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Eye Hazard

Last updated: August 2, 2018

What Does Eye Hazard Mean?

An eye hazard is any situation or material that has the potential to cause injury to the eye.

They include situations, such as:

  • Heat
  • Impact
  • Radiation
  • Infectious conditions

and materials like:

  • Wood chips
  • Metal fragments
  • Dust
  • Liquid chemical splashes
  • Fumes

Eye injuries are very serious. In addition to pain and discomfort, they can cause permanent and irreversible loss of vision.


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Safeopedia Explains Eye Hazard

Eye injuries are, unfortunately, quite common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are about 2,000 cases of work-related eye injury requiring medical intervention every day.

Since many ordinary work tasks can result in eye injuries – from sawing and using power tools to working with harsh chemicals – eliminating the hazard entirely is often impossible. Employers, then, need to provide their workers with eye protection appropriate for the hazards their workers face.

Eye Hazard PPE

In many cases, safety glasses or safety goggles are sufficient for protecting the eye from common workplace hazards like dust and wood chips. Workers exposed to liquid eye hazards, such as chemicals that could splash into the eyes, might be required to use sealed safety goggles to prevent liquids from penetrating the barrier and reaching the eye.

Ultraviolet light, infrared light, and other hazards of this sort can be guarded against using specially tinted lenses.

Since they face a number of eye hazards at once, from flying sparks to harmful light radiation, welders and those performing similar tasks must wear full face masks with impact-resistant, tinted lenses.

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Synonyms

Eye Hazards

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