It is ubiquitous in daily life to not take care of the eyes, which leads to severe injuries. These injuries may need serious treatments, which are high risk and, of course, expensive and time-consuming. Several studies worldwide prove that workers without safety goggles face high threats to these injuries that make regular medical treatment an inevitable part of their lives. Proper and safe eye protection will save the ‘apple of the eye’ no matter how dangerous the workplace, industry, or machine that the worker deals with is. Check out the article to know more about the eye hazards and the things to be done before and after these potential dangers. After all, prevention is better than cure!
Risks of Not Wearing Proper Eye Protection
Eye injury could happen to anyone and not only the people who work on construction sites. There are plenty of labourers in health care, janitors and laboratories who face different threats varying from eye infection to vision loss. Exposure to foreign chemicals and grease, injuries due to ultraviolet radiation, flying metal chips, and steam can cause damage or cuts to the cornea. The mucous membrane in the eyes will be in danger without using proper goggles or face shields. Protection of the eyes is vital because it is one of the most sensitive organs in the human body. Before thinking about prevention, it’s better to acknowledge the false methods followed in workplaces. What are the significant reasons which lead to these risks?
1) Not taking eye protection seriously
2) Choosing the wrong goggles of low quality
Research shows that three out of five people affected with eye hazards did not wear protection during the accidents. The remaining two wore the wrong pair of goggles, safety glasses or face shields. It is crucial to choose the right pair of goggles according to the factors like the situation of exposure, individual vision and types of machinery used in work. If there are safety goggles, then projectiles, chemicals, bloodborne pathogens, and radiation do not seem dangerous!
Different Types of Safety Eye Protection To Use In Different Workplaces
Workplaces like construction and manufacturing sites, carpentry, welding, mining and auto repair are risky and prone to injuries. It is essential to choose the protection tools according to the workplace and the circumstances of exposure. Suppose it is a construction site; it’s better to use goggles with side shields because the worker is exposed to flying particles and specks of dust. Coming to a laboratory, choose goggles so that chemicals cannot hurt the eyes. There are special-purpose goggles of high quality that protect the eyes from hazardous radiations like ultraviolet rays. Choose them while working with fibre optics, lasers and welding to avoid the risk.
Also, the employer should make sure the workplace has every precaution taken along with appropriate employment of protection requirements. It is also vital to conduct an eye hazard assessment regularly in the workplace.
Protection From Eye Injury: Better to Prevent than Cure
As mentioned above, the easiest and essential method to prevent the danger of risking eyes is by purchasing suitable and proper eyewear. There are prescription and non-prescription glasses, safety goggles, face shields, and helmets with special protections. Knowing the hazards in the workplace prior and eliminating them by employing work screens, engineering controls, and machine guards are other things to take care of.
