When it comes to safety glasses and goggles, I know it’s just not always convenient to use them. But when it comes down too it, what’s more important – a minor inconvenience or a major eye injury?
I’ve had a pair of safety goggles in my tool box for quite some time, but they sort of worked their way down to the bottom of the box over time, if you know what I mean. Right after I initially bought them, I did use them regularly when working with wood especially, but before long, I sort of just forgot all about them. Unfortunately, I learned my lesson a few weeks ago. I wear my safety glasses regularly but there are sometime I should be wearing goggles.
I was cutting wood with my circular saw trying to make the ramp my son’s been pleading for all summer. Somewhere along the process, the saw kicked up just enough sawdust to really lodge its way under my glasses and right into my right eye.
Now, I’ve had this happen before – I’m sure we all have – but this time was different. It’s usually just a few blinks and the particle is easily dislodged from our eyes. But even with eye drops, flushing my eyes with water, and everything else I could think of, I still couldn’t clear this scratchy spec from my eye.
After a visit to the eye doctor the next day, some scratches, and a big bill later, I’ve learned that safety glasses and goggles are no joking matter. I even went ahead and ordered a nice pair of professional magnifying safety glasses and promised my wife to devote myself to wearing them whenever I’m even close to a potentially troubling situation. When working around dust I also promised I would wear my safety goggles instead of my glasses.
You know, it could have been a lot worse. I’ve heard horror stories about people even totally losing sight in one eye just because of accidents. It’s no wonder many workplaces require the use of safety goggles – many even offer reimbursement to their employees for purchasing prescription and bifocal safety glasses.