Preventing eye injuries
More than one million people suffer eye injuries each year in the United States. Nearly 50 percent of these accidents occur in the home. Most eye injuries can be prevented by using common sense and following precautions.
Prevention is the first and most important step in avoiding eye injuries.
Every household should have at least one pair of ANSI-approved protective eyewear to be worn when doing projects or activities that could create a risk for eye injuries. Choose protective eyewear with ANSI Z87.1 marked on the lens or frame. This means the glasses, goggles or face shield meets American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z87.1 safety standard.
For information on protective eyewear designed for specific sports or work-related activities, visit www.geteyesmart.org.
In the house
Household products can seriously burn your eyes if used improperly.
Make sure that all spray nozzles are directed away from you.
Read instructions carefully before using cleaning fluids, detergents, ammonia or harsh chemicals. Wash your hands thoroughly after use.
Use grease shields on frying pans to protect from splattering.
Wear safety goggles to shield your eyes from fumes and splashes when using powerful chemicals.
Use completely opaque goggles to avoid burns from sunlamps.
In the workshop
Objects can fly into your eyes and cause an injury.
Protect your eyes from flying fragments, fumes, dust particles, sparks and splashing chemicals by always wearing safety glasses with sideshield protectors.
Read instructions thoroughly before using tools and chemicals and follow precautions for their use.
Around children
Consider your child’s age and responsibility level when you buy toys and games. Avoid projectile toys such as darts and pellet guns, which can hit the eye from a distance.
Supervise children when they are playing with toys or games that can be dangerous.
Teach children the correct way to handle items such as scissors and pencils.
BB and pellet guns should be considered as dangerous as regular firearms.
In the garden
Always wear safety glasses when using garden tools or mowing.
Pick up rocks and stones before going over them with your lawnmower. Stones can shoot out of the rotary blades and rebound off curbs or walls, causing severe eye injuries.
Do not allow anyone in the yard while you are operating a lawnmower.
Avoid low-hanging branches.
Cars
Sparks and fumes can ignite rapidly and explode. Battery acid can cause serious eye injuries.
Put out all cigarettes and matches before opening the hood of the car. Use a flashlight — not a match or lighter — to look at the battery at night.
Wear protective goggles for auto body repairs or any time when grinding metal or striking metal against metal.
When you jump-start a car:
- wear safety goggles;
- make sure the cars are not touching each other;
- be sure the jumper-cable clamps never touch each other;
- never lean over the battery when attaching cables;
- attach the positive cable (red) to the positive terminal of the dead battery first, then attach the other end of the positive cable to the good battery;
- attach the negative cable to the negative terminal of the good battery; then attach the other end of the negative cable to a grounded area on the engine, away from the negative terminal of the dead battery. Never attach a cable to the negative terminal of the dead battery.
Sports
Sports and recreational activities cause more than 31,000 eye injuries each year.
If you or your children participate in sports, you should wear the appropriate protective eyewear. Look for properly tested and certified eye and face protection that has been specifically designed for the sports you will be playing. Properly designed and fitted eyewear does not hinder performance and can reduce the risk of eye injuries by 90 percent.
If you normally wear glasses, be sure that your frames are nonbreakable and fitted with safety polycarbonate lenses for playing tennis, baseball or basketball. Also make sure to wear the appropriate sports goggles.
Fireworks
Attend only professional fireworks displays.
All fireworks can be dangerous to people of all ages.
Never allow children to light fireworks.
Do not stand near others when lighting fireworks.
First aid for eye injuries
Correct treatment for an eye injury immediately following an accident can prevent loss of sight.
FOREIGN OBJECTS IN THE EYE
Do not rub your eye. Lift the upper eyelid over the lower lid, allowing the lower lashes to brush the speck off the inside of the upper lid.
Blink a few times and let the eye move the particle out. If the speck remains, keep your eye closed and seek medical help.
CUTS OF THE EYE AND LID
Seek medical help immediately. Do not attempt to wash out the eye or remove an object stuck in the eye. Never apply pressure to the injured eye or eyelid. Be careful not to rub the eye.
BLOWS TO THE EYE
Immediately apply an ice compress to the eye to reduce pain and swelling. A black eye or blurred vision can be a sign of damage inside the eye. See your ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) immediately.
CHEMICAL BURNS
Immediately flush the eye with water, using your fingers to keep the eye open as wide as possible.
Hold your head under a faucet or shower, or pour water gently into the eye from a container for at least 15 minutes.
Roll the eyeball as much as possible to wash out the eye. Do not use an eye cup or bandage the eye. Seek medical help immediately.
Summary
Prompt, proper treatment of eye injuries can save your vision.
Seek medical help immediately if there is pain or any question of eye or vision damage following an accident.
