- What are the potential eye hazards at work? - How can I
protect my eyes from injury? - Can contact lenses be worn safely
for industrial jobs? - What should be done in an eye emergency?
Eye injuries in the workplace are very common. The National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports
about 2,000 U.S. workers sustain job-related eye injuries that
require medical treatment each day. However, safety experts and
eye doctors believe the right eye protection could have lessened
the severity or even prevented 90% of these eye injuries. Simply
using the proper eye protection on the job could prevent
thousands of eye injuries each year. Common eye injuries
occurring at work can result from chemicals or foreign objects
in the eye and cuts or scrapes on the cornea. Other causes of
injuries include splashes with grease and oil, burns from steam,
ultraviolet or infrared radiation exposure, and flying wood or
metal chips. In addition, health care workers, laboratory and
janitorial staff, and other wo