Eye Injury Prevention Month is an awareness month celebrated in October. In honor of this awareness month, we wanted to share some of the top eye injury statistics that you should be aware of as well as some ways to prevent eye injury at work and at home.
- More than one million people per year are affected by an eye injury and 90% of these injuries are preventable with the use of appropriate protective eyewear.
- Eye injuries continue to plague the American workforce, averaging 2,000 per day –with more than one in 10 requiring missed workdays and 10-20 percent resulting in temporary or permanent vision loss.
- According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, 70% of accidents they studied resulted from flying or falling objects or sparks striking the eye.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that workplace eye injuries cost an estimated $300 million a year in lost productivity, medical treatment, and worker compensation.
- Eye injuries make up nearly 45% of all head injuries that lead to missed work days and men ages 25-44 comprise 80% of all workplace eye injury victims.
- Potential eye hazards can be found in nearly every industry. While 61 percent of eye injuries occur in manufacturing, construction or trade jobs, eye injuries also happen in offices, hospitals, laboratories and many other types of workplaces.
The most common contributing factors of eye injuries are not wearing eye protection or wearing the wrong type of eye protection, generally while on the job. Both of these instances are entirely preventable when you are proactive and prepared. Here are some ways you can prevent eye injury at work or at home:
- Always wear the proper form of eye protection before starting a project, task, or activity
- Speak up when you see others without proper eye protection
- Be cautious when removing eye protection as dust and particles on your goggles can go into your eyes causing eye irritation and injury
Eye injuries can be quite scary. Don’t touch, rub or apply pressure to the injured eye. If you experience an eye injury, seek medical attention as soon as possible. We offer EyeCareToday at our Peoria office that provides same day access to eye care for patients 5 years and older with acute/urgent eye conditions, or for routine vision exams.
Have you had your eyes checked lately? Call (309) 243-2400 and schedule a comprehensive eye exam at Illinois Eye Center today.
