Page 9 - February 2022 Track N Times

SAFETY FOCUS

EYE-CARE SAFETY

BY: Dale Wilson, Field Safety Specialist

Our eyes are one of our greatest assets. They
give us the ability to see the world around us.
Suppose we do not protect our eyes from injuries
at work; we could easily lose that ability. Accord-
ing to the CDC, there are an estimated 2,000 eye
injuries every day on the job. It is vital to elimi-
nate or engineer out the hazards that could pose Don’t let an accident be
dangers to our eyes at work. Many hazards to our the last thing you see!
eyes on a worksite cannot be entirely eliminated,
so proper eye protection is critical.

Flying dust and debris are just some of the more common items that can cause an eye injury on the job.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that almost 70% of accidents studied resulted from flying or falling
objects, with most debris smaller than a pin's head. Some of the tools that we have to eliminate eye inju-
ries are:
• Use the 5-Step Risk Assessment to identify all potential eye hazards in your work area and
your specific work tasks. Ensure there are proper safeguards in place to prevent an eye injury.
If a safeguard is missing, stop the work and correct the problem.
• Reduce the chance of getting something into your eye by avoiding being in the line of fire. One

example is standing upwind of debris or dust blowing around the work area.
• Always wear approved safety glasses, face shield, goggles, or full-face respirator when needed.
The type of PPE needed will depend on the work task. Three out of every five victims of eye
injuries on the job were not wearing any eye protection.
• If you get something in your eye, do not rub or scratch it. Rubbing the eye can cause
scratching of the cornea resulting in injury.
• All employees must report to their immediate supervisor at the first indication that a foreign
particle might be in their eye. Prompt assessment and removal are the best way to make sure
a dust in the eye event does not become a serious injury or threat to the employee’s eyesight.

Use the eye care task matrix found in the Eye-Care Standard to determine the appropriate eye-care PPE
for the task you will be completing. Do not take shortcuts when it comes to eye care. Instead, take the
time to wear the proper eye care PPE listed in the task matrix. It’s not worth losing your eyesight to save
a few minutes by skipping this crucial step.
Have a safe and productive week.

Page 7 FEBRUARY 2022