Eye health resource
A Mission for Vision: Avoiding Eye Injuries at Home
Home projects, yard work, cleaning chemicals, sharp objects, and falls can all put the eyes at risk. A few practical precautions can reduce the chance of an avoidable injury.
Reviewed for accuracy by Justin Bazan, OD on .
Many eye injuries happen during ordinary home, garage, yard, and cleaning activities. The most useful prevention is to match your eye protection and habits to the task.
Use real safety eyewear for hazardous tasks
Power tools, mowing, trimming, drilling, hammering, and similar work can send particles or fragments toward the eyes. Use properly rated safety glasses or goggles appropriate for the activity. Ordinary eyeglasses and sunglasses are not substitutes for safety eyewear.
Handle household chemicals carefully
Read the product label, avoid mixing cleaning products unless the manufacturer specifically instructs you to do so, keep chemicals away from children, and use eye protection when a splash is possible.
If a chemical splashes into an eye, begin rinsing immediately with plenty of clean water and seek appropriate medical guidance. Do not delay irrigation simply to identify the chemical. If the injury also involves a visibly embedded object or suspected penetration of the eye, avoid pressure on the eye and obtain emergency care.
Reduce sharp-object and fall hazards
Store knives, tools, garden equipment, and other sharp objects safely. Keep walkways well lit and free of clutter, secure loose rugs, and address unstable railings or other fall hazards—especially in homes with young children or older adults.
Protect children during projects and play
Keep children away from active power-tool, lawn-equipment, and chemical-use areas. Choose age-appropriate toys and supervise activities that involve projectiles or sharp objects.
Know when an eye injury needs emergency care
Sudden vision loss, severe pain, significant bleeding, a visibly misshapen eye, or an object penetrating the eye requires emergency evaluation. Do not rub or press on a seriously injured eye and do not attempt to remove an embedded object.
This page is general eye-safety education and does not represent a separate home-safety or emergency-eye-care service at Park Slope Eye.