Do Not Take Eye Injuries Lightly DEBORAH HANDRAHAN, AIC-M MEMBER SERVICES COORDINATOR On average, NHADA WCT receives 100 eye injury claims per year. While most are minor, we have had several very serious eye injuries, including loss of vision in one eye over the years. Minor eye injuries cost the Trust, on average, $43,000 annually. Severe eye injuries cost the Trust hundreds of thousands of dollars. But the cost of a severe eye injury to the employee is incalculable. Some of these injuries can be prevented by using eye protection. It is a very simple solution to a very serious matter. No surprise, the majority of eye injuries are suffered by technicians. Interestingly, most eye injuries are suffered by employees employed by the member for two years or less. The NHADA WCT provides FREE safety glasses in all shapes and sizes, including goggles for our Members to distribute to their employees; there is no excuse not to use them. Please take advantage of NHADA WCT free eye protection program and keep them in an easily accessible area. Members should require the use of safety glasses and monitor their use, and discipline employees who fail to use them. Other eye injuries occur even if the employee is wearing eye protection. This time of year, when it is hot in the shop and technicians are sweating; metal foreign bodies run with sweat behind safety glasses into the eye. When the first symptoms of a foreign body in the eye arise, the employee should copiously irrigate the eye D R I V E 16
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