Each year, thousands of people end up blind due to work-related eye injuries. Fortunately, you can avoid this medical issue by learning about common injury causes and how to stay safe with protective eyewear. Here’s what you need to know. 

Common Eye Injuries at Work

Whether you work in welding, construction, or manufacturing, it’s common for small particles to enter the eye and scrape it. Even a minimal scratch from a piece of drywall or sawdust can lead to painful corneal erosion, which will affect your vision long-term. 

Wood chips, dust, or metal slivers can easily fall from another worker, blow into your eye via the wind, or get discharged from a mechanical tool. In some cases, workers get hit by larger objects or accidentally run into a sharp corner, causing trauma to the eye. 

Unfortunately, it’s also common for a nail, piece of wood, or staple to go through the eyeball, causing blindness. Finally, factory workers often sustain burns due to industrial chemicals.

How Can You Protect Your Eyes? 

Always wear protective eyewear while you’re working. For example, goggles or safety glasses will shield your eyes from potential hazards. When picking eyewear, consider the nature of your work, your personal vision needs, and the potential hazards you’ll face. If you work in tree maintenance, look for options that protect against wood chips and sawdust. Construction workers, on the other hand, may need to worry more about nails and metal slivers. 

Can You Wear Glasses Instead? 

Some people assume that their regular glasses will provide enough shielding to prevent work-related eye injuries. However, they don’t offer nearly enough impact resistance to protect against nails and other hazards.

The American National Standards Institute® (ANSI) sets impact resistance standards that will ensure that your eyes stay safe. While you’re on the job site, only wear protective eyewear that’s approved by ANSI or a similar organization.

When you need eye safety-wear to protect your eyes on the job, contact PinPoint™ Optics. The company is located in Orange, CT, and offers their products to workers all around the world. Their experts take pride in designing state-of-the-art vision protection solutions. Call (203) 874-0448 to order eyewear, or visit their website to learn more about their products.