| "A mind," the famous saying goes, "is a terrible | | | | have also begun wearing face masks to protect |
| thing to waste." The same can be said for vision. | | | | from all the bashing they take. |
| We are born with this incredible gift, but too | | | | - Using any power tools. A tiny fragment of wood |
| many people take a cavalier attitude toward | | | | or metal flying at more than 100 miles per hour |
| protecting their vision, and spend a lifetime | | | | can pierce your eye long before you know you've |
| regretting it. | | | | been hit. You can't rely on your eyelashes to |
| As one who has suffered vision loss due to an | | | | protect you. Once they react, the object has |
| injury, I know how such an incident affects life. | | | | already hit your eyeball. |
| My injury occurred at age 10 while playing with | | | | - Working in wooded or brushy areas. I got a tiny |
| some wire, but it was a reckless and avoidable | | | | piece of bark stuck in one eye while walking into |
| incident nonetheless. I now wear eye protection | | | | the woods early one morning. Don't rely on your |
| whenever I am working with power tools, and | | | | eyelashes to protect you. |
| stress the same in others. An injury can occur | | | | What sort of eye protection is appropriate? |
| literally in the wink of an eye. Once your vision is | | | | Prevent Blindness America encourages workers |
| gone, or nearly gone, there's no going back. | | | | to use eyewear rated to ANSI Z87 industrial |
| According to Prevent Blindness America | | | | standard. Eye protection used in sports should |
| (preventblindness.org), more than 2,000 people | | | | meet ASTM sport standard, the association says. |
| suffer eye injuries while at work everyday. Of | | | | Your eyecare professional may have suggestions |
| those, 10-20% result in temporary or permanent | | | | as well. |
| blindness. These injuries cost employees, | | | | Not all eye problems stem from trauma. |
| companies, and insurance companies nearly $934 | | | | Scientists believe that UV light causes cataracts |
| million in direct and indirect costs. Yet with proper | | | | and may lead to the onset of macular |
| eye protection, the association says, 90% of | | | | degeneration. Make sure your sunglasses are |
| workplace injuries are preventable. Its education | | | | designed to block 100% of both UVA and UVB, |
| program, which promotes protective eyewear in | | | | and wear them regularly. |
| the workplace, has saved some 86,000 people | | | | Some people refuse to wear eye protection |
| from suffering on-the-job eye injuries, according | | | | because they feel they won't get injured. "Heck," |
| to the association's Web site. | | | | they say, "I've been cutting wood for years |
| Our eyes are set back in the skull so the | | | | without a problem." Just luck, as it were. Others |
| forehead and cheekbones can provide some | | | | claim that eye protection is geekish or not manly. |
| protection. But they are still very susceptible to | | | | What's manly about losing your vision? Eye |
| damage. That can occur in a variety of ways, | | | | protection is worn for just minutes at a time. |
| including: | | | | Vision loss sticks with you for a lifetime. That's a |
| - Playing certain sports. Racquetball is an obvious | | | | long time to spend regretting a decision made for |
| one; hockey is another, though many players | | | | the dumbest of reasons. Take it from someone |
| wear face masks. Some pro basketball players | | | | who injured an eye: Put on those goggles. |