According to OSHA, about 90 percent of occupational eye injuries can be prevented by wearing the right safety glasses, goggles, and face shields. If a chemical splash, dust, mist, spark, or other contaminant does get into your eyes, you need to act fast. It is recommended that eyewash stations should never be more than 10 seconds or 55 feet away from the hazard.
It is always important to understand where the eye wash stations are located, how to get to them quickly and how to properly operate them. A few seconds can make a major difference between a minor and major injury. An eye injury’s full impact is often difficult to recognize before it is too late. Always take your time and always wear proper eye protection.
What to do if you get a contaminant in your eyes and need to use an eyewash station:
- Hold your eyes open with your fingers
- Position your eyes over the flowing water to flush out contaminants
- Keep your eyes open and roll your eyes to help remove contaminants
- Avoid rubbing your eyes or removing anything imbedded in your eyeball
- If you are wearing contacts, take them out while continuing to flush your eyes
- Continue flushing your eyes for a minimum of 15 minutes
- Seek medical attention after you have finished washing your eyes out
- If your eyes are still bothering you, repeat
Employee safety is an important responsibility that extends beyond simply having the right equipment somewhere in the building. When an accident happens, safety equipment needs to be accessible and operating properly to provide the type of emergency treatment capable of avoiding significant injury.