The humdrum of toiling away each day may result in you losing sight of what matters most – your health that enables you to perform your tasks at work. Tragically, the irony of a worker’s life may lead you to job-related eye injuries.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reveals approximately 2,000 Americans suffer daily from workplace eye injuries requiring medical treatment. A third of these injuries are emergency department cases, while over 100 take off work for up to two days.
Heightening your awareness and taking necessary precautions can address your blind spots and keep you from fatal harm.
What caused your eye injuries at work?
Depending on the nature of your work, your catastrophic eye injuries may either be due to exposure or traumatic penetration. These may result in minor eye problems, vision loss or complete blindness. Here are some common causes:
- Scratched eye
- Chemical or thermal burns
- Smoke and other poisonous gases
- Repeated eye strain, usually due to prolonged computer time
- Trapped metal, nails, staples, glass, dust particles, wood chips and other kinds of debris striking, scraping or going through your eyeball
In the worst cases, you may also acquire communicable eye diseases at work through direct contact with blood, cough or cold droplets. This exposure may cause minimal redness, soreness or life-threatening illnesses, like HIV, avian influenza or hepatitis. As a preventive measure, it will help to secure safety gear or personal protective eyewear, like goggles or full-face respirators.
It’s of utmost importance for you to seek urgent medical attention. Then, you must inform and coordinate with your employer regarding Georgia’s mandatory workers’ compensation to properly address your lost wages, medical expenses and long-term care.
In plain sight
The truth behind your devastating accident is in plain sight. But you need a legal team to help you execute the vision and not keep you in the dark as you fight for your compensation and future.