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Summertime Brings Increased Risk for Eye Injuries at Home

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 General News
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ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Summer is one of the busiest times of year for home improvements yet many Americans fail to take the proper precautions to protect their eyes from potential harm.  Today, The Vision Council released a new issue brief, Eye Safety At-a-Glance Protecting Your Vision at Home, highlighting the importance of protecting eyes when working around the house or in the yard.  The effort is in conjunction with the Home Safety Council.
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Nearly 1.5 million eye injuries in the United States occur annually in the home.  Despite the fact that 90 percent of these injuries could be prevented by using protective eyewear, a recent survey by the American Optometric Association showed that only 35 percent of people wear protective eyewear at home.
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"Eye injuries at home are more common than people may think, with more than 50 percent of all eye injuries occurring in and around the home," said Ed Greene, CEO of The Vision Council.  

The Home Safety Council reminds consumers that preventing eye injuries begins with basic safety practices.  "Keeping safety glasses handy, and making it a habit to use them, can be the difference between completing a project and a trip to the emergency room," said Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council.

Eye injuries in the home can be prevented by taking the following steps.

  • Keep a pair of protective glasses around the house.
  • Remind family members to put on safety glasses when starting a project. It is important to model this behavior in front of children so they learn to use eye protection.
  • Always read the labels on solvents, chemicals and cleaners carefully.
  • Check the lawn for debris that could become projectile before starting yard work.
  • Make sure protective eyewear is lightweight, comfortable to wear and won't impede your work.  Consider getting prescription safety glasses for frequent use.  
  • Look for protective eyewear that meets the safety standard of the American National Standards Institute. These will have "Z-87" stamped on the frames and means the glasses have passed a special safety test.
  • Ensure that safety glasses have polycarbonate lenses, a shatterproof plastic and are 3mm thick; plastic or polycarbonate frames reduce the risk of injury from the frames.
To download The Vision Council's Eye Safety At-a-Glance: Protecting Your Vision at Home issue brief, visit www.thevisioncouncil.org/consumers.

SOURCE The Vision Council

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