Safety First: Eye Protection at Home, Work and Play
Safety First; Eye Protection at Home, Work and Play
Don’t be one of the 300,000 people who visit emergency rooms every year for eye injuries. Ninety percent of injuries are preventable and this workshop will remind you of the important things you can do to keep your vision healthy throughout your life by protecting your eyes from injury during sports, at work, and at home.
Sports and Recreation
Baseball, basketball and racquetball account form most reported sports injuries and conventional, everyday eye glasses do not offer enough protection. Shatterproof or wire shields should be worn at all times, especially during hockey, lacrosse and basketball. Protective eyewear with polycarbonate lenses are the best protection when you engage in sports. Of course high risk contact sports such as martial arts or boxing have no real protective options for your eyes or your pretty face.
Protective eyewear should be part of the uniform in every sport. If you wear prescription eyewear or contact lenses, sport specific safety goggles should be worn over them. Let’s not forget that any protective eyewear can be made to match your prescription.
Eye Safety at Home and at Work
Every year,125,000 home eye injuries occur, 90% of which are preventable. When working with pesticides, fertilizers, cleaning agents, be sure to protect your eyes and always wear goggles, read directions, never mix chemicals and remember to keep them out of reach of children. Handle every day tools with respect and avoid flying debris.
Certain work settings come with hazards of chemical burns to the eye, striking or grazing the eye and infectious diseases which may be contracted through contact with mucous membranes. Appropriate protection is available in the way of prescription and non-prescription safety glasses, face shields and helmets.
You think you have injured your eye. Now what?????
DO consult a doctor as soon as possible. Delaying medical attention may cause loss of vision or blindness. DO NOT ever attempt to treat an eye injury by yourself. Even seemingly minor injuries can be serious
Some of signs of an injured eye:
- Pain or trouble seeing
- Injured eyelid
- Inconsistency between eyes in movement or pupil size
- Blood in the white part of the eye
- Foreign object in the eye which cannot be easily removed
Do’s and Don’ts
- DO NOT touch, rub or apply pressure to the eye
- DO NOT remove and object stuck in the eye
- DO NOT apply ointments or medication to the eye
- DO seek medical attention as soon as possible from an eye care professional.
- Do flush vigorously for a minimum of 15 minutes if chemical agents are splashed in your eyes before leaving for the emergency department or doctor’s office.
This post was brought to you by New England Eye. Don’t miss their Wellness Workshop, “Safety First: Eye Protection at Home, Work and Play” on Tuesday, July 19 from 12 – 1 pm at FitRec. RSVP today!
New England Eye
930 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
617-262-2020
www.NewEnglandEye.org