Grinding and welding are the two most common tasks resulting in an eye injury, according to a 2008 report from Safe Work Australia (SWA). The SWA report suggested improving eye protection at work by training workers in the correct use of safety eyewear.

The report found that a substantial number of injuries occurred in the presence of PPE with workers saying that foreign bodies went under, over or around the sides of the safety eyewear.

In the case of grinding, 40 per cent of cases presenting at Victorian Emergency Departments recorded the presence of eye protective equipment.

Many injuries are preventable when PPE is fitted correctly, suitably chosen for the job and consistently worn by everyone in the risk area, not just the operator. 

Types of eye injuries:

Eye injuries include beyond scratches, cuts to the eye surface or punctures. It also covers foreign objects in the eye such as dust particles, wood chips and metal fragments. In addition, chemical or heat burns and radiation burns, such as welding flashes.

Better Health Victoria identifies high risk jobs for eye injuries as those that involve chemicals, dusty environments, UV lights, and compressed air. Furthermore, it accounts machines and tools that “chip, chisel, cut, drill, grind, hammer, sand, smelt, spray or weld”.

What safety eyewear should I use?

Eye protective equipment includes safety glasses, safety goggles and face shields which should match the application and associated risks.

Safety goggles are fitted tightly around the eyes with a protective seal while face shields protect the whole face. Although, shields should be used with glasses or goggles underneath as best practice.

Ordinary eyewear such as prescription or sunglasses do not offer proper protection in workplaces. In fact, contact lenses can actually increase the harshness of injury in some accidents, according to Better Health Victoria.

In the table below, PPE suggestions are given for different hazards and some of the tasks where they might occur. However workers and employers should always perform their own risk assessment and try to use other control measures in conjunction with PPE to reduce the risk of injury.

^{Sourced from information contained in the US Eye and Face Protection e-Tool and Better Health Victoria’s Eye Safety at Work.}

First Aid:

Immediate medical attention should always be sought in the event of an eye injury. However, some first aid suggestions for particular injuries are listed below:

Cuts, punctures and foreign objects in the eye:

• Do NOT rub, wash or flush the eye
• Do NOT try to remove the object
• Gently cover with a shield or eye pad taped down

Dust or particles:

• Do NOT rub the eye
• Flush the eye with clean water

Chemical splashes:

• Do NOT rub the eye
• Flush with clean water for at least 15 minutes using clean fingers to hold the eye open.