At some point every year, a variety of safety topics receive their annual emphasis because they consistently rise to the top as safety concerns. One such area involves eye safety at home, and it’s one of the biggest eye safety concerns for eye professionals since, as the American Academy of Ophthalmology reports, more than half of all eye injuries occur in the home and most are preventable.

While eye safety still exists as a challenge in the workplace, the various requirements and policies in place help better ensure its compliance. However, at home, no one can require adherence to eye safety in any way. And unfortunately, recommendations fail always to result in action.

To reinforce the various recommendations, and to support National Home Eye Safety Month as declared by Prevent Blindness America, follow these;

5 Tips For Basic Eye Safety At Home

  1. Wear eye protection. Cleaning, cooking, working in the garage and doing yard work together produce about half of all eye injuries with lawn and garden causing around 40% of eye injuries occurring at home. Wearing a pair of ANSI Z87.1 rated eyewear would protect against a majority of those injuries.
  2. Stay aware of others. Turn off power tools when others approach, and keep aware of small children when doing any activity involving flying debris and chemicals. If others need to work or insist on playing nearby, consider having extra safety glasses on hand for them to wear.
  3. Know basic eye first aid. Accidents will unfortunately happen, and knowing what to do can make a significant difference in minimizing any ensuing damage. For this reason, make sure you know basic eye injury first aid, so you know what to do if an eye injury happens at home.
  4. Read and follow instructions. Power equipment comes with safety instructions, and household cleaners have warning labels. Be sure to read these instructions and warnings, and do what they say. Heck, household chemicals alone contribute to 125,000 eye injuries every year!
  5. Plan ahead. Planning ahead involves having extra safety eyewear on hand for multiple activities and people. It also means having first aid materials like emergency eye wash available should they become necessary. Planning ahead also means keeping high traffic areas clear of debris that can cause tripping and result in injury.

Safety Awareness Pays Off

Eye injuries usually happen in seconds, but they often lead to a lifetime of vision problems. Plus, eye injuries can be expensive. Prevent Blindness America reports that the cost of eye injuries is $1.3 million annually.

Fortunately, preventing eye injuries is straightforward and low cost. There are a variety of safety eyewear options available for virtually every activity. Plus, specially designed styles for both large and small faces means nobody has to be left out. Take a few minutes to stock up on some basic eye safety products today; your eyes will thank you.