A safety reminder, I learned the hard way.

[Slycox]

So yesterday I'm out in the garage getting some things organized not real planning on doing anything with power tools just clean up. Then I decided instead of throwing some galvanized conduit I had I should use it for a paper towel holder.

So I figure out the best way and spot to mount it for me, drill a hole shove the conduit in and mount it. Well the end was a little rough so I grabbed the grinder. I pause and think oh I should put my safety glasses on. **** that I'm tough I'll be fine...

We'll I wasn't fine, I had to go into the hospital today and they pulled a piece of some thing off the inside of my eye lid. Had to numb the eye and flip the lid. Thankfully it wasn't to serious and my vision is ok,, It's little sore today buy nothing like the pain from yesterday.

It was a stupid mistake I made. I didn't want to go grab the safety glasses, I don't like them they annoy me and it was going to be a quick job, well that doesn't matter, I believe the piece that hit me was from the disc, I don't think I had even touched metal when it hit me. Just a small partical, but it cause excruciating pain. I rinsed immediately and didn't rub it and that helped for a while but it got worse as the evening went on.

Eye pro is worth it, take the time to wear it figure a way to have it easily accessible if you don't wear it all the time.

I got lucky I have both eyes still, it could have been much worse. Take it from me and be safe, next time I may not be so lucky.

And I finally ordered a face shield that will be next to the grinders so I should not have to hunt for eye pro.

 

[pendragon1998]

Yeah, you gotta wear your eye, ear, and breathing protection.

I decided a while back that I would spare no expense to make sure safety items are available and used in my shop. Just one $40 copay at a specialist covers a couple goggles, a face shield, a couple bottles of ear plugs, or a nice pair of ear muffs. A couple hundred bucks against my deductible from one stupid trip to the ER would cover everything, plus pay for project supplies. I'd rather spend the money on safety and fun than pay help to send my doctor's kid to private school, much as I like him.

 

[rlitman]

...We'll I wasn't fine, I had to go into the hospital today and they pulled a piece of some thing off the inside of my eye lid. Had to numb the eye and flip the lid. Thankfully it wasn't to serious and my vision is ok,, It's little sore today buy nothing like the pain from yesterday. ...

Glad to hear you're ok. That's never a fun experience.
I've still got a small rust ring at the edge of my cornea from a similar experience.

 

[drivesitfar]

Sly: i hate safety glasses too and more often than not i have used readers in the past, but now have a full face shield at almost every machine area.

if you wouldn't mind maybe you could cut and paste your opening post on this thread i started that has a lot more safety tips that might help you and your friends.

here's the link to Safety 101

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=338827

 

[Gerald O]

In addition to having eye protection available, make sure that it is in good clear visibility condition. If it's old and scratched up you either won't want to wear it or you'll struggle to see and may have an accident that way.

 

[Infinia]

Thank you Slycox for your experience & valuable advice.
Time to get a full face shield me thinks.

 

[-Brent-]

Glad to hear you're okay. Many times it takes a scare to get us to realize eye protection is worth it. I was at my eye doctor about 20 years ago and he asked if I wear eye protection, like many foolish 20 year-olds I didn't. My right eye is much poorer vision than my left so he adjusted the phoropter (had to look the name of that thing up, it's the thing you look through and they adjust to figure your eyesight) to what my right eye was. Man, did that scare the hell out of me. I wouldn't be able to do anything if both my eyes sucked that bad.

From then on, I've been pretty proactive.

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

From guys who use grinders every day, even safety glasses still leave you at risk for getting stuff ("swarf") in your eye, from what I've heard. Best bet is a full face shield.

 

[4 FN 27]

Glad you are OK.

Been in for that 4 times now in 25 years even using Safety Glasses. 3 Times it was from having grinding dust/shavings on my forehead/eyebrows and moving just the right way and having a piece get lodged either in the eyeball causing a rust ring or in the eye lid. Once hours after I was done grinding.

The last one back in May I was leaning under a truck cutting the exhaust and had my head kind of sideways and one of the "chips" got past the glasses.

One time when I was leaving the Eye Docs office the lady behind the counter said in a very snide way "you know they make safety glasses". I took my hat off and showed her the rust stains from grinding dust and sweat and said "it doesn't help when one of the fine particles falls off your forehead".

I must have 20+ pairs of Safety Glasses scattered about the shop.

