Tips for Protecting Your Eyes on the Job Site

When you work in construction, you use a variety of methods to protect yourself on the job site. Steel-toed boots will protect your feet from injury, while a hard hat and ear protection will take care of your head and hearing, respectively. It's also important to think about the care of your eyes.

While you can certainly visit your eye doctor if you encounter any eye-related issue, it's always a good idea to be proactive and have a plan for preventing problems with your eyes and quickly addressing any issues that may arise. Here are some simple tips for taking care of your eyes on the job site.

Wear the Right Eye Protection

There are multiple examples of eye protection that you should plan to wear on the job site. Protective glasses and goggles are designed to keep harmful things out of your eyes. For example, if you're cutting a piece of wood with a power saw, your eyewear will prevent wood shavings or wood dust from hitting you in the eyes. Similarly, this protection will keep metal shavings out of your eyes if you're using a grinding tool.

It's a good idea to have clear and tinted glasses and goggles. If you're working outside, the tinted products will be ideal for reducing glare from the sun, but you'll likely want the clear products indoors.

Keep Your Work Area Properly Ventilated

If you're working indoors, it's important to do all that you can to keep the work area ventilated. Having doors and windows open will allow airborne particles to flow out of the space, rather than accumulate and risk irritating your eyes during the times that you're not wearing your eye protection. Additionally, if you're working with chemicals or even simple products such as stain or paint, the fresh air will help to dissipate their irritants so that their fumes don't bother your eyes.

Know the Location of Each Eye Wash Station

Job sites should always have an eye wash station set up. Even if you're working in a remote area, your supervisor should ensure that there's a portable eye wash station on the scene. This device is vitally important for protecting your eyes if something gets in them. You can react quickly by heading to the station, putting your head into position, and then allowing the jets of water to rinse out your eyes until whatever has bothered them has been rinsed free.

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