Eye safety

DIY

DIY causes thousands of eye related injuries a year.

Injuries are often caused by flying objects such as wood chips or shards of metal and a good defence against these is a pair of safety goggles. Goggles aren’t expensive and to be sure that they’re also effective, check that they conform to European Standard BS EN 166. If you’re welding, wear a full-face mask and goggles with the British Standard number BS 1542.

Workplace

Every year, thousands of workplace eye accidents are reported to the Health and Safety Executive, and some of these involve loss of sight.

No matter where you work, your employer should inform you of any safety issues and procedures. This isn’t just in your interests, it’s also in your employers’ - the minimum compensation payout for the loss of sight in one eye is around the £100,000 mark! Some jobs require you to wear protective equipment such as goggles (see above), which your employer should provide. Make sure you wear them!

Other occupational risks to eye health are less obvious. For example, prolonged use of a computer screen can result in what has become known as computer vision syndrome (CVS). The symptoms of CVS – eyestrain, double vision, temporary short-sightedness and visual fatigue – are not thought to cause lasting damage, but they are preventable. For more information on this visit - eye health and computer screens.

Sports

Sport is now the biggest cause of hospital admission for serious eye injury in the UK. When objects move at speed, the eyes become vulnerable, and this is particularly true of certain sports. Racket sports in particular account for thousands of eye injuries a year. In fact, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) estimates that squash balls alone are responsible for 2,000 hospital admissions in the UK each year, while squash rackets account for around 2,400.

The answer is to wear protective sports goggles, which are available from good sports equipment shops. They may look and feel odd at first, but you soon get used to them and they’re a growing trend, as more and more people are realising how much sense it makes to shield their eyes from projectiles travelling at 150kph!

First Aid for Eyes

There are thousands of eye injuries reported every year. Since every eye injury is potentially serious, it’s important to know what to do when things go wrong. The right course of action can make the difference between minor eye damage and permanent injury or even blindness.

Foreign objects (specks of dust, insects, grit, etc)

Do not rub the eye!

Instead, pull the upper eyelid down over the lower lid and let the lower eyelashes sweep away the particle by blinking repeatedly. This will also make you produce tears which should help wash any particles of grit, dust, etc away.

Failing this, wash the eye out with clean water or sterile fluid from a sealed container. If this doesn’t work either, go straight to hospital.

If something is actually embedded in the eye, do not try to remove it – you might cause more damage. Go to hospital!

Cuts in and around the eye

Do not rub the eye, apply pressure, remove any particles or wash the eye out!

Bandage the eye gently and seek medical help.

Chemical splashes

If you’re wearing contact lenses, remove them immediately. Flush the eye out with clean water for at least 10 minutes, while gently holding the eye open. Go to your nearest hospital accident and emergency department straight away.

Physical trauma (black eyes, etc)

Gently apply cold compresses immediately, but without exerting any pressure. This can be repeated for 15 minutes every hour. This should relieve some of the pain and swelling. Go to the doctor’s if there is serious discolouration, as it could indicate internal injury.