Hidden Costs of Work-Related Eye Injuries

Yearly, thousands of people are blinded from work-related eye injuries. Selecting the proper PPE could have prevented these debilitating damages. The decision to purchase lower quality workplace safety eyewear for workers has cost employers more than $300 million per year in worker’s compensation, medical expenses and the loss of production. Identifying the dangers, costs and solutions to on-the-job eye-related accidents is the best method for selecting safety glasses for manufacturing employees.    

The Dangers 

Determining the elemental eye dangers workers face in production is helpful for the employees and the business. Jobs requiring cutting, grinding, drilling, sawing and sanding send projectiles such as metal shards, wood, dust and other debris into the air. Mechanical irritants are present in tasks requiring overhead work. These types of roles expose the eye to falling wires, nails and grit. 70% of reported eye-related work injuries are the result of flying and falling objects striking the eye. 

The Cost 

Cuts, lacerations and punctures from the elemental dangers found in the manufacturing environment expose the eye to infectious diseases, blindness or the loss of an eye. Eye injuries on the manufacturing floor have several costs. The injury of an employee accounts for a loss in quality of life for that person, reflects on labor, slows production and costs the company money. 

The Solution 

Being proactive and supplying your employees with superior safety glasses should be a priority. Small decisions such as selecting the proper PPE positively affect the bottom line, boosts morale and nearly eliminates work-related injuries. PPE should be made with lightweight, shatterproof polycarbonate lenses and ANSI-rated for high-mass and high-velocity impact. High-wrap frames, removeable side and facial cavity seals offer added protection from every direction. They are beneficial in all PPE but are especially helpful for those wearing contact lenses. Fragments or debris becoming lodged in between the eye and the contact can lead to blindness or serious optical damage. Prescription PPE aids in the resolution of this issue. Prescription safety eyewear offers the same aspects as traditional protective eyewear while eliminating the risk of contact-related trauma all together. 

Remaining aware of the surroundings and wearing safety gear in every situation promotes protecting the vision of workers in manufacturing. Without proper safety eyewear, airborne elements and the countless dangers found on the assembly line compromise eyesight. Creating a plan that facilitates the needs of every worker on the manufacturing floor is the simplest way to prevent occurrences, loss of revenue and the halting of production. Learn more at our Industrial Safety or Manufacturing pages.