Consider this report from Prevent Blindness America: More than 700,000 Americans were reported to have injured their eyes in their line of work. The same report also revealed that more than 40,000 adults and children in the U.S. experienced sports-related eye injuries.
Lastly, about 125,000 Americans experience eye injuries at home. If there is one thing that these reports implicate, it’s this: everyone can be at risk of having eye injuries no matter where you are and what you do. It’s either because of improper use of protective eyewear or not wearing one at all.
There are a lot of safety glasses available in Australia and elsewhere in the world. Protective eyewear is important to prevent foreign objects and toxic chemicals from getting into your eyes. Wearing one is crucial, especially among workers who are at risk of exposure to such dangerous objects. These include:
- Welders
- Laboratory workers
- Janitorial personnel
- Healthcare workers
- Construction workers
- Carpenters
- Auto repair personnel
- Miners
Safety glasses vs. regular eyeglasses
Safety glasses are specially designed for commercial or industrial purposes, as mentioned above. Protective eyewear is usually made from a lightweight yet durable material called polycarbonate. This eyewear material can tolerate foreign objects such as flying wood chips and chemical splashes.
In other words, protective eye gear is meant to protect the eyes against harmful elements. A protective eye gear can also have prescription lenses depending on your eye care needs. This can be useful for those who need a clear vision and eye protection at the same time while working.
Likewise, a lot of protective eyewear also has anti-glare to prevent distraction while working. Safety eyewear should also be worn when playing sports, such as paintball. Some protective eyewear resembles goggles that can be wrapped around the head for a more snug fit.
Even at home doing simple renovations, you should wear protective eyewear as well. In other words, there should be no excuses not to wear safety eyewear. On the other hand, regular glasses are usually not meant to be worn on high-risk working environments.
This is because regular eyeglasses do not provide that kind of sturdy protection, unlike protective eyewear. More often, regular glasses are used to improve vision and lessen eye damage when staring on a screen for a long time.
First aid for eye injuries
In the event of eye injuries, you should take immediate action to prevent further complications. Here are simple first aid procedures you can do until medical help arrives. In the case of chemical splashes, wash your eyes with running water for around 15 minutes.
Remove your contact lenses immediately if you are wearing one before flushing your eyes off the harmful chemical. Never rub your eyes in the event of chemical splashes or loose particles present in your eyes. Apply a cold compress if there is pain and swelling around the eye area.
Never attempt to pick out the foreign object from your eye. It may cause injuries that can damage and cause further pain and discomfort. Rush to the nearest emergency room for proper treatment. We should not take our eyes for granted.
That is why it is important to wear protective eyewear to prevent damage to your eyes. There is also safety eyewear equipped with prescriptive lenses. This is ideal for those who both need a clear vision and eye protection while working. After all, there is no reason not to wear safety eyewear.
