Eye Injury: Avoidable by Wearing Safety Glasses or Goggles

Lets be honest, hands up who has NOT had something in their eye at some point? Not many, didn't think so.
As background for this post I have just been reading some rather grim (and hard work!) statistics from the Health and Safety Executive in the UK and was quite astonished, not by the number themselves which were bad enough but by the prevalence of 'under reporting' of eye injuries.

Apparently eye injuries are more under reported than almost anything else. This is probably because of fear of reprisals, loss of wages, not wanting to complain, 'tough guy' syndrome or a plain feeling that nothing can be done about it.

According to the HSE, the estimate for the level of reporting of non-fatal injuries in construction in 2001/02 was 46%, which with my limited maths means that the real numbers of injuries are double the published amount! Shocking.

Have you ever reported an eye injury? No, I haven't either. So, if you add up the reported eye injuries, the home based eye injuries, the sport/hobby based eye injuries AND all the unreported eye injuries, are you getting me yet? It all adds up to a heck of a lot of people going through a world of pain and suffering because of an easily avoidable eye injury.

And, don't forget, the official figures for eye injury don't include 'us', (see above paragraph!) and also 'near miss' events which are traditionally not reported by anyone, even though they could help identify high risk activities.

Now, my wife is an Ophthalmic Nurse Specialist and the stories that she comes home with are pretty horrific with everything from fish hooks, (don't even go there!) to blunt trauma (a polite way of saying that something clobbered you in the eye!).

This means that I would be in very serious trouble if I ever came home with an eye injury. I should know better and I do. Years ago I bought a DeWALT nail gun which came with a great pair of safety glasses or spectacles. They were light and easy to wear; in fact they looked like sunglasses and I used to wear them as such on the drive home! From then on I have always bought this style of safety glasses.

I'll be alright, I am careful.........Well, the answer to that is, no one and I mean no one, idiots and experts alike, leaves the house in the morning intending to have an eye injury. Yet thousands and thousands of people do. Experts, idiots, young, old, careful and reckless alike. Actually that is not quite true, those under 25 are more likely to have an eye injury.......now I wonder why that is?

Since over 90% of eye injuries can be prevented or lessened by wearing suitable safety glasses, don't you think that it is time to invest in a pair or two?
Eye injury or a pair of safety glasses for under a tenner....it's a no brainer as they say.

I have bought DeWALT safety glasses from amazon.co.uk and here is their link for the 13 different pairs of DeWALT Safety Glasses that they have.

Or, if you fancy Screwfix, here are their safety glasses and goggles.

If you are a little bit 'posh' you might fancy some Bolle safety glasses from Tooled Up instead, or here is their generic safety glasses page.

I hope that is useful, loads to choose from and lots cost under a tenner. Bargain!

From my research, the biggest problem you've got is deciding which pair looks the coolest.......

Stay well