Yard Work Eye Injury

With summer comes the routine of yard and garden care as well as backyard projects. Some people view this work as a chore, while others see it as a relaxing form of therapy. Whichever your outlook, you should be safety conscious when working with tools. The greatest danger of any yard work is the potential for an eye injury. The eye is an important yet fragile part of your body. It doesn't take much to cause serious harm. A flying fleck of glass or metal is sufficient to send you to the hospital. This is why prescription safety glasses are so important.

If you're using your regular prescription glasses for this work, you should understand that they aren't a substitute for safety glasses. The lens material and frames are weaker than those of ANSI Z87 …show more content…
The backyard eye injury is an all-too-common occurrence because people don't think of their home activities as being hazardous. Here are three examples of yard work eye hazards:

The Lawn mower. The lawn mower can fling rocks, sticks, and other objects at high speeds. Normally your eyes are out of the way of these projectiles. However, they can ricochet off a wall, tree, or other large object. You may need to walk in front of your mower to remove debris from its path. These situations expose your eyes to projectiles from your mower.
The Power lawn trimmer. The lawn trimmer is quieter and smaller than a lawn mower, which make it seem less dangerous. Yet this power tool has been responsible for many serious eye injuries. The nylon lines spin at rates of over 10,000 rpm. Bits of rock and broken nylon line can hit the eye at high speeds.
The Chain saw. Given the power, noise, and obvious danger to the hands and limbs, their danger to the eyes from flying bits of wood should be apparent as well. As mentioned previously, ordinary prescription glasses are inadequate, especially for this