The Importance of Eye Protection in the St. Louis Workplace

By James M. Hoffmann  Jul. 31, 2017 1:43p

Depending on your occupation and/or position at work, you should wear proper protective eye wear. Even if you do not encounter projectile objects and debris, it is still possible to sustain eye injuries.

Eye injuries In the Workplace

Eye injuries can occur in different ways. They are especially common among people that work in manufacturing, construction or any other sector that may require you to handle raw materials. Fragments of these materials may get into your eyes and cause harm. Other causes include exposure to extremely bright light, trauma to the skull, too much strain on your eyes and punctures.

Eye Protection In offices

In industries like manufacturing and construction where eye injuries are more expected, protective eyewear is a requirement. However, for people working in offices, this issue is ignored. It is a misconception that it is not important. Sitting with your eyes glued to the computer screen all day every day may not put debris in your eye or puncture your eyeball, however it's effect might be just as bad since it will likely causes painful eyestrain.

The brightness on your screen should not be too much in relation to that of the room. Otherwise, you will try too hard to view the screen. To protect yourself from eye injury in the office you should consider the following:

• Always sit at least 25 inches away from your screen.

• Adjust the screen’s brightness to be the same as that of the office lighting.

• For people with glasses, wear those that have an anti-glare coating.

• After every 20 minutes look away from your screen for around 20 seconds.

If you have already suffered an eye injury due to a workplace accident, it is your right to file a Workers’ Compensation claim. The damage may be irreversible but you will be compensated for the medical bills and your lost salary. You may also receive extra compensation by filing a specific loss claim in case you lost an eye or eye functionality.

Eyesight is important to any person. In as much as you are trying to provide for your family, remember to take care of your eyes. If you work in an office you may think that the damage is minimal. Nonetheless, continued strain of your eyes may cost you your eyesight in the long run. If you work in the manufacturing or construction sector never forget or fail to wear protective eyewear even for a minute. You never know when you will need it. If your eyes have already been injured, speak to a St. Louis worker compensation lawyer to learn more about your right to compensation.

Call the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann (314) 361-4300 for a FREE case evaluation.