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A safety reminder, I learned the hard way.

duwem

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Aug 28, 2013
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451
Location
Eastern WI
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.

We would joke around the shop in school that when people didn't have there safety glasses in that they must have their safety contact on...this kind of kills that humor:dunno:

And then there was the safety sandals...
 
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PWC Repair

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Dec 27, 2012
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Arkansas
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.


Yep, they used the little rotary tool to carve out the rust on me too. I didn't feel it but my eyeball was sore for a couple days afterward. I was not wearing safety glasses but I am an all the time glasses wearer. I felt the metal hit my cheek. I assume it bounced off my cheek, onto the inside of my glasses, then off there and into my eye. I also didn't have the guard on my grinder either!
 

Dennis Leigh Henry

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Apr 8, 2013
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South Central, IN USA
When I was taking my BS degree for Industrial Arts at ISU, I remember a cartoon that showed a set of shop bins... nuts and bolts in one bin, tools in another, and "eyeballs for kids of don't wear safety glasses" was another... I'll have to go and dig that out of my stuff and share..
 

pringa8

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Mar 9, 2015
Messages
42
Location
North Carolina
Was wearing my normal glasses for vision which I thought had pretty decent protection. They dont!! Still had to get a bit of metal removed, lucky it was the white part, whatever that bit is called.
Get prescription safety glasses if you have to, or just get your eyes lasered like I just didn't recently.

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DCarr2

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Dec 12, 2015
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1,339
Location
Akron NY
white part of the eye is called a scallera

ok so, everyone should have basic first aid training... itll save money, and time...

some great info here
http://thesurvivaldoctor.com/

also, most people use google to diagnose their problems, often times people go off the deep end, when its something minor.
 

ewang

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Joined
Dec 9, 2009
Messages
75
Location
Central WI
When grinding, I usually where a hat backwards (to prevent stuff in hair), safety goggles and a grinding mask....

Glad things are ok.
 

Hghgrad

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Joined
Nov 26, 2012
Messages
539
Location
Detroit MI
I've also still got a rust ring in my cornea from a similar situation. 2x...


I always wear glasses now. Stuff gets around them on occasion, but it's definitely kept the majority of the stuff out.
 

benjamintmiller

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Feb 8, 2011
Messages
284
Location
IA
I'm fortunate, because my employer has a well stocked safety cabinet with a sign on it that says "for work or home use". They have regular and tinted safety glasses, nice cloth-nitrile gloves, hearing protection, etc.

I don't understand why more employers don't do this. Their health insurance costs for one serious accident probably pay for the cabinets for the entire year (they self insure, and pay for almost 100% of the union costs).
 

Kevin54

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Jan 12, 2005
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Urbana, Ohio
I used to work in a cast iron shop (Rockwell) and I would say that I was probably in the ER between 6-12 times for metal in the eye. The bad thing was that everyone used airhoses to blow the machines off, so there was cast iron particles going everywhere. When I became a Tool & Die Maker at my last place, we worked more in aluminum, and I have had that in my eye on a couple of occasions. The bad thing was that I had prescription safety glasses, but they were of a piss poor design. I finally found a pair that I liked and have about a half a dozen of them scattered around the garage. They wrap around more like goggles. (Harley Davidson safety glasses) They fit very well and you don't see any of the frame while wearing them. BUT....you can't beat safety goggles. Something that seals completely around your eyes. Of all the time I had metal in my eye, it was from bouncing off the back of my safety glasses into my eye. Goggles would totally prevent that.

One of the very worse things I had happen was when I was framing out some cabinets. We were building a 2x4 framework and I was driving in some 16D's with a hammer. On one nail, the hammer went off the side, flipped the nail, and just like in slow motion I saw the nail spinning towards me. I didn't have glasses on and it smacked me right square in the eye. Luckily I had my eyes shut, and I was hit by the head of the nail square in the eye. It created some massive bruising, and today I have scar tissue in that eye.
 

tomshep

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Sep 24, 2011
Messages
441
Glad you are OK.

Full face shield is on a nail right next to the grinder. I don't have any excuse that way.

Tom
 

softailgarage

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Apr 20, 2011
Messages
5,153
Location
Bullhead City, Az.
I prefer goggles, especially if I'm working on something I need my readers for. Goggles slip right over glasses and the eye is completely "sealed". No hospital trips yet, not for that anyhow.
 

67CarGuy

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Feb 6, 2008
Messages
764
Location
Outside Boston, MA
Yikes! I used to feel self-conscious about putting on safety gear when I was younger, especially when I would see the older guys not bothering. "Gee, they must be tough to not need ear/eye/whatever protection while they're using that tool." No, they were just being ignorant/stupid/etc. My eyesight has gone bad on its own (thanks Mom and Dad!) but I've still got damn-near perfect hearing. Reading these stories helps to encourage me to look as goofy as I have to to stay safe.

I guess it's sorta like the motorcycle helmet choice. You wanna look cool and ride without a helmet? How cool are you going to look after facial reconstructive surgery? That tree/deer/telephone pole/idiot in their car blabbing on their cellphone isn't going to swerve to miss you just because you're not wearing a helmet. Same goes for that piece of debris: "Oh, no safety glasses? I guess I'll just land on the floor then."
 

Westly

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Jan 17, 2014
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294
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U.S.A.
Knowing how many times my regular eyeglasses have saved my sight, if I didn't need glasses I would probably still get glasses, with neutral lenses with no correction, and wear them all the time like I do with my glasses. Polycarbonate lenses. I've had everything in the world bounce off my glasses, and mostly in day to day life, not at work.
 

sean Buick 76

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Edmonton Alberta

bjcouche

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Sep 11, 2010
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509
Location
Ohio
Does anyone have any suggestions for safety goggles that go over your existing prescription glasses? All the ones I've tried cause my glasses to completely fog up in under 5 minutes. I always wear a full face shield when cutting, grinding, etc. I wear prescription glasses, and cannot get prescription safety glasses. My sight is real bad and the type of glass that's "safety approved" has a low index of refraction and would be way too thick to fit in the safety approved frames. I'd like to find a goggle that doesn't cause fogging for cases where a full face shield isn't warranted.
Another thought to convince people who wear prescription glasses, to use a full face shield when grinding, the inexpensive face shield will also protect your expensive prescription glasses from damage (your eyes too).

Brian
 
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benjamintmiller

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Feb 8, 2011
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284
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IA
I've found that the RainX anti-fog spray works well. You can get it at any big box hardware store or auto parts store, and it says to not use on plastic, but doesn't seem to hurt the polycarbonate.
 

Dennis Leigh Henry

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Apr 8, 2013
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6,302
Location
South Central, IN USA
One of my test cell maintenance guys was noted for being the "safety guy"... I told him ... while rebuilding the 14 spindle cylinder head gun, make sure you chase all the tapped holes before putting in the brand new motors...

He did... but used air to blow out the "chips".. and even with safety glasses on chips got in his eyes.. eventually infected... and BOOM...OSHA recordable.

Eye shields with air hose / blow off guns from that point on.....
 
OP
S

Slycox

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Jul 31, 2015
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221
Location
North Dakota
Changing the oil on the beater car I just bought last night and got some oil on the face, thankfully this time I was wearing the eye pro and no issues. Other than oil smeared glasses...
 

Dennis Leigh Henry

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Apr 8, 2013
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South Central, IN USA
In my experience, the company "safety guy" is usually the guy who refused to wear the appropriate safety gear, and violated established safety policies and got hurt. THEN he becomes the safety guy. ironic, or what.

Yeah.. his son was the chief of the hospital ambulance / EMT team, so that is how he was crowned... Anyway, he took a pretty good ribbing from the others because of that experience...
 

Crazyjake8493

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Sep 26, 2014
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3,977
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Upstate NY
I've never had metal in my eyes, but lots of sawdust. I keep a pair of safety glasses with my miter saw, circular saw, sanders, and planer. And a face shield on the welding cart with my grinders.

I also keep earplugs with all the loud stuff, either the little foam plugs on a string, or over the ear ones if I'll be taking them on and off a lot.

I do often forget about breathing protection. I take great care with welding and spray painting, but when it comes to woodworking I'm not as careful. I cut up a sheet of MDF a few years ago to build a subwoofer box and I thought that was the end for me. Tiny dust particles, I couldn't breathe, coughing uncontrollably, and lost a lot of sleep for a few nights.
 

MFolks

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Feb 3, 2013
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Springfield Mo.
For woodworkers,the routers scream at about 24,000 rpm(or more),ear muffs, and maybe with ear plugs will save your hearing.......
 

DGersic

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Mar 12, 2017
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6,381
Location
DeKalb, IL
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...


Welder hats are good for this. I keep a couple in the garage for general working use.

I’m lucky, I guess. Alopecia totalis a couple years ago thanks to work stress. Totally bald, no hair, or eyebrows, or eye lashes to get any swarf stuck in. Goggles for most work with tools. Face shield added for grinder use.




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isb cornbinder

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Nov 3, 2010
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7,073
Location
Pacific South West, BC, Canada
The father of one of my friends was wire wheeling some rust. A wire came out of the wheel and stuck into his eye. He went blind in that eye. He was a know-it-all smartass before and he continued to be a smartass after.
 

QwikKotaTx

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Aug 10, 2013
Messages
967
Location
Seabrook, TX
Even cleaning a gun got me one time. Some CLP in the eye was extremely painful. Took days to clear up.

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mark#3

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Feb 2, 2014
Messages
404
I was watching some linemen working on a top of a lattuce tower(120') drilling holes, I had safety glasses,PPE on , felt something get my eye, tried water flushing, etc.Went to eye doctor, he found a sliver of aluminum stuck in my eye, which he plucked out.If it went in the 1 part of eye, he said I would have lost the sight in the eye.
 
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gunguy

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Aug 2, 2007
Messages
730
Location
Currituck Co. NC
PPE is so inexpensive these days, and when compared to a visit to the ER and follow-ups, the $$ pales by comparison. There's almost no excuse for not having several sets around the shop that can be picked up and donned wherever and whenever it may be needed. The hard part is making the commitment is to use it EVERYTIME.

When you have those times that you say to yourself, "I'm only going to make one cut, or make one pass, or do a quick touch-up..." hopefully your personal