Eye protection some may feel safety glasses or goggles are a hassle to wear and not really necessary. That notion is absolutely incorrect in fact, eye protection is extremely crucial to your overall protection in the workplace.  According to OSHA, there are an estimated 1,000 eye injuries in the workplace occurring daily. 

So, what causes all of these daily eye injuries? The answers are alarming.

• Three out of every five workers' injuries could have been prevented, as they lacked eye any type of eye protection at the time of the accident.
• Wearing incorrect eye protection for the job being performed. These workers were most likely to be wearing eyeglasses that lacked side shields.

Between lost production time, workers compensation, and medical expenses there's more than $300 million per year lost; there's no reason for this. Regardless of the dollar amount spent to rectify an eye injury, ultimately, no amount can reflect the personal burden an eye injury can put on an injured worker.

With over 90% of eye injuries being preventable if the proper eye protection is used, it is crucial to realize how much of an imperative component eye protection, is when it comes to personal protective equipment.

This being said, it is necessary for your workers' eyes are protected with recommended Personal Protective Equipment such as:

• Safety glasses
• Goggles
• Face shields
• Welding helmets
• Hybrids that serve as a combination

By wearing adequate eye protection, your chance of injury will be significantly decreased. It's important to remember, that eye protection should be combined with other personal protective equipment so that one is completely protected from head-to-toe.

While there are multiple types of eye protection available, it's key to make sure you are wearing the proper protection for the work. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends communicating to your workers the following:

• When safety eye protection is required to wear
• How and where is the available protective eyewear
• How a worker is able to get a replacement of the protective eyewear if broken
• Where eye protection is located at every station

It's also important to stress to workers that they must take care of their protective eyewear in order to for them to receive the upmost protection. By wearing the eyewear throughout the day, as opposed to laying them down, the chances of scratches significantly lessens. When not in use, eyewear should be stored in a glasses container. Scratched eyewear can reduce your vision and subsequently, may be a contributor to accidents.

Ultimately, the majority of eye injuries are preventable with the use of proper protective eyewear. An injury obtained from lack of eyewear can potentially cause a lifetime of damage make sure you and your workers make the right decision and protect your eyes!

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