These are some of the most common places that eye injuries happen and prevention tips for both indoor and outdoor activities:
In the house– When using household chemicals, read the instructions and labels carefully, work in a well-ventilated area and make sure to point spray nozzles away from you. Many chemicals are extremely hazardous and can permanently destroy the surface of your eyes, resulting in blindness. For this reason, it is very important to use appropriate eye protection to prevent blinding consequences from chemical splashes.
In the workshop – Think about the work you will be doing and wear protective eyewear to shield your eyes from flying fragments, fumes, dust particles, sparks and splashing chemicals. Many objects can fly into your eyes unexpectedly and cause injury.
In the garden – Put on protective eyewear before you use a lawnmower, power trimmer or edger and be sure to check for rocks and stones because they can become dangerous projectiles as they shoot from these machines.
In the garage – Battery acid sparks and debris from damaged or improperly jump-started auto batteries can severely damage your eyes. Learn the proper way to jump-start an automobile, and keep protective goggles in the trunk of your car to use for those emergencies and everyday repairs.
Sporting activities--The number one cause of eye injuries in children are sports related.
Visit PreventBlindness.org to learn more about the statistics and how to protect your eyes.
Something you can do today to help protect your eyes and those of your family members is to be certain that you have at least one pair of ANSI-approved protective eyewear to be worn when doing projects and activities at home to safeguard against eye injuries. ANSI-approved protective eyewear is manufactured to meet the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) eye protection standard. ANSI-approved protective eye wear can be easily purchased from most hardware stores nationwide and can be identified by the mark "Z87" placed on the eye wear. If you need a prescription, our office can provide ANSI approved eyewear with your prescription build in.
ANSI-approved protective eyewear is not approved for use in sports.
