Safety goggles and other eye protection products help maintain the health and safety of your eyes. Protecting your eyes is important because even a minor injury can result in life-long vision problems. Using protective eyewear may reduce your rate of injury but does not remove all risk. (Ref 5)
Sports Goggles
Eye protection for athletes helps prevent sports-related eye injuries. More than 40,000 sports-related eye injuries are treated in hospital emergency rooms annually, reports the organization Prevent Blindness America. Help maintain your eye health and prevent eye injuries by choose properly fitting sports goggles suitable for your sport.
Polycarbonate
Treated polycarbonate, an impact-resistant material, is commonly used to manufacture eye protective wear designed sports safety. Polycarbonate features built-in UV ray protection for use while playing outdoor sports. Eye protection for sports can be customized by inserting prescription lenses.
U.S. Worker Injury
The health of your eyes depends on adhering to eye safety requirements at work. About 2000 U.S. workers experience a job-related eye injury requiring medical treatment each day, according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventionj. Small particles abrading the eye or objects striking the eye represent the majority of these injuries and sometimes result in permanent vision loss. Other eye injuries are a result of chemical and thermal burns.
Infectious Disease Transmission
Health-care workers, janitorial staff, animal handlers and individuals in other occupations put their eye health at risk during ocular exposure to infectious diseases. Splashes of blood and respiratory droplets spread during coughing may transfer diseases via the eye including pink eye, herpes simplex, avian influenza, hepatitis B and HIV. It suggests using goggles, face shields, safety glasses and full-race respirators, depending on the situation.
First Aid
Once the safety of your eyes has been compromised, begin first aid for eye injuries as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When a speck gets in your eye, do not rub it. Instead flush out the speck with large amounts of water. For a cut or puncture to the eye, do not wash it out and seek immediate medical attention. For a chemical burn to the eye, the CDC recommends immediately flushing the eye with water or any drinkable liquid for at least 15 minutes.
