Eye injury is one of those injuries that you’d really hate to see happen to anyone in the workplace. However, if you’re part of the expanding sectors of construction, mining, and manufacturing, where 40% of on-the-job eye injury occur according to CDC, you might need to
watch out for your own sake. On the other hand, the general day-to-day number is also anything but encouraging, since more than 2,000 cases of eye injuries at work are being reported daily. If you don’t want to be part of that statistic, better read on to learn more about eye injuries and how they can be avoided.
The common causes of eye injuries are:
- Flying objects (bits of metal, glass)
- Tools
- Particles
- Chemicals
- Harmful radiation
- Any combination of these or other hazards
Based off of CDC’s data, almost a third of eye-related injuries at work required treatment from the hospital, while a little more than a hundred of those cases resulted in one or more days away from the job. The majority of the accidents were said to have been caused by small particles or objects that scraped the eye, often coming from the tools that were being used or the material that is being worked on by the victim.
How can these injuries be prevented?
As an employee, it’s best to take advantage of training opportunities and modules to learn more about personal safety. Additionally, workers may wear a personal protective gear to keep themselves off of harm’s way. If the risks are high, the employer will be the one to provide safety kits and gears to protect their personnel from eye injuries.
Meanwhile, employers has the responsibility to deploy engineering control systems and
strategies that will reduce the risk of eye injuries and infections on site. They must also make sure that they can keep their
workers’ safety compliance at a high level.
Additionally, companies’ may also have their employees undergo online training programs about health and safety. For this, 360training.com’s safety and environmental courses are a great choice.
Check out this additional eye-injury prevention checklist
Keep the work environment free of hazards
- Check for unstable and falling objects at the workplace
- Employees must be well-trained before handling tools
- Limit employee access to the known hazardous areas that can cause injuries
Us the recommended and highlighted practices about eye safety
- Wear the proper eye protection depending on the task at hand
- Do not let dirty hands or clothing to make contact with your eyes
- Make sure to clean your equipment regularly
- All eye equipment must be in good fit and gives clear vision
Some first aid tips regarding eye injuries
- For chemical burns: the employee must immediately flush the eye with clean water.
- For specks: do not rub the eye and flush a lot of water to remove the debris.
- For cuts: immediate medical attention is required. The victim must also refrain from washing the affected eye.
- For trauma or stress: apply a cold compress and let it gently rest in the eye.
- If the pain, soreness, or redness still persist, seek guidance from a specialist.
Eye injuries require a gentle approach and must be taken seriously always. While many of eye-related accidents happen unexpectedly, companies should strive to minimize the factors that trigger such accidents in the workplace.
