Prevent Eye Injuries

The human body is capable of incredible things. It does however take a lot of work to protect it. Some areas of the body such as are our eyes are more easily damaged than others. Our eyes are extremely susceptible to injury. The Cornea of the eye is the outermost layer of the eye and the first to be damaged by particulates. The cornea of the eye is the fastest healing tissue in the human body, most corneal abrasions will heal within 24-36 hours- but if a particulate it is introduced and not properly removed healing can take much longer… In Construction we encounter these types of particulates way too often for us to not be aware of them.

Be Aware:

• Reduce particulate with good Housekeeping
• Bystanders can be easily injured!
• Never stand in the line of fire!

Prevent with PPE:

• Match the PPE to the risk
• Start with safety glasses
• Chemical splash= goggles (with vent)
• Grinding= face-shield with Safety glasses
• PPE should fit the situation and the person
• If your PPE isn’t staying on, they make devices to help facial fit

Keep your PPE clean:

Dust and debris can settle on your safety glasses, face-shields, hair, even your eyelashes! Clean your PPE before and after use.

PPE removal:

• Close eyes, tilt your head/torso forward, and then remove facial PPE
• Outer layer first (first face-shield, then glasses, etc.)
• Allow debris to fall off and out
• Brush debris off facial area with hand if necessary as it can settle on hair, brows, and eyelashes

Report Quickly:

• Eyes heal quickly- in 2-4 hours if particulates are not removed they can become stuck in the eye by the healing process. It take a drill to resolve the issue this point!
• Don’t rub if you feel something in your eye- report it immediately and use eye wash solution or clean water to remove the particulate. Anything beyond flushing should be done by a medical professional.