According to the CDC, each day about 2000 U.S. workers have a job-related eye injury that requires medical treatment. About one third of the injuries are treated in hospital emergency departments and more than 100 of these injuries result in one or more days of lost work. The majority of these injuries result from small particles or objects striking or abrading the eye. Examples include metal slivers, wood chips, dust, and cement chips that are ejected by tools, wind blown, or fall from above a worker. Some of these objects, such as nails, staples, or slivers of wood or metal penetrate the eyeball and result in a permanent loss of vision.

Most workplace eye injuries occur where safety eyewear isn’t required, or left up to the individual to decide if they’ll wear it. Many of those injured on the job didn’t think they needed to wear safety glasses or protective gear, or were wearing eyewear that didn’t provide adequate protection.

Don’t become an eye injury statistic!  Follow the eye safety checklists below to help you avoid and treat workplace eye injuries.

 

Create a safe work environment.

• Minimize hazards from falling or unstable objects.
• Make sure that tools work and that safety features are in place.
• Make sure people know how to use tools properly.
• Keep bystanders out of hazardous areas.

• Identify the primary hazards at the site.
• Identify hazards from nearby workers, large machinery, and falling/shifting objects.

• Select the right eye protection for the work site.
• Make sure safety eyewear is in good condition.
• Make sure safety eyewear fits right and stays in place.

• Always brush, shake, or vacuum dust and debris from hardhats, hair, forehead, or your brow before removing protective eyewear.
• Don’t rub eyes with dirty hands or clothing.
• Clean eyewear regularly.

Specks in the Eye

• Don’t rub the affected eye.
• Flush the eye with lots of water.
• See a doctor if the speck doesn’t wash out, or if pain or redness continues.

• Unlike with specks of dust or metal, be sure not to wash out the affected eye.
• Don’t try to remove a foreign object stuck in the eye.
• Seek immediate medical attention.

• Immediately flush the eye with water or drinkable liquid. Open the eye as wide as possible. Continue flushing for at least 15 minutes, even on your way to seeking medical care.
• If a contact lens is in the eye, begin flushing over the lens immediately. Flushing may dislodge the lens.
• Seek immediate medical attention.

• Apply a cold compress without pressure, or tape crushed ice in a plastic bag to the forehead and allow it to rest gently on the injured eye.
• Seek immediate medical attention if pain continues, if you have reduced vision, or if blood or discoloration appears in the eye.