According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 2,000 workers a day sustain eye injuries that require medical treatment. Approximately 100 of these workers will miss some time from work. The national cost of these accidents is close to $300 million in medical treatment, workers’ compensation, and lost productivity.
Below are some of the most common eye injuries that occur in the workplace.
- Eye Strain. This is when your eye becomes incredibly tired due to excessive use, such as being on the computer for long hours. You may suffer blurred vision, vision loss, or eye fatigue.
- Severe trauma. This can happen when objects such as nails, staples, wood, or metal penetrate the eyeball, causing a major eye injury, vision loss, or complete blindness.
- Chemical and thermal burns. Thermal burns happen commonly with welders. Chemical burns may occur due to cleaning products or industrial chemicals that irritate the eye and cause a burn to one or both eyes. This can also result in vision loss, blindness, or severe injury.
It’s vital that you do all you can to protect your eyes while working. The best way to do this is by wearing the appropriate protective eyewear . If everyone were to do this, 90% of all eye injuries would be avoided.
According to Ophthalmologist Anne Sumers, MD, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology:
“It takes very little effort to protect yourself from on-the-job hazards that can cause blinding eye injuries. We strongly advise workers and their employers not to let their guard down when it comes to eye protection.”
Other suggestions to avoid eye injury is to eliminate potential hazards before starting the job. This may mean the use of machine guards, work screens, or engineering controls.
Always comply with federal regulations for face and eye protection before you begin a job that could cause you possible eye injury.