Eye Safety at Home: Preventing Eye Injuries
Nearly half of all eye injuries happen in and around the home during ordinary tasks like mowing, garage work, cleaning, and cooking, yet most are preventable.
While many people wear protective glasses when operating power tools, numerous injuries occur during routine household activities such as cooking, cleaning, gardening, and DIY projects. It’s often overlooked that these tasks can lead to eye injuries without proper eye protection. For instance, household cleaners like bleach or ammonia are responsible for 125,000 eye injuries each year. Additionally, outdoor activities like mowing the lawn, using hot tools like curling irons near the face, uncorking champagne, operating a power hedge trimmer, cooking with splattering oil, and fastening items with bungee cords can pose risks.
In the United States, there are approximately 1.5 million home-related eye injuries annually, of which 90% are preventable through the use of protective eyewear. Unfortunately, only about three out of ten individuals wear protective eyewear during home projects that pose a risk to their eyes.
A mere millisecond is all it takes to inflict a life-changing eye injury that could cause permanent eye damage or even blindness. Even if you’ve previously completed similar tasks without harm, failing to safeguard your eyes in potentially dangerous home environments can lead to injury and lifelong regret.
You can minimize the risk of eye injuries at home by adhering to these straightforward precautions during everyday activities.
Eye Safety Tips in The House:
• Drilling or hammering screws or nails into walls or hard surfaces like brick or cement can cause these objects or fragments to become airborne.
• Cosmetics and related tools can be a source of eye injuries. Before applying makeup, always check the ingredients. Exercise extreme caution when using mascara wands or tweezers close to your eyes, as a small slip could result in a significant eye injury.
• Using hot objects such as curling irons near your face can lead to serious eye injuries.
• Non-prescription costume contact lenses, particularly popular around Halloween, may lead to significant eye harm. To avoid these risks, exploring different methods of altering one’s eye appearance is advisable.
• Loose rugs and railings, among other hazards, could cause falls or slips. To avoid this, secure rugs with non-slip pads and ensure railings are firmly attached. For households with children or elderly, consider padding sharp corners and edges.
• Fireworks are responsible for numerous injuries, including those to the eyes. Even fireworks labeled as “safe” can inflict burns and produce foreign objects that may damage the eyes.
Eye Safety Tips While Cooking and in the Kitchen:
• Handle shears and knives with care, being mindful of your surroundings.
• Keep your face away from pans when cooking and use grease shields on frying pans to prevent burns from foods that can splatter hot grease or oil.
• Avoid touching your eyes after handling hot peppers, onions, or other foods with strong residues. Even a small amount of these substances can cause significant pain and irritation, which can be easily prevented by wearing safety glasses, goggles, or a face shield.
• When opening champagne bottles during celebrations, wrap a towel or cloth around the top of the bottle to ‘catch’ the cork and never point it towards anyone, including yourself.
Protecting Your Eyes During Cleaning and Housework:
• Hazardous chemicals like oven cleaners and bleach are responsible for 125,000 eye injuries annually. Avoid mixing chemical agents when using products like bleach, detergents, and cleansers.
• Always read labels, wear eye protection, and follow instructions carefully.
Eye Safety Tips for Garden and Yard Work:
• Almost 40 percent of home eye injuries happen in the garden or yard.
• Be sure to wear safety goggles or glasses with side protection when mowing the lawn to shield your eyes from objects at all angles. Before starting the lawnmower, it’s important to inspect your lawn and clear it of any potential projectiles, such as large sticks or pinecones.
• Always wear your goggles, safety glasses, and a face shield before operating power saws, trimmers, edgers, or shovels, as they can kick up dirt and debris. Be cautious of branches, twigs, and thorns as well.
• Power tools should be turned off when in the vicinity of an unprotected bystander, particularly when children are nearby.
• Chemicals pose a risk to eye health: Wear protective goggles when handling fertilizers or pesticides, including lime dust or rose dust, to prevent irritation to your eyes’ sensitive tissues.
• Be diligent about reading labels. Always follow all instructions for your power tools and pay attention to the warnings on the chemical containers and packages.
• Wash your hands regularly. On average, People touch their faces 16 times per hour, and it’s hazardous to your eyes to have chemicals or other contaminants on your hands.
Eye Safety Tips in The Garage or Workshop:
• Always wear protective safety goggles when using power or hand tools. Maintain your tools in good condition; repair or replace any damaged tools.
• Use goggles or safety glasses when working with solvents or chemicals. Ensure that all spray nozzles are pointed away from you.
• Be sure to wear safety glasses or goggles during activities that could cause fragments, wood chips, or dust particles to become airborne.
• Wear safety glasses when securing equipment or loads with bungee cords, as they pose a significant risk to the eyes if they snap back.
• Turn off power tools to safeguard bystanders, such as when a child or another family member is nearby. If you’re working with a helper, ensure they also wear appropriate eye protection while the tools are in operation.
Eye Safety Tips for Children at Home:
• Store hazardous materials in closed containers, out of children’s reach.
• Be mindful of your children’s toys. Watch for toys that could be used as projectiles, such as toy guns and slingshots. Teach children to avoid snapping rubber or stretchy toys that could hit their eyes.
• Limit video game and computer time as excessive use may harm young eyes. Encourage your children to take regular breaks from screens and digital devices.
• Make sure tools and cleaning supplies are stored where children cannot access them.
• Be vigilant when young children are around dogs. Eye injuries are common when dogs bite small children.
• Ensure your child uses protective eyewear like glasses, goggles, and helmets during sports and recreational activities. Sports involving balls, pucks, sticks, bats, rackets, or any flying objects pose a risk of eye injury.
What To Do If You Sustain an Eye Injury at Home?
Eye injuries at home typically involve the cornea but can also affect the orbital bone, eyelid, and lens. Activities that may result in a flying projectile, chemical splash, or blunt trauma pose a risk to the eyes. While most injuries are preventable with safety glasses, here are some immediate actions to take if an injury occurs:
• DO seek medical attention without delay.
• DO rinse the eye with water if affected by chemicals or small debris.
• DO apply a cold compress for a black eye, avoiding pressure.
• DO cover any cuts to ward off infection.
• DO protect the eye with a cloth over the injury.
• DON’T rub the eye, as it may worsen the injury.
• DON’T use ointments, which can hinder a doctor’s evaluation.
• DON’T rinse the eye if there’s a cut or puncture.
• DON’T try to remove embedded objects from the eye.
Minor injuries, like dirt in the eye, may only require a rinse with clean water. However, do not self-treat serious eye injuries, as it could cause further harm. Seek immediate medical attention if experiencing:
• Persistent eye pain
• Vision issues
• Eyelid laceration
• Restricted eye movement
• Eye bleeding
• Pupil size alteration
Certain eye injuries sustained at home require immediate medical attention, which can be crucial for preserving your vision. Do not delay in seeking help; contact your doctor for an eye examination as soon as possible.
Wear Safety Glasses or Goggles When Appropriate
Make it a priority to purchase and use protective safety glasses. At Wise Eyes Optical, we recommend that each family member has a pair certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Although some may find it uncomfortable to wear protective eyewear for tasks they have performed safely for years, remember that your vision is invaluable. Putting on your safety glasses is a simple step that could protect your eyesight for a lifetime.
If you’re in the market for new safety glasses, the team at Wise Eyes Optical is prepared to help you select the perfect pair. Discover our extensive selection of both prescription and non-prescription safety glasses in our optical showroom. At Wise Eyes Optical, we aim to ensure you see clearly and find eyewear that fits your needs and personal style. Our expert team is here to assist you, or you can enjoy browsing our selection at your leisure. Visit our website to view some of our available styles.
Contact Wise Eyes Optical
Your Hometown Vision Center Serving Central Pennsylvania
Your trusted hometown vision center, Wise Eyes Optical, is dedicated to enhancing your vision for a lifetime. Our services include expert eye and vision care, personalized eyeglasses and contact lens fittings, eyeglass repairs, and more. If you have questions or would like to learn more, reach out to your nearest Central Pennsylvania Wise Eyes Optical office. For assistance, call (717) 242-1915.
