A Few Eye Safety Tips
There are 500,000 eye injuries every year in the USA. The leading cause of blindness in children is eye injury. 90% of injuries can be avoided by using proper eye protection.
If you are reading this page now because you or a loved one has an eye injury, turn your computer off and get medical attention. Any eye injury is a medical emergency.
Protective eyewear should be made of polycarbonate plastic. If working with liquids they should be splash proof goggles. Use only high-quality sunglasses with (UV) ultraviolet light protection. If your eyewear came from your local dollar-mart, you should ask yourself how much your eyes are worth.
- Keep all household chemicals, paints, pesticides, fertilizers tools, etc. locked up away from children.
- Almost anything that can splash into the eye can damage it. Wear protective eyewear when working with: detergents, cleaning solvents, etc. Never mix cleaning agents.
- Car batteries contain sulfuric acid and produce hydrogen gas while being charged. This is one of the gasses used to send rockets into space. Always wear protective eyewear when working with batteries. Know the proper procedures for handling batteries and jump-starting cars
- Never remove Safety guards from power equipment. Wear protective eyewear to protect against flying particles.
- Pick up all yard debris before using lawn equipment and wear protective eyewear while operating it. Children should not play in areas where lawn equipment is being used.
- Children and adults should use sports-specific eyewear to avoid sports related accidents.
- Consumer fireworks cause 2,000 eye injuries per year. The best protection is to leave fireworks to professionals.
- Ultraviolet and infrared light from the sun, welding arcs and tanning beds can damage your eyes; it may also contribute to age-related macular degeneration. Use proper eye protection and never look directly at a solar eclipse
- Never allow children to play with Laser pointers they are not toys. The light from a laser pointer aimed into the eye can be more damaging than staring directly into the sun.
- In the car, use infant and child safety seats, safety belts and shoulder harnesses. Keep children in the back seat away from air bags.
- Keep older children's toys away from younger children. Do not let children of any age use flying toys and projectile-firing toys with out adult supervision. Three out of four of children's eye injuries happen when no adult is present.
- To avoid eye infection do not share eye makeup or eye drops with anyone. Many bacteria, including the cold sore viruse (Herpes), can spread to your eyes and damage your vision.
- Do not let children play in areas where cats and dogs go to the bathroom. Roundworm (Toxocara) larvae in cat and dog droppings can cause blindness and other health problems. Wash your hands good after working in the yard, cleaning litter boxes, or handling animals. Have your pets dewormed.
Eye Safety Links
- Neuroscience for Kids – Eye Safety – tips for caring for your eyes.
- Safe Eyes Quiz – A quiz for parents to take with their children.
- Eye Injuries – Accidents resulting in eye injuries can happen to anyone.