An Eye For The Job

“Ahh, there’s something in my eye!”

An eye injury is a serious thing, especially in the tree services industry. There are tree branches falling, saw dust flying and splinters of wood everywhere on a job site. It you aren’t careful, accidents can and will happen. Of course accidents are preventable and one way to go about that is by wearing proper eye protection.

With 70% of eye injuries due to flying particles, it is of the utmost importance for an arborist to always wear proper eye protection. That means visors, safety glasses and side shields on any glasses worn. Even if you already wear prescription glasses, safety glasses can prevent wood chips or sawdust from entering your eyes under or around those frames. This goes for weekend styled arborists, to professionals alike.

If 90% of eye injuries are preventable, and 3 out of 5 work-related eye injuries occur because eye protection is not worn, what is the problem? Why would anyone not grab a pair of safety glasses first? But it happens far too frequently.

That being said, accidents can still happen whether you have safety glasses on or not. So if you get sawdust in your eye, do you know what to do?

DON’T RUB YOUR EYES!

That might seem counter-intuitive and almost impossible in the moment, but rubbing your eyes when you get sawdust or other small particles in your eyes can actually damage them. Instead, gently flush them with lukewarm water and blink, blink, blink! If your eye is still red and/or irritated after a sufficient period, visit a professional to have your eyes examined. The longer you leave an eye injury untended, the greater the risk of permanent damage and possible vision loss. For more serious injuries, head straight to an eye specialist, hospital or call 911 immediately. Your vision is a precious thing and its care is of utmost importance.

So what should you look for in eye protection, if you are thinking of doing a little tree care yourself? Choose safety frames with side shields or helmets with attached visors. Better yet, give CLC Tree Services a call to do the job for you. We have the safety gear needed, as well as an ‘eye’ for the job at hand.