Eye Injuries and Prevention Stats & Facts

FACTS

1. Eye injuries are still very common in the workplace
2. Eye protection is more than just safety glasses
3. Safety eyewear must meet the ansi z87 guidelines
4. Contact lenses may present additional hazards to employees
5. In most cases, employers are not required to cover the cost of prescription eyewear
6. Detachable side shields are deemed acceptable by osha
7. Most eye injuries result from objects striking or scraping the eye
8. Burns and penetrating objects are also sources of eye injuries
9. Osha has specific shade requirements for various types of radiant energy work
10. Emergency eyewash stations must meet specific design and installation requirements

STATS

• Over 2,000 work-related eye injuries happen each year in North America.
• 60% of workers who suffered an eye injury were wearing no eye protection or the wrong type of eye protection at the time of the accident.
• 90% of work-related eye injuries could be avoided if workers wore eye protection. (American Academy of Opthalmology)
• Men between the ages of 25-44 comprise 80 % of all workplace eye injury victims.
• Eye injuries account for nearly 45% of all head injuries that lead to missed work days.
• 61% of eye injuries occur in manufacturing, construction or trade jobs.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates each day 1,000 employees receive injuries to their eyes.

• Nearly three out of five were not wearing eye protection.
• Flying objects or sparks caused 70 percent of incidents. Three-fifths of the objects were smaller than a pinhead.
• Chemicals caused one-fifth of the eye injuries.
• Other injuries include objects swinging from a fixed position or tools hitting the worker’s eye.