Injuries to the eyes accounted for 37 percent of all head injuries involving days away from work in 2008 and 62 percent of all face injuries involving days away from work. Men experienced far more eye injuries than women, and men age 25 to 44 suffered more eye injuries than men in other age groups. Workers who were most at risk of incurring an eye injury included those in the manufacturing, construction, and trade industries, and those in the production; installation, maintenance, and repair; construction and extraction; and service occupations.

In 2008, there were 27,450 nonfatal occupational injuries or illnesses involving the eye (or eyes) that resulted in days away from work. The typical eye injury resulted from the eye being rubbed or abraded by foreign matter, such as metal chips, dirt particles, and splinters, or by these types of items striking the eye. These injury events resulted commonly in surface wounds, such as abrasions, scratches, and embedded foreign bodies (splinters and chips).

Potential eye hazards are found in nearly every industry. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards require that employers provide workers with suitable eye protection. To be effective in preventing injury, the eyewear must be of the appropriate type for the hazard encountered, and it must be properly fitted.

Call UASC for information on accident prevention ~ 877-399-1698

Reference:  Bureau of Labor Statistics