| In a study conducted by the Survey of | | | | 61% belong to the 25 to 34, and 35 to 44 age |
| Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), it was | | | | groups. |
| revealed that 4.7 million industrially related eye | | | | A piece of good news: 87% of these cases are |
| injuries were reported in 2002. This is an alarming | | | | considered slight or less grave. |
| number considering that a worker's vision is the | | | | However, 4% of such cases led to permanent |
| primary sense that he uses for his source of | | | | loss of vision. |
| living. | | | | The Inevitable Conclusion |
| What's even more alarming is the ratio between | | | | From the sad statistics we have discussed above, |
| the aforementioned number of eye injuries and | | | | we can be sure of two things: |
| the number of workers employed in the private | | | | 1. Workplace eye injuries DO happen, and they |
| sector. Almost 6 workers out of 100 can | | | | happen more often than expected |
| potentially suffer an eye injury, based on the | | | | 2. Industries have to impose stricter measures to |
| trend established by the statistic discussed above. | | | | protect the eyes of their workers |
| The Most "Eye-Unfriendly" Industries | | | | Some sectors do make eye protection |
| Out of the 4.7 million workers who suffered eye | | | | mandatory, but the majority of the industries that |
| injuries in 2002, majority of them came from 2 | | | | contribute to the alarmingly huge percentage of |
| industrial sectors: the manufacturing sector, and | | | | eye injuries per annum do not impose such |
| the services industry. The manufacturing sector | | | | measures. |
| accounted for 52% of the eye injury cases for | | | | If the safety of the workers' vision is to be |
| that year. On the other hand, the services | | | | salvaged, state legislations should be passed that |
| industry accounted for 20% of the said cases. | | | | will make it mandatory for certain industries to |
| The construction industry ran a close third, with | | | | require their laborers to wear sufficient eye |
| 16% of eye injury cases happening in this sector. | | | | protection gear. The protective eyewear should |
| This is quite a surprise, considering the heavy | | | | be provided by the companies themselves. |
| machineries, riskier tasks, and plentiful perils that a | | | | Better yet, these companies can initiate such |
| construction worker has to live with. Most people | | | | moves. They can, without compulsion from any |
| tend to believe that the construction industry | | | | statute or ordinance, take heed of the statistics |
| would be the most "eye-unfriendly" labor sector | | | | regarding eye injuries per year and take it upon |
| today. | | | | themselves to impose eye protection measures |
| Demographically Speaking | | | | for the benefit of their number one investments: |
| Most of the eye injury victims are males, as they | | | | their employees. |
| account for 81% of the total number of cases. | | | | |