EYE INJURIES & PREVENTION

Date:

Job Name:

Report all eye
injuries to your
supervisor.
!

Supervisor Signature:

Our eyes are one of our greatest assets. They give us the ability to see the world
around us. If we do not protect our eyes from injuries while at work we could
easily lose that ability. There are an estimated 2,000 eye injuries every single
day on the job according to the CDC. These incidents cost employers over $300
million dollars per year. It is important to eliminate or engineer out the hazards
that could pose hazards to our eyes at work. Many hazards to our eyes on a
worksite cannot be fully eliminated so proper eye protection is also critical.

Common Hazards that Cause Eye Injuries on the Job

ñ Flying dust
ñ Flying debris
ñ Chemicals
ñ Blunt trauma to the eye
ñ Burns due to UV exposure, such as welder’s flash

Best Practices to Avoid Injuries to the Eyes

ñ Identify all of the potential eye hazards in your work area and for your
specific work tasks. Ensure there are proper safeguards in place to prevent
an eye injury. If there is a safeguard missing, stop the work task and correct
the problem.

ñ Always wear approved safety glasses, face shield, or goggles when needed.
The type of PPE needed will depend on the work task. Three out of every
five victims of eye injuries on the job were not wearing any eye protection.

ñ If there is welding activities going on, wear proper eye protection and
ensure there is a protective barrier in place to protect other employees in
the area from UV exposure.

ñ Eliminate or lessen the chance of getting something into your eye by
avoiding being in the line of fire. One quick example is standing upwind of
debris or dust blowing around the work area.

ñ If you get something in your eye do not rub or scratch it. Rubbing the eye
can cause scratching of the cornea resulting in injury. Ask for help and find
an eye wash station or saline bottle to rinse out the object.

ñ If you get a chemical in your eyes, remove your contacts if there is any in
and begin to rinse your eyes out.

MEETING ATTENDEES