July is Eye Injury Prevention Month. This is a time to remind ourselves to keep our eyes protected both at home and at work.
Wearing protective eyewear is the best way to prevent eye injuries. This post offers several other Smart Tips for Preventing Eye Injuries.
There are several different ways in which you can protect your eyes from dangers related to your home, work, or active lifestyle.
How To Prevent Eye Injuries at Home
Our homes are where we feel safest, so we often forget that the most mundane activities can injure us. Cooking, cleaning, yard work, or even opening up a bottle of champagne are all high risk factors for eye injuries.
Wearing protective eyewear usually protects your eyes from injuries almost 100 percent of the time. However, there are other protection tips that can prevent your eyes from injuries while at home.
The following tips may help you prevent eye injuries from occurring while at home:
- Cleaning Products: Make sure to read the labels on cleaning products when cleaning. Some chemicals in cleaning products may cause eye irritation so it’s important to keep the products a good distance away from your eyes.
- Cooking: When cooking try to use grease shields on frying pans or keep a safe distance from the stove to avoid spattering.
- Yard Work: While working in your yard it’s especially important to wear protective eyewear. Check the area for any loose equipment or debris that may fly up and hit your eyes. Also when you’re exposed to harmful UV rays make sure to wear the right sunglasses to avoid UV ray injuries.
- Supervise Children: For those of who who have children, it’s important to supervise your children when they use sharp objects like pencils, scissors, eating utensils, or other sharp household items. This goes for adults as well!
- Secure Rugs or Railings: Make sure that your rugs or railings are secure in order to prevent hazardous slips or falls.
How to Prevent Eye Injuries at Work
Just like at home, wearing protective eyewear is the best way to prevent eye injuries at work. However, there are some different ways you can prevent eye injuries at your workplace, and the prevention tips may vary depending on your field of work.
The following tips may help you prevent eye injuries from occurring while at work:
- Computer Safety: If you work in front of a computer all day, make sure to protect your eyes from the computer by taking frequent breaks about every twenty minutes. Protective computer glasses are also available while working in front of a computer.
- Work Tools: For those of you who work with tools, make sure that the tools are working properly, and those who are using the tools are wearing the proper eyewear when operating.
- Heavy Machinery: Operating heavy and large machinery is a huge risk. It’s important to be aware of your surroundings while operating, and to take the right precautions like wearing safety glasses.
- Wash Your Hands: No matter your place of work, washing your hands can help prevent any eye injuries resulting from small debris.
- Eye Washing Stations: If you work in a dangerous environment, check to see where your nearest eye washing station is. If your eyes come in contact with harmful chemicals or debris wash your eyes out at the eye washing station to prevent injuries from occurring.
What to Do If an Eye Injury Occurs?
If an eye injury does occur, it’s important to seek medical attention from a professional eye doctor as soon as possible, even if the injury is minor. If you delay eye care the injury may lead to a bigger infection or permanent damage. Find a qualified eye doctor near you.
