By: Russell Keener  —  September 16, 2011
 

Eye injuries in the work­place are much more com­mon than most peo­ple real­ize.  In fact, each day as many as 2,000 work­ers in the United States suf­fer an eye injury related to their jobs, accord­ing to the Cen­ters for Dis­ease Con­trol and Pre­ven­tion.  Of these, over 100 result in days off from work, and as many as 1/3 of these injuries require treat­ment in a hospital.

What are the most com­mon eye injuries that result in acci­dents at the workplace?

Ultra­vi­o­let ker­ati­tis.  This is injury to the eyes caused by expo­sure to ultra­vi­o­let light.  Welders are com­monly exposed to this type of injury.  Other than in the work­place, oth­ers may suf­fer ultra­vi­o­let ker­ati­tis due to extreme expo­sure to the sun or tan­ning beds.

Chem­i­cal burns or expo­sure.  Acid, alkali, aerosols and other irri­tants can cause dam­age to the eyes.  Peo­ple who work around chem­i­cals, bat­ter­ies and other irri­tants may suf­fer burns to the eyes due to splat­ter­ing, splash­ing or rub­bing of the eyes when chem­i­cals are on hands.

Lac­er­a­tions to the eye­lids.  Indi­vid­u­als who work around tools or other sharp objects are prone to these types of acci­dents, as well as con­struc­tion work­ers who often suf­fer fall acci­dents with injuries to the facial area.

Abra­sions of the cornea.  Sand, dirt, grit, even tree branches can cause corneal abra­sion.  Those who work in an area where a lot of dust, debris or other “gritty” type sub­stances float in the air are prone to these types of eye injuries.

Metal, wood and other for­eign objects.  Those who work with wood, plas­tic or metal often expe­ri­ence irri­ta­tion or injuries caused by shards of metal, wood or other mate­ri­als; this is par­tic­u­larly true in jobs that require saw­ing, sand­ing and cutting.

When you suf­fer an eye injury at work that is due to your job or repeated expo­sure to chem­i­cals, you may be enti­tled to work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion ben­e­fits.  Work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion insur­ance typ­i­cally cov­ers costs of med­ical care and ben­e­fits for tem­po­rary or per­ma­nent disability.

How­ever, fil­ing for work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion isn’t always as easy as it may seem.  To ensure that you get the ben­e­fits you deserve, it’s to your advan­tage to con­sult with a Mari­etta per­sonal injury attor­ney who can offer the guid­ance you need and help you in fil­ing your claim.

Call The Keener Law Firm for a free, con­fi­den­tial con­sul­ta­tion with a lawyer about your injury.  770–955-3000 or 800–900-2400.