 

[ratdoggy]

From guys who use grinders every day, even safety glasses still leave you at risk for getting stuff ("swarf") in your eye, from what I've heard. Best bet is a full face shield.

Yep!!!

 

[Slycox]

Yeah, you gotta wear your eye, ear, and breathing protection.

I decided a while back that I would spare no expense to make sure safety items are available and used in my shop. Just one $40 copay at a specialist covers a couple goggles, a face shield, a couple bottles of ear plugs, or a nice pair of ear muffs. A couple hundred bucks against my deductible from one stupid trip to the ER would cover everything, plus pay for project supplies. I'd rather spend the money on safety and fun than pay help to send my doctor's kid to private school, much as I like him.[/QUOTED]

Very good point!

Sly: i hate safety glasses too and more often than not i have used readers in the past, but now have a full face shield at almost every machine area.

if you wouldn't mind maybe you could cut and paste your opening post on this thread i started that has a lot more safety tips that might help you and your friends.

here's the link to Safety 101

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=338827

Been a little bit since I read through that post. But I'll stop by again.

In addition to having eye protection available, make sure that it is in good clear visibility condition. If it's old and scratched up you either won't want to wear it or you'll struggle to see and may have an accident that way.

That is definitely a good point, I have a few that have been scratched to hell and aren't worth anything cause you can't see. Got a coupleasure newer ones but it's just wearing them thats the hard habit to get into.

 

[ItsNemo]

From guys who use grinders every day, even safety glasses still leave you at risk for getting stuff ("swarf") in your eye, from what I've heard. Best bet is a full face shield.

Face shields aren't 100% either. Goggles with a seal prevent anything from getting to your eyes, but unfortunately they don't protect your face. I keep saying I should buy a full face respirator which covers breathing, my entire face, and eyes...but they're so damn expensive and I already have goggles and a half mask and a face shield already.

 

[Slycox]

From guys who use grinders every day, even safety glasses still leave you at risk for getting stuff ("swarf") in your eye, from what I've heard. Best bet is a full face shield.

I definitely see this, noticed alot of this when I was building a porch for my mom and the sawdust found its way past the eye pro.

Glad you are OK.

Been in for that 4 times now in 25 years even using Safety Glasses. 3 Times it was from having grinding dust/shavings on my forehead/eyebrows and moving just the right way and having a piece get lodged either in the eyeball causing a rust ring or in the eye lid. Once hours after I was done grinding.

The last one back in May I was leaning under a truck cutting the exhaust and had my head kind of sideways and one of the "chips" got past the glasses.

One time when I was leaving the Eye Docs office the lady behind the counter said in a very snide way "you know they make safety glasses". I took my hat off and showed her the rust stains from grinding dust and sweat and said "it doesn't help when one of the fine particles falls off your forehead".

I must have 20+ pairs of Safety Glasses scattered about the shop.

This is the 2nd time if had to go in for this thing the firs was similar to you with it finding it's way around safety glasses, it was a tight space and no way to do more than safety glasses and it snuck around.

This one scared me though being it came from grinder use and had the potential for a lot more force to do a lot more damage. And I was not wearing any eye pro

 

[Corndoggeh]

Yeah, you gotta wear your eye, ear, and breathing protection.

I decided a while back that I would spare no expense to make sure safety items are available and used in my shop. Just one $40 copay at a specialist covers a couple goggles, a face shield, a couple bottles of ear plugs, or a nice pair of ear muffs. A couple hundred bucks against my deductible from one stupid trip to the ER would cover everything, plus pay for project supplies. I'd rather spend the money on safety and fun than pay help to send my doctor's kid to private school, much as I like him.

I went a slightly different route, I bought over 20 safety glasses, 5 face shields and ear muffs, few boxes of dust masks and gloves and 1 really good respirator. Everything but the respirator from HF as my problem is that I tend to misplace my glasses or something like that.

 

[thymer]

Prescription bifocal safety glasses have been a godsend for me. As soon as I walk in the shop I put them on and they stay on the whole time I'm out there. kinda have to so I can see so it forces me to wear them. They weren't very expensive at all.

 

[Empty Pockets]

OP- Glad to hear you're ok.

I have several pair of safety glasses in the shop. There are also a couple of full face shields. An ounce of prevention is worth well over a pound of cure

 

[PWC Repair]

Yep, had to go to my eye doctor and get a metal sliver out of my eyeball a couple years ago. Not a pleasant experience.

