Most Eye Injuries Preventable

The Vision Council has teamed with the American Society for Safety Engineers in releasing a new issue brief about the importance of workers protecting their eyes while on the job.

Every day nearly 2,000 American workers suffer avoidable workplace eye injuries that require medical treatment, says the Vision Council. Yet despite the risk of eye injury, many workers bypass appropriate precautions.

In addition to the physical toll exacted by workplace eye injuries, they also come at great cost to businesses: an estimated $300 million annually in medical bills, compensation and downtime. Lost productivity is another significant consequence, with more than 27,000 reported days away from work among private industry employees in 2008.

Although workplace eye injuries can be devastating, there is a positive story to tell about prevention when workers consistently use the right protective eyewear, says Vision Council. (or move paragraph below next one) Eye Safety At-a-Glance: Protecting your Vision at Work was developed to help business owners and workers understand that using the proper protection, such as safety glasses, goggles, face shields, and helmets, can prevent countless eye injuries and cases of vision loss.

Potential eye hazards can be found in nearly every industry. While 61% of eye injuries occur in manufacturing, construction, or trade jobs, threats like chemical exposure are present in hospitals, laboratories, and many other types of workplaces. Research also shows that nearly three out of five workers injured were wearing either the wrong kind of eye protection or no protection at all.

OSHA requires the use of eye and face protection whenever there is a reasonable probability of injury that could be prevented by such equipment. The eye protection chosen for specific work situations should depend upon the type of hazard, the circumstances of exposure, other protective equipment used, and individual vision needs.