The human eye is one of the most delicate organs in the body, yet it is also one of the organs we rely on most heavily. Any number of workplace safety hazards can cause serious damage to one or both eyes, resulting in severe pain, reduced vision, blindness, and other irreversible conditions.
March is Workplace Eye Safety Awareness Month in Colorado and throughout the United States. It’s a good time to learn more about protecting your eyes at work and to practice simple safety habits that can help you keep your vision in its best working order for a long time.
According to researchers at Oregon State University, over 2,000 eye injuries occur at job sites nationwide every day. About 200 of these injuries, or one in ten, force a worker to miss one or more days on the job in order to recover from the damage. Ten to twenty percent of all workers who suffer on the job eye injuries will experience temporary or permanent vision loss in at least one eye.
It is true that many work-related eye injuries occur in construction, manufacturing, and trade jobs, where chemical exposure, flying objects, and small particles are common. However, nearly 40 percent of workplace eye injuries take place in offices, healthcare settings, laboratories, and other environments where workers may not be expecting such harm to occur.
Staying aware of the risks in your workplace and taking steps to reduce them or to protect yourself and others can help you avoid eye injuries, staying healthy and productive in the workplace. If you’re injured by a defective product or other negligent situation, don’t hesitate to contact an experienced Colorado Springs on-the-job injury attorney to learn more about your options.