With summer comes the routine of yard and garden care as well as backyard projects. Some people view this work as a chore, while others see it as a relaxing form of therapy.
Whichever your outlook, you should be safety conscious when working with tools. With many kinds of yard work is the potential for an eye injury. The eye is an important yet fragile part of your body. It doesn’t take much to cause serious harm. A flying fleck of glass or metal is sufficient to send you to the hospital. This is why prescription safety glasses are so important.
If you’re using 
your regular prescription glasses for this work, you should understand that they aren’t a substitute for safety glasses. The lens material and frames are weaker than those of ANSI Z87 prescription safety glasses. Regular prescription glasses also don’t provide full coverage of the eyes from all angles.
Many of the tools you use in your backyard are just as hazardous as those used in manufacturing or in the construction industry. The backyard eye injury is an all-too-common occurrence because people don’t think of their home activities as being dangerous. Here are three examples of yard work eye hazards:
- The Lawn mower. The lawn mower can fling rocks, sticks, and other objects at high speeds. Normally your eyes are
out of the way of these projectiles. However, they can ricochet off a wall, tree, or other large object. You may need to walk in front of your mower to remove debris from its path. These situations expose your eyes to mower projectiles.
- The Power lawn trimmer. The lawn trimmer is quieter and smaller than a lawn mower, which make it seem less dangerous. Yet this power tool has been responsible for many serious eye injuries. The nylon lines can spin at rates of around 6,000 rpm. Bits of rock and broken nylon line can hit the eye at high speeds.
- The Chain saw. Given the power, noise, and obvious danger to the hands and limbs, their danger to the eyes from flying bits of wood should be apparent as well. As mentioned previously, ordinary prescription glasses are inadequate, especially for this tool.
If you have questions about which of our large selection of prescription safety glasses are best for your situation, contact us.
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