Did you know that you and your kids are at risk for eye injury while performing everyday work and do-it-yourself (DIY) projects in and around your home? It’s a fact: About 50% of eye injuries happen in or around the home — and there are more than 125,000 eye injury accidents per year in the U.S.
The biggest problem that leads to these “weekend warrior” eye injuries? Failure to wear protective eyewear while cleaning, doing home improvements, or yard work. Sadly, only 3 in 10 people protect their eyes during home projects that could result in devastating injuries. But here’s the good news: Most home eye injuries are preventable. You can reduce your risk of eye injury by 90%. How? Simply by wearing protective eyewear.
Model The Good Habit of Wearing Protective Eyewear
Young kids always want to help and be part of your DIY projects, so it’s up to you to be sure their eyes are protected, too. Modeling eye safety is a smart way to show your kids how to protect their eyes. Set an example. It’s easy: Put on your safety goggles or glasses and be certain that they wear their protective eyewear, too.
While it’s fun to spend time with your kids and teach them new skills, some DIY projects are too risky for young children to help with. Do your research and include them only on age-appropriate project tasks. Kids are curious, and they want to be right at eye level and in the middle of what’s going on, which is not always the safest location for little eyes (even with protective eyewear).
Keep kids a safe distance away from any possible sources of eye injury. For riskier jobs, such as those requiring power tools, sanding, or grinding (which involve flying debris), send your children and pets to another area or simply wait until they’re not at home to tackle those jobs.
Most Common Eye Injuries in the Home
So, what are the most common eye injuries that happen in or around the home? They fall into three categories:
- Chemical Burns
These injuries can occur outside when spraying or applying gardening pesticides and fertilizers or inside when using cleaning products like bleach, oven cleaners, and drain cleaner.
Painting projects also pose eye danger when they involve paint thinner or spray paints. Even working on your car can be a hazard due to possible eye exposure to battery acid and gasoline.
Follow these best practices to prevent chemical burns:
- Keep spray nozzles of solvents and other chemicals directed away from you.
- Don’t mix products or chemicals. This can cause harmful vapors or possible combustion.
- Read the labels of all chemical products before use.
- Penetrating Eye Injuries
When a foreign body or projectile enters the eye, it can cause lacerations, retinal scarring, vitreous hemorrhage, or even a retinal tear. These types of injuries are often caused by:
- Power Tools and Hand Tools. Sharp pieces of wood, stone, metal shavings, or glass shards often fly into the air during the use of power tools and hand tools. Fragments can come off the work surface and penetrate the eye. To minimize risk, keep tools in good condition and repair or replace worn tools. And of course, wear your safety goggles!
- Before mowing, check for loose twigs, branches, pinecones, and rocks that could be kicked up by lawnmowers and leaf blowers. Never allow your kids to be near the area while you’re mowing.
- Small Particles and Irritants
Anyone who has gotten a piece of lint in their eye knows that even tiny particles can cause pain, irritation, and discomfort to the eye. And some materials, like silica dust from concrete, may even cause scarring and vision loss. Be aware of the most common types of eye irritants when working in and around your home: insulation, sand, metal shavings, sawdust, smoke, dirt, and chemical vapors.
We can’t repeat this enough: You can prevent most causes of eye injury and vision loss for you and your kids by simply wearing safety goggles or glasses! Look for “ANSI Z87.1” specification on the safety goggle lens or frame, which means it is American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved protective eyewear.
Your protective goggles should be made from polycarbonate material, which is shatter-resistant, and ideally should also provide UV protection. Safety goggles should include side shields so they protect not only the front of your eyes but the sides as well. This type of safety eyewear is available at most hardware stores nationwide.
Can I Just Wear My Regular Glasses for Eye Protection?
In a word: No! It’s important to remember that if you wear regular eyeglasses, they are not designed to protect your eyes from impact or debris damage. Some eyeglasses may cause even more serious eye injury if they shatter upon impact. If you or your child need vision correction, ask your optometrist about ordering a pair of safety goggles with prescription lenses.
Not all accidents are preventable, but you can protect yourself and your kids from the most common eye injuries that occur in and around the home. Wear protective eyewear, read safety labels and guidelines, and supervise your children if they are helping with your DIY projects.
Call our office if you have questions about eye safety or the right protective eyewear. We’re here to protect your eyes for a lifetime of healthy vision!