Work-related eye injuries are not as common as other workplace injuries, but they can be debilitating. According to data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, approximately 2,000 work-related eye injuries occur every year in the U.S. Workers’ Compensation eye-related claims amount to roughly $300 million in lost productivity, medical treatment, and lost wage compensation every year.
It is important to know how eye injuries can be prevented in the workplace. Listed below are ways these injuries can be avoided.
Know the Dangers
Knowing what dangers you face at your job is always wise, especially when the risks could involve eye injuries that put you out of work for months or even permanently blind you. Even though eye injuries can happen in almost any work environment, a significant portion of them occur in the construction, mining, and manufacturing industries. Know what equipment at your workplace could cause an eye injury and protect against it.
Choose the Correct Eye Protection
Not all types of eye protection are equal for the various tasks and dangers you could face at work. For example, not all safety glasses provide side protection, even though it is a standard of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Special chemical-resistant goggles are needed to work with hazardous chemicals if that is a risk that you will potentially encounter at your job. Eye protection goggles or glasses must be designed to accommodate workers with prescription glasses.
Regularly Inspect Protective Gear
There is no use in wearing protective gear that is broken or damaged, which will affect its safety effectiveness. This is the case with damage that makes the safety glasses an improper fit, such as issues with frames, nose pieces, side shields, cracks and tears in google seals, and the condition of headbands.
Emergency Eye Wash Stations Near Chemicals
Easily accessible emergency eyewash stations are a necessity if any employees will be working around chemicals.
Delaware County Workers’ Compensation Lawyer at the Law Office of Deborah M. Truscello Helps Workers Who Have Debilitating Eye Injuries
Suffering from a work-related eye injury can be traumatic. Our Delaware County Workers’ Compensation lawyer at the Law Office of Deborah M. Truscello has decades of experience and can help you if you are having trouble with your claim. Call (610) 892-4940 or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Located in Media, Pennsylvania, we serve clients in Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Lancaster, Montgomery County, Norristown, Philadelphia, Reading, and West Chester.