A Guide to Eye Protection for Your Employees

Protecting employees' eyes should be a priority for your business. 90% of on-the-job eye injuries could be prevented or could be less severe if workers were using the right eye protection.  

And injuries aren’t only dangerous for your workers — when people are missing work to get care or heal, it can slow down your operations and impact your bottom line.   

Here are some reasons why your workers’ eyes could be prone to injury and tips on how to prevent eye injuries in your workplace. 

How Do Workers Injure Their Eyes? 

Eye injuries can stem from issues such as: 

• Chemicals or foreign objects that get in the eye
• Scratches to the cornea, which is the clear surface of the front of the eye
• Fluids that are splashed into the eye
• Burns
• Exposure to ultraviolet or infrared light

What Jobs Are at Higher Risk for Eye Injuries? 

Jobs with a high risk of debris, chemicals or fluids striking the eye are more likely to cause eye injuries. Some of those jobs include: 

• Auto repair
• Carpentry
• Construction
• Electrical work
• Maintenance
• Manufacturing
• Mining
• Moving livestock
• Plumbing
• Power washing
• Welding

How Can You Help Protect Your Workers From Eye Injuries? 

While not all eye injuries can be prevented, most happen because workers were either not wearing eye protection or they were not wearing the right type of eye protection. To protect your employees, you need to choose the right protective eyewear for work based on the types of eye injury they are more likely to face. 

• Safety glasses: Safety glasses look like everyday eyeglasses, but they have stronger lenses and frames. They can help block dust, particles and chips. Side shields can add more protection to safety glasses. For the best safety glasses for work, you may want to choose those marked Z87, which means they meet American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requirements.
• Goggles: Goggles shield the entire eye area, so they protect against hazards that could get past safety glasses, such as fluids and chemicals. They also offer some protection against larger objects that could impact and damage the eye. Your employees can wear goggles over contact lenses and most prescription eyeglasses.
• Face shields: Shields, which are often combined with helmets, protect against chemicals and heat. Special filters add protection from radiation, which is important for activities like welding.

You can also take steps to make eye injuries less likely. Use guards on machines that could create dust or debris, and separate workstations so fewer employees are exposed to hazards. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) eye protection requirements set standards for the types of eye protection workers need, based on the likelihood of an injury. As an employer, you’re required to take certain steps to help keep your employees safe.  

More Ways to Protect Your Employees and Your Business 

At Farm Bureau, we know that a lot of different factors go into protecting your business. That’s why we offer a range of commercial and business insurance options to meet the needs of clients in a range of industries. To learn more about the coverage options we offer and how we can customize them to your business, reach out to Farm Bureau.