clean and fit for use;

• Wear the right protection for the job.

• When proper eye protection is used, the potential for an eye injury decreases 90 percent.

“When you blame others, you give up your power to change.” ~ Dr Robert Anthony