{"id":1739,"date":"2018-03-07T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-07T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.compliancesigns.com\/blog\/shocking-info-about-eye-injuries-workplace\/"},"modified":"2024-07-22T12:22:33","modified_gmt":"2024-07-22T16:22:33","slug":"shocking-info-about-eye-injuries-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.compliancesigns.com\/blog\/shocking-info-about-eye-injuries-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"Shocking Info About Eye Injuries in the Workplace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Each day about 2000 U.S. workers sustain a job-related eye injury that requires medical treatment. About one-third of the injuries are treated in the hospital emergency room, and more than 100 of these injuries result in one or more days away from work, reports the Centers for Disease Control<\/a> (CDC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thousands of people are blinded each year from work-related eye injuries that could have been prevented with the proper personal protection equipment (PPE). Eye injuries alone cost more than $300 million per year in lost production time, medical expenses and worker compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OSHA requires employers to ensure the safety of all employees in their work environment. Eye and face protection<\/a> must be provided whenever necessary to protect against chemical, environmental, radiological or mechanical irritants, and hazards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are five statistics you should know about eye injuries in the workplace from Industrial Safety & Hygiene News (<\/strong>ISHN<\/strong><\/a>):<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Men ages 25-44 make up 80% of all workplace eye injury victims.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. 40% of on-the-job eye injuries occur in the manufacturing, construction, and mining industries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Vision loss is among the top 10 disabilities among American adults aged 18 years and older.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. 38% of eye injuries account for 45% of all head injuries that lead to missed working days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Eye hazards can be found in nearly every industry.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Of all the industries, construction workers have a higher rate of eye injuries than any other industry. In construction, more than 10,000 eye injuries occur each year forcing employers to miss work. Nails, tiny pieces of metal, splinters, and cut wire ends can land in the eyes, not to mention mixing cement, sawing, grinding, dust, and grit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Due to the nature of overhead work, electrical workers and utility workers are at an increased risk for eye injuries in the workplace from flying particles such as nails, small pieces of metal, cut wire ends, falling objects and sparks striking the eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Electricians also have a higher thread from burns, that can also cause blindness, per the Vision Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So what\u2019s your best defense against workplace eye injuries? Here are four things you can do:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Know the eye safety dangers at work and complete an eye hazard assessment<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Eliminate hazards before starting work. Use machine guarding, work screens, or other engineering controls)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Use proper eye protection.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Always pay attention to the safety messages in your work area \u2013 especially the eye protection required signs<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Effectively communicate safety hazards to your workers and always motivate safe work practices with the right PPE safety signs<\/a> and PPE safety posters<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Learn More About Workplace Eye Safety:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n