Friday, July 24, 2009

Personal Protection Items - Protective Eyewear

After suffering a serious eye injury as a child, I learned a very valuable lesson. Your eyesight is one of your main senses and the one most people rely upon for almost all their daily activities. Your ability to perform even the simplest and most mundane tasks can become extremely difficult if you lose your eyesight. Your eyesight is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted. Once you lose it there is a very real possibility that it will not be regained. Even a partial loss of eyesight can have devastating results. Using protective eyewear will help to protect your eyes and safeguard your eyesight while performing simple and routine tasks during your daily activities.

Protective eyewear is one of the best investments you can make. When you consider the value of your eyesight, the cost is extremely low for the benefit that you receive. There are many inexpensive items that can afford a real measure of protection for your eyesight.



Some of the forms of protective eyewear you probably already use on a regular basis. One of the main forms of protective eyewear is sunglasses. These help prevent damage to your eyesight from harmful UV light from the sun. Even cheap sunglasses will be better than nothing to help protect your eyesight.



For the shooters out there, protective eyewear is also a must have item to help protect your eyes. A good pair of shooting glasses will help avoid or prevent damage to your eyes from errant brass shell casings when using your firearm.





For the tool guys, a decent pair of safety goggles when using your hammers, punches or other tools can work to effectively safeguard your eyesight. An errant piece of metal can eliminate your eyesight in the space of a heartbeat leaving you in a world of darkness.

From full face shields worn when using a bench grinder to welder’s helmets used when “burning a rod”, there is a complete range of protective eyewear available that can afford a simple and effective measure of protection for your eyesight.

It is also important to remember to keep the necessary and proper corrective eyewear available for those individuals who have vision problems that require correction. Include a good eyeglass repair kit in addition to a spare pair of corrective lenses.

Do you Google for goggles?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

15 comments:

SurvivalTopics.com said...

In the summer I find mine tend to fog up, so I replaced the plastic shield with a cut to fit screen. Problem solved.

Anonymous said...

Great post RW. I wear contacts and always keep a spare pair of glasses on me, and my sunglasses, which double as my shooting glasses. If I'm working outside I have a pair of clear glasses with side protectors. Protecting my eyes is my #1 priority.

matthiasj
Kentucky Preppers Network

Anonymous said...

I have to admit,as a machinist I bitch at anyone running a machine without at least glasses on,and I've violated my own rule a lot.
That being said,year's ago I was porting and polishing my 440 cylinder head's,I took EVERY precaution..My glasses,safety glasse's over them,a hat,a dust mask,you name it.I still got chip's in my eye's,apparently as I took everything off.I ended up in the emergency room getting the flake's cut out of my eye's.I even have rust stain's on my eyeball's!
Just go's to show...you can NEVER be too safe!
No matter if it's a grinder,chainsaw,tablesaw,drill.. IT WILL HURT YOU,if you give it half a chance! Trust me,that tool has no sympathy for you!
Dean in Az

Anonymous said...

Survivaltopics:
The screen idea is lousy,as it defeat's the purpose.
I'm not sure if this will work,but I took scuba classes oh so long ago,one trick we used to prevent fogging was to spit on the mask,inside,smear it around and rinse off.Not sure why,but it work's!
Dean in Az

vlad said...

For years I choose polycarbonate lens for both shop safety glasses and street glasses.My opthalmologist
says the difference in optical efficiency between polcarbonate and glass is negligible, but polycarbonate is many times more impact resistant.
Do wear side shields if you go to the bush.

Anonymous said...

Vlad:
A few year's back,I was touching off a carbide tipped tool.As soon as it hit the metal,the carbide insert flew out,hit me square in the glasses.Just left a nick! Had they been real glass...
Dean in az

SurvivalTopics.com said...

Not lousy when worn in the forest to keep stubs and sticks from poking me in the eye!

riverwalker said...

TO: survivaltopics

Sounds like a good idea using a mesh screen and a great way to keep the brush and sticks out of your eyes. Going to have to remember that one. Thanks.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: matthiasj

Looks like you got your bases covered. Since you wear contacts, don't forgot your contact cleaning solution...might want to stock up on that a little. Thanks.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: Dean in AZ

You're right about those machines. They will bite you when you least expect it. As far as the mesh screens, don't be too quick to discount them. Depending upon the circumstance it could be a very useful modification and while it may not work in your circumstance, it might be just the ticket for someone else. Thanks.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: Vlad

You beat me to it again! Great point about the impact resistance of polycarbonate lenses! Side protectors are also a good idea to keep those loose branches and other things from slipping in and slapping you in the eye. Thanks.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: Dean in AZ

Don't always rely on your safety gear to protect you from everything that might happen. Sometimes it may only lessen the degree of injury you could suffer. Glad you survived that little ordeal!

RW

Anonymous said...

Survival:
Sorry,I didn't think about that idea,I thought you meant for machine's and such.
Dean in az

Anonymous said...

great post RW. I'll just add that protective eyewear (sealed goggle type) is an important part of personal protection from airborn viral transmission ie Swine flu.
-doctorzero

riverwalker said...

To: doctorzero

Thanks for the great tip!

RW

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