Protect Your Eyes at Work and While Playing Sport
Summary: Many eye injuries could be prevented by taking a few precautions at home, at work and while playing sport. This information will give you guidelines on how to protect your eyes at all times.
At work
Risks include:
Chemicals – splashes, hand to eye or atmospheric contact with lime, caustic acids, powders, toxic fumes and dusts.
Mechanical – slippage or fragmentation (particularly of metal objects) during drilling, welding, demolition, fixing and cutting operations; ‘arc eye’ effect or burns from exposure during welding, melting, fusion, incineration, etc.
Explosions and breakages – glass breakages and metal containers, pipework, etc. involving compressed air, gases, chemicals, hot liquids and other volatile substances.
Accidental impact – falling or misdirected beams, rods, planks or other heavy objects.
Precautions
- Provide and partake in workplace safety training.
- Learn about any hazards in your workplace.
- Always practise safe work procedures.
- Report unsafe conditions to your supervisor or employer.
- Wear appropriate protective head and eyewear when handling any dangerous substances or equipment. Bear in mind that glasses that protect you from dust may not provide the right protection against splashes.
- Try not to wear contact lenses when working in a dusty environment as particles may become lodged under the lens. If you do have to wear contact lenses, make sure you wear the appropriate protective goggles as well.
On the road
Risks include:
Windscreen – impact of eye with windscreen; cuts and tears by jagged glass edges on projection of a person through windscreen; lodgement of flying particles from unlaminated windscreen.
Other impacts – unsecured objects flying in car interior during impact sequence; sharp edges or protruding objects; impact of unsecured small children with roof or sides of car.
Precautions
- Wear your seatbelt at all times.
- Ensure that children are safetly secured in either a carseat or with a booster seat.
Playing sport
Many sports could cause accidental eye injuries – whether it is a flying object like a squash ball, fish hook, hurley or a racquet, or an impact with another player, it is important to take precautions.
Precautions
- Wear protective headgear and eyewear and ensure that children are well protected.
- Play safely, respecting your fellow teammates.
At home and in the garden
Risks include:
Cleaning – splashing of cleaning solution; airborne dust and other harmful fragments.
Medicinal – splashing and mishandling of medicine; explosions and breakages of glass and metal containers, windows and aerosol containers; spring-loaded objects such as pop bottles.
Falls – slippage or running into sharp objects such as needles, knives, screwdrivers, nails, pencils, scissors or darts, etc.
Cooking – slippage of sharp cutting instruments; splashing of hot liquids; fragmentation of bones during powered cutting and mixing.
DIY – flying shards of metal, glass or wood; dust and other harmful fragments.
Gardening accidents – flying stones or pebbles when mowing the lawn, splashing of chemicals such as weed killers.
Precautions
- Make sure that you have a first aid kit at home and that everyone in the house knows its location. Ensure that it is restocked when anything is used.
- Keep harmful chemicals and medicines out of children's reach.
- Take the necessary precautions when dealing with harmful chemicals, including using protective glasses.
- Wear protective goggles when doing DIY and mowing the lawn.
- Always follow the instructions on chemicals for the house and garden.
- Wear gloves when gardening and take care to avoid handling dog or cat faeces with your bare hands.