 

[CrashTestDummy]

I enjoyed that several years ago, too. I was definitely wearing glasses, but I think the metal came out of my hair, or eyebrow. The removal of the sliver from my eye wasn't the bad part, as they numbed the eye before starting work. The medicine they gave me to use afterward was enough to remind me to take REAL good care of protecting the eyes.

Now, when I finish work, before I take the safety glasses or shield off, I go out, turn with my back to the wind, lean over, and 'fluff' my hair and eyebrows. Then, I get a paper towel, and wipe my forehead, THEN remove the glasses. That's not something I EVER want to experience again.

 

[rlitman]

I enjoyed that several years ago, too. I was definitely wearing glasses, but I think the metal came out of my hair, or eyebrow. The removal of the sliver from my eye wasn't the bad part, as they numbed the eye before starting work. The medicine they gave me to use afterward was enough to remind me to take REAL good care of protecting the eyes.

Now, when I finish work, before I take the safety glasses or shield off, I go out, turn with my back to the wind, lean over, and 'fluff' my hair and eyebrows. Then, I get a paper towel, and wipe my forehead, THEN remove the glasses. That's not something I EVER want to experience again.

That's what got me. I was using a burr with a full face shield. Later, a sliver fell down from my hair.

They dug out the sliver from my eye using a needle. I swear that thing looked like a harpoon. Then there was this drill to buff out the rust. Finally the ointment that made everything look like I was looking through wax paper.
The milky drops weren't that bad.

 

[bczygan]

Roger on that!

I'm new to grinders and started using one yesterday.

Eye protection is a must for me. I'm losing my eyesight and it is my most valuable sense.

Glad things weren't worse for you.

Bill

 

[roc_on_the_rocks]

Yeah, you gotta wear your eye, ear, and breathing protection.

All that, plus condom and rubber gloves!

Glad you're OK.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I got a piece of grit in my eye once. I wasn't doing anything that required safety glasses, either. I was climbing a ladder to a roof and as my head came up above the level of the roof curb something blew into my eye. I thought I rinsed it out, but the next morning my eye was swelled shut.

The eye doctor clamped my head in a fixture and looked into my eye with what amounted to a giant, illuminated magnifying glass to extract it with a needle of some sort.
I don't recall the removal being all that horrible, I do remember looking into the doctor's eye on the other side of the magnifying glass, but I don't want that discomfort again.

The doctor was a pretty sharp looker, too. Maybe that's why I don't recall it being al that bad...

Tommy

 

[cheechi]

I instinctively put on safety glasses now whenever I go into the shop even if it's just time to sit and relax. For grinding, that would have been a half mask, glasses, and a face shield. And especially grinding galv? Granted you weren't welding but that stuff is nasty.

 

[Jazz1]

You can buy safety glasses with cheaters in them for $10. Still need a full face shield along with glasses. I actually prefer a old welding hood with a safety lens when I got a lot of grinding to do
Did they use that little spinning rubber wheel to get the metal out? Hard not to blink when the doc lays that on your eyeball.

 

[Slycox]

You can buy safety glasses with cheaters in them for $10. Still need a full face shield along with glasses. I actually prefer a old welding hood with a safety lens when I got a lot of grinding to do
Did they use that little spinning rubber wheel to get the metal out? Hard not to blink when the doc lays that on your eyeball.

Nope it was under the eyelid, they used a qtip to roll it up then tweezers to pull it out.

She seemed a bit jumpy despite numbing the eye I still felt it slightly and naturally flinched so it took 2 trys.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Here's a related thread....

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=271579&highlight=safety

 

[PeterT]

Good advice & thanks for sharing, I get in a hurry too and when its hot out my fat *** sweats like hell so glasses fog up on me

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Why you ALWAYS wear safety glasses. Theres no way to tell what may happen, even something as rare as this:

 

[NUTTSGT]

Atleast you went and didn't wait til it was bad.

I remember as high schooler in Ind Arts, all of us hated wearing eye protection. I guess as you get older, you get wiser and are thankful for the protection available.

I need to get me a new pair of safety glasses for the garage. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[cre8d2go]

holy cow. ER visit for metal in my eye, been there, done that. Live and learn. WEAR SAFETY GLASSES AND HEARING PROTECTION. This is from someone who has lost over half of my hearing from natural hearing loss, started to notice in my mid 20's. I have hearing aids and have to read lips to understand people talking. PROTECT YOUR HEARING!!!!!!! CAUSE ONCE IT'S GONE, IT'S GONE. I'm only yelling cause I can't hear myself.

