The home can pose significant risks if one is not mindful of the hazards present. This is particularly relevant to eye safety and vision. Almost fifty percent of all severe eye injuries occur within or near the home, and most of these incidents can be avoided through increased awareness and precautionary measures. Whether engaged in cooking, cleaning, yard work, or home repairs, it is crucial to recognize potential threats to your eyes and implement protective strategies. It is advisable for every household to possess at least one pair of protective eyewear for use during activities or tasks that may endanger eye safety. Although protective eyewear can decrease the likelihood of eye injuries by up to 90%, only 35% of North Americans utilize such eyewear during potentially hazardous tasks. Examples of these activities include the following:

Use of dangerous or hazardous chemicals: Many substances, such as cleaning chemicals, are hazardous and can be the cause of serious eye injuries and burns upon contact. In fact, household cleaning products like bleach cause 125,000 eye injuries a year.

Proximity to flying debris: Particularly when working in the yard mowing, trimming, shoveling and clipping, debris and particles can be thrown into the air that can enter your eye. This goes for those actually doing the gardening as well as bystanders.

Using sharp tools: Whether you are dealing with shovels and clippers, or hammers, nails and screws, it is important to protect your eyes. Many eye injuries are caused by the actual tools which are mishandled, dropped or used carelessly.

Projectiles: Flying objects pose a serious danger to the eyes, particularly with power tools, nails and screws. Never use power tools without protective eyewear.

When it comes to selecting protective eyewear there are certain requirements that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established to ensure your safety. Our eyewear experts are happy to help you find the best eye protection for you and your family.

Bottom line: use common sense an