March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month at Mid Atlantic Eye Physicians in Roanoke Rapids.

About 300,000 people visit the emergency room each year due to workplace eye injuries.

Out of all eye injuries sustained on the job, 40 percent happen in the fields of manufacturing, construction and mining, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The physicians at Mid Atlantic Eye Physicians believe that workers and employers should be diligent when it comes to eye protection.

Watch Out for Eye Dangers

Common causes for eye injuries are:

• Flying objects (bits of metal, glass);
• Tools;
• Particles;
• Chemicals;
• Any combination of these or other hazards.

Protecting Your Eyes

There are three things you can do to help prevent an eye injury:

• Know the eye safety dangers at work.
• Eliminate hazards before starting work. Use machine guarding, work screens or other engineering controls.
• Use proper eye protection.

Wear protective eyewear whenever there is a chance of eye injury. Anyone working in or passing through areas that pose eye hazards should wear protective eyewear. This is particularly true of workers involved in welding, which poses a high risk of on-the-job eye injury.

Always be sure your eye safety wear is OSHA-compliant