 

[Whitworth]

Glad you're ok.

A good reminder for all of us. We should all have on hand - safety glasses, many pairs. Full face shield, and eye wash station. Throw out the old eye pro, once they get hazy, scratched or yellowed there's a strong temptation to lift them clear of your eyes to see.

 

[jumbojak]

Almost as important as a good pair of safety glasses is a good fitted hat. As others have mentioned, your hair is almost as much of a hazard with it catching debris as the flying debris is by itself. I say fitted because you can turn the hat around backwards if you need to contort yourself into a tight space and still be reasonably well protected. Doesn't help so much with the eyebrows though.

To the OP, I'm glad you came out okay. Getting something in your eye is not fun in any way shape or form. I find it almost as bad as having the something dug out...

 

[coleman10]

Why you ALWAYS wear safety glasses. Theres no way to tell what may happen, even something as rare as this:

Holy ****. Can't tell you how many times I've just been too lazy to wear safety glasses, but if this picture doesn't make you want to wear them, I don't know what will. I recently picked up anti-fog, vented, eye protection. I don't think I'd ever be too lazy again to wear them.

 

[Slycox]

Almost as important as a good pair of safety glasses is a good fitted hat. As others have mentioned, your hair is almost as much of a hazard with it catching debris as the flying debris is by itself. I say fitted because you can turn the hat around backwards if you need to contort yourself into a tight space and still be reasonably well protected. Doesn't help so much with the eyebrows though.

To the OP, I'm glad you came out okay. Getting something in your eye is not fun in any way shape or form. I find it almost as bad as having the something dug out...

We wear welding caps at work keeps the **** out of your hair and fits under the full face resprirator.

Glad you're ok.

A good reminder for all of us. We should all have on hand - safety glasses, many pairs. Full face shield, and eye wash station. Throw out the old eye pro, once they get hazy, scratched or yellowed there's a strong temptation to lift them clear of your eyes to see.

That's a good point, and brings up the question of what does everyone recommend for good quality cheap eye pro? Don't want to be paying $20 for something that is disposable but don't want the standard worthless pair that doesn't protect and fogs constantly.

 

[wtfdskin]

Or peek underneath them. Hearing protection is huge for me. The ringing in my ears I get when its quiet drives me crazy

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[dragonballz]

Glad you are ok. Thanks for the reminder.

It is so easy to become complacent... And it only has to happen once.

 

[coleman10]

We wear welding caps at work keeps the **** out of your hair and fits under the full face resprirator.









That's a good point, and brings up the question of what does everyone recommend for good quality cheap eye pro? Don't want to be paying $20 for something that is disposable but don't want the standard worthless pair that doesn't protect and fogs constantly.

I just picked up these. Have worn them only once so far, but I like them.

DEWALT DPG82-11 Concealer Clear Anti-Fog Dual Mold Safety Goggle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A12J3GI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Playwme]

Went and bought a 12 pack of glasses the other day. $2.50 each, nice and comfortable. I pretty much keep a set on my head at all times. Probably looks kinda stupid when I've gone out to dinner and still have them there, but I'm sure it's saved me more than once.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Holy ****. Can't tell you how many times I've just been too lazy to wear safety glasses, but if this picture doesn't make you want to wear them, I don't know what will. I recently picked up anti-fog, vented, eye protection. I don't think I'd ever be too lazy again to wear them.

Seeing you quote that and reading your post reminded me of something...


Any contact wearers out there ? Have any of you guys/girls had a piece of something get embedded in one of your lenses ? Over the years, I'd had it happen twice. It ruined the contact but it didn't hurt the eye.

 

[duwem]

Yep, had to go to my eye doctor and get a metal sliver out of my eyeball a couple years ago. Not a pleasant experience.

I have had this 3 times now in my life, for sure 2 were with safety glasses, one I think was not. Not fun at all. Getting the metal fleck out is the easy part then they need to get the rust ring around it out. One time they used a rotary tool (think dremmel with carbide bit) and "ground" it out. Doctor said don't move, this is like a mini surgery...ok!

I now use safety goggles from Menards. Only downside is they fog up when its hot out, even with the little air holes. But no eye issues since.