Safety goggles might seem like a good item to have on hand, but the reality is, they do even better on your face.
Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (EPSO), along with Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS) have launched a campaign promoting the use of protective eye wear in the workplace. This Campaign, appropriately titled Goggle Up, provides alarming statistics about the occurrence of workplace eye injuries in and the negligence of protective eye wear.
In 2011, Ontario is estimated as having 24,973 cases of workplace eye injuries. When asked about these findings, Dr. Tim Hillson, the chair of ESPO, comments that “[m]any of these eye injuries were minor and relatively easy to treat, but some were catastrophic, life-changing events causing permanent vision loss.” In his opinion, everything possible needs to be done to try and reduce these numbers.
According to Elizabeth Mills, the CEO of WSPS, it is the employer’s responsibility to supply and enforce the use of safety goggles at work. But this does not mean employees should leave the decision entirely up to their employers. The Goggle Up campaign is geared towards educating the public on ocular safely in the workplace, but its message is also highly applicable to situations we encounter in everyday life. We encourage everyone to invest in a quality pair of properly fitting safety goggles, and to make using them a habit.
Sight has a profound ability to enhance our quality of life. Unfortunately, it isn’t until vision is lost or impaired that we appreciate this fact. As Dr. Hillson states, “Eye Injuries only take a second to happen… but the long term effects can be enormous.” Whether you are at work, at home, or at play, assess the situation, know when your eyes are at risk, and put on your goggles.
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