SUNDAY, March 6, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- Safety glasses and goggles may fall short as a fashion statement, but they're definitely an attractive alternative when compared to an eye injury.
As many as 2,000 people suffer work-related eye injures each day in the United States, says Prevent Blindness America (PBA), which has designated March as Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month in an effort to increase awareness about the importance of eye safety in the workplace.
"We already know that 90 percent of all job-related eye injuries can be prevented. When employers and workers join together to make their job sites safer, the results will be dramatic," Daniel D. Garrett, PBA senior vice president, said in a prepared statement.
This is an important issue for both workers and employers. Eye injuries account for more than $300 million a year in lost production time, medical expenses and worker compensation, says the U.S. Department of Labor.
The PBA offers the following tips on workplace eye safety:
More information
Prevent Blindness America has more about workplace eye safety.