Home Gardener Alert!

What Potential Eye Safety Hazards Do You See in This Picture? (answer end of article)

If you found two major hazards, consider yourself a safety-conscious person.

Keep in mind that people should wear some form of eye protection while engaging in hazardous activities, whether it be on the job, while pursuing hobbies at home, working on home improvement projects or working in the yard. The kind of eye protection needed will depend on the nature of the hazards to be encountered.

Now that pleasant weather is upon us it is imperative, before we head out to work our garden environments, to consider the importance of eye safety and safety in general when using lawn mowers, trimmers, chemicals, etc.

Each year, eye injuries and general injuries result from people not protecting their eyes and their bodies.

Power lawn trimmers alone cause over 1,500 eye injuries a year. Scratches to the eye caused by tree or bush branches, as well as mulch send many to a doctor's office or an emergency room. Also burns and eye irritations caused by fertilizers and weed killers also occur causing immediate attention.

Here are some safety tips from the experts that will help prevent accidents:

1. Wear wrap-around "safety" goggles made of polycarbonate - not "impact resistant." Wear safety goggles over prescription glasses and wear nonprescription safety goggles over contact lenses.
2. Get an eye exam every year or two. Good vision is necessary to read instructions on seed packages, fertilizer bags and weed killer cans.
3. Remove all stones, twigs and other potential hazards before you mulch, mow or weed-whack.
4. If using an electric lawn mower, be careful with the excess slack of the electric cord; if gas, be sure not to smoke or light a match.
5. Be sure to wear special gloves/ clothing when spraying chemicals; spray away from your face and the faces of others nearby; keep chemicals away from children.
6. Keep others, especially children, a safe distance from the work area.

The Visionary, published as a service of the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness,
is available upon request. The information contained in this issue,
taken from sources considered to be accurate,
does not replace the need for professional eye care consultations and treatments.

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