March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month

March is Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month. Before you think that this topic does not apply to you, think again. Each day, over 2,000 Americans suffer an eye injury. This means that almost one million Americans have experienced some vision loss due to eye injury, which has resulted in more than $300 million in lost work time, medical expenses and workman’s compensation.

We usually think of work-related eye injuries as being isolated to outdoor jobs such as construction work, landscaping or animal handling. Ironically, working in an office can be just as hazardous to your eyesight. The most common eye problem is computer vision syndrome. While consistently being on your computer will not permanently damage your vision, it can make your eyes feel irritated and fatigued.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH):

Each day about 2,000 U.S. workers sustain a job-related eye injury that requires medical treatment. About one third of the injuries are treated in hospital emergency departments, and more than 100 of these injuries result in one or more days away from work.

Primary causes of on-the-job eye injuries include:

Striking or scraping:

Small particles or objects striking or scraping the eye, such as: dust, cement chips, metal slivers, and wood chips. Large objects may also strike the eye or face, or a worker may run into an object causing blunt-force trauma to the eyeball or eye socket.

Penetration:

Objects like nails, staples, or slivers of wood or metal can go through the eyeball and result in a permanent loss of vision.

Chemical and thermal burns:

Industrial chemicals or cleaning products are common causes of chemical burns to one or both eyes. Thermal burns to the eye also occur, often among welders.

Engineering controls and comprehensive hazard assessments are crucial to helping workers avoid eye injuries and diseases. Safety training is a big part of the picture as well, and Summit’s library of over 300 safety topics contains a number of courses to offer during Workplace Eye Wellness Month or any time of the year.

Eye Safety: No Second Chances

Complies with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132
Using scenes from a variety of jobsites and scenarios, this course helps your workers develop respect for eye protection and an understanding of the lifelong consequences of not using adequate eye protection.

Eye Safety: Focused on Protection

This course teaches workers about workplace hazards, protective eyewear and best practices to help build the good habit of always having the appropriate eye and face protection, and consistently using that protective equipment whenever it is required.

Here are some great ideas on how your company can participate by bringing awareness to the importance of Workplace Eye Wellness Month:

Host a safety meeting or toolbox talk on eye safety
Deliver an eye safety message from the management leadership to the staff
Contribute to the conversation on social media using the hashtag #WorkplaceEyeWellnessMonth
Include information on your company’s participation in Workplace Eye Wellness Month and workplace eye safety tips in your company’s newsletter
Put up eye safety posters around the workplace
Conduct a review of all eye safety signs in your workplace to ensure there are adequate Caution and Reminder signs to “Wear Eye Protection” in the areas that they are needed. Order more or replace as needed.
Put your employees to the test with this fun Workplace Eye Safety Quiz

To prevent an eye injury at work, Prevent Blindness provides the following tips:

Know the eye safety hazards at work by completing an eye hazard assessment.
Eliminate hazards before starting work. Use machine guarding, work screens or other engineering controls.
Use proper eye protection that fits correctly such as non-prescription or prescription safety glasses, goggles, face shields, welding helmets or full-face respirators.

With more than 700,000 work-related eye injuries happening each year, Americans can use a few tips on how to prevent eye injuries in the workplace. Download this fact sheet from Prevent Blindness on 10 Ways to Prevent Occupational Eye Injuries for some quick tips.

March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month,HSI
EYE SAFETY AWARENESS DURING WORKPLACE EYE WELLNESS MONTH. weeklysafty.com