44% of all eye injuries happen at home, but 90% of eye injuries are preventable!
We prevent them by taking simple precautionary measures, such as wearing protective gear when we’re working with power tools or harmful chemicals or as well as by minimizing any unnecessary hazards we might have around our homes.
What Are the Main Eye Safety Risks in the Home?
All kinds of innocent objects can transform into serious eye hazards in the middle of an accident, from simple pens and pencils to the corners of furniture. Even getting a little too close to a skillet with hot oil in it can be dangerous for our eyes. The most hazardous household items for the unwary eye, however, are cleaning chemicals and toys with small parts.
Out in the yard, work tools and gardening tools, along with debris flying out of a lawnmower, can be dangerous. We should be careful around pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides when we’re keeping our lawns and gardens in their best shape. But how do we protect our eyes from all of these household items?
Maximizing Your Home Eye Safety
Here’s an easy checklist to follow to minimize your risk of getting an eye injury at your own home:
Invest in protective eyewear. Safety goggles or glasses should be considered essential equipment for homeowners and anyone else who handles chemical compounds, works with finer materials and can cause debris to fly around, or is working with spent metal-working fluids such as bio-based metal-polishing compounds.
Tidy up trip hazards. Clean up loose items on the floor and make sure there are sturdy railings and lights anywhere there are stairs or steps.
Do a pre-mowing cleanup. Anything lying out on the lawn can become a dangerous projectile when it meets the weed eater or mower, so pick it all up first!
Read the warning labels. Chemicals like bleach, ammonia and other strong chemicals often come in dangerous combinations. Always read the label before using any chemical product. Don’t mix products, either.
Avoid touching your eyes. Particularly while using harsh chemicals, but it also applies at all times.
Arm Your Household With Emergency Plans
Another critical part of risk mitigation is planning ahead so that you know what to do if an emergency or accident does happen. The most common types of eye injuries are when a substance gets in the eye or when a foreign body penetrates the eye. If the latter happens, don’t try to touch the eye or remove the object and get to the emergency room immediately. On the way to the emergency room, cover it with something rigid to protect it.
If a foreign object gets into someone’s eye, a hospital trip can still be very helpful. It could be worse than it looks, so avoid touching the eye. Sometimes foreign objects and chemicals can be flushed out with water. If something splashes into the eyes, flush them with water for 20 minutes to get as much of it out as possible and minimize the harmful effects. (It’s still a good idea to go to the hospital just to be safe.)
Come to Us if You Have Eye Safety Questions
If you’d like to share your own eye injury emergency plan with us or if you’d like some advice on developing your plan, we’re happy to help. Safety measures like these are especially important in households with someone with limited mobility or young children.
Happy Eye Safety Awareness Month!
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
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