A greater focus is needed on preventing workplace eye injuries, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Each year, 300,000 Americans visit the emergency room to treat a workplace eye injury, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A significant portion of eye injuries occur in manufacturing, construction and mining, industries which are experiencing recent job growth.
According to the February jobs report, the U.S. added 48,000 jobs in construction, 21,000 jobs in manufacturing and 7,000 in mining in January. About 40 percent of eye injuries in the workplace happen in these three industries, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Estimated $300 Million Yearly Lost From Eye Injuries
In total, all workplace eye injuries reportedly lead to an estimated $300 million a year in lost productivity, medical treatment and worker compensation.
Injuries range from simple strain to severe trauma, which can cause permanent damage and blindness, but 90 percent of workplace eye injuries are preventable with the appropriate eye protection.
Among the following tips for avoiding eye injuries at work:
• Wear protective eyewear whenever there is a chance of eye injury such as anywhere there may be flying debris, falling objects, chemicals and intense light and heat. This is particularly true of workers involved in welding. Among welders, their assistants, and nearby workers, UV radiation burns (welder’s flash) routinely damage workers’ eyes and surrounding tissue.
• Make sure your eye protection is American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-approved, OSHA compliant, and is appropriate for the hazards in your workplace. If you are working in an area that has particles, flying objects or dust, you must at least wear safety glasses with side protection (side shields). If you are working with chemicals, you should wear goggles. If you are working near hazardous radiation (welding, lasers or fiber optics) you must use special-purpose safety glasses, goggles, face shields or helmets designed for that task.
Author Kori Shafer-Stack, Editor, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in post-injury response procedures and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: kstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.
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