Top 5 Eye Safety Mistakes in the Workplace

Much like the television show “1,000 Ways to Die,” there are things that people do to cause eye injuries in the workplace. Here are our top 5 eye safety mistakes:

  1. Not wearing eye protection. There are 2.4 million eye injuries annually in America. With the use of eye protection, at least 90% of them could be prevented.
  2. Wearing prescription dress (regular) glasses thinking they provide the same amount of protection as safety glasses. The frames and lenses of dress glasses don’t undergo rigorous testing to ensure they can withstand stress and pressure without breaking. The last thing you want is glass or other objects in your eyes!
  3. Adding sideshields to prescription dress glasses thinking you’re more protected. More than likely the added sideshields will either not fit properly or will not withstand any type of force or projectile hitting the glasses.
  4. Wearing safety glasses that don’t fit properly. Glasses that are too big can slip off or provide easy access to the eyes through the gaps around the nose or sides of the face. Glasses that are too small won’t cover enough of the eye area and can be uncomfortable to wear, causing the wearer to remove them frequently or stop wearing the glasses completely.
  5. Choosing the wrong eye protection for the job. The wrong choice may not provide the protection you need based on your work, whether it is related to temperature, moisture, light or any other factor. For example, you could have poor vision wearing the glasses due to fog, scratches, reflection, bright lights, or even too much tint or shading.

It is important to wear the right protection for your specific application and job. Consult your optometrist or company safety director to make sure you’re properly protected.