I found a lot of conflicting figures but depending on what you read, there are anywhere between 1,000 and 2,000 on the job eye injuries in America every day! I can tell you, from the amount of calls I get from workers with eye injuries, I’m leaning more towards the 2,000 a day estimate.
The information that did match up, however, is that the great majority of work related eye injuries (70%) are due to falling or flying objects on the job site and more than half of those flying/falling objects were smaller than a pin head. The numbers suggested that between three and four out of every 5 eye injuries are because of people wearing improper eye protection or because of failing to wear eye protection all together! The largest percentages of eye injuries took place among craft workers (mechanics, plumbers, and carpenters for example), followed by laborers, manufacturing workers, and constructions workers.
5 Common Types of Work Place Eye Injuries
- Specks in the Eye (typically dust or metal shavings)
- Cuts or Punctures in the Eye
- Foreign Objects in the Eye
- Blows to the Eye
- Chemical Burns
The other figure I found was that the Department of Labor and VSP estimate that 90% of all of the work place eye injuries can be prevented if proper eye protection is worn.
EVERYONE PLEASE – WEAR SAFETY GLASSES!!
If you have suffered an injury on the job or if you would like more information about the Virginia workers’ compensation system, order my book, “The Ultimate Guide to Workers’ Compensation in Virginia,” or call our office today (804) 755-7755.
The Injured Workers Law Firm is a Richmond, Virginia based firm solely focused on serving clients with workers' compensation claims in Virginia. If you have questions about your benefits or if you would like more information on the Virginia workers’ compensation system, order our book, “The Ultimate Guide to Workers’ Compensation in Virginia” , or call our office today (804) 755-7755.