Eye Protection For Farmers

Eyes are precious and even a moment of carelessness can cost your time, money and even your eyesight. Eye protection is even more important if you are working on a farm. A number of hazards exist on the farm such as exposure to chemicals, dust, flying objects, farm equipment etc. To avoid these hazards, farmers should use protection equipment for the eyes, know about first aid for eye injuries, and above all they should be careful

Eye Injury Causes:
Eye injuries on the farm can be caused due to several reasons. One of the common hazards is spray cans, which contain chemicals that can harm your eyes. To avoid chemical eye injury, one should use the spray cans carefully. The spray cans should be kept in a safe place away from kids

Certain farm equipment which chop or grind, can expel soil, rocks, foreign objects into the air. These flying particles can get into the eye and cause injury to the bystander or the operator. Hence, farmers can avoid such incidents by shielding the farming equipment and keeping people away from the path of the equipment

While all farmers need to keep their farm equipment running by servicing them regularly, most of the farmers tend to get injured while servicing the equipment rather than operating. Simple hand tools can strike the eyes and cause severe eye injury. To prevent this, farmers should use appropriate tools while servicing and they should wear eye protection

Eye Protection:
Protective eye wear is the primary way in which you can prevent eye injuries and proper selection of it is vital. While selecting the protective eye wear, make sure it fits properly and is comfortable to wear. The eyewear should be durable, easy to clean and disinfect, and it should not obstruct your vision or movements. You can use the following eye wear for protection:

• Industrial rated glasses/sunglasses that fit over ordinary glasses: You can wear these to protect your eyes from flying particles, objects etc. You can also add side shields for added protection
• Splash goggles: Splash goggles protect your eyes from agricultural chemicals. Welding goggles are recommended when you are working with sparks and lights
• Full face shields: Full face shields are comfortable and offer good protection for the eyes. For farmers who wear glasses, sunglasses etc. full face shields are important. The face shields should be fire-resistant and should meet the industrial quality

Farmers should avoid using contact lenses while working with chemicals. The protective eye wear should be cleaned, disinfected and kept in dust-proof containers. If it has any repairs, it should immediately rectify. Avoid using the eye wear if it outdated.

First Aid for Eyes:
First aid for eyes depends upon the type of injury to the eye:

• Particles, specks: They are usually washed out by natural tears. Avoid rubbing. If they remain, consult a physician
• Blows: If the eye is injured due to a blow, apply cool compresses for 15 minutes and repeat this once in an hour to minimize the swelling and pain. If there is eye discoloration, puncture, or cuts etc. apply a bandage and consult a physician immediately
• Chemicals: If your eyes are exposed to chemicals, irrigate them with fresh water continuously for 15 minutes. Consult a physician and take the label or the container of the chemical along with you

Eyes should not be neglected as farming involves many hazards to the eye. Eyes can be protected the best if farmers use protective eye wear and be careful while doing daily activities. This will enable farmers to carry out their work safely and effectively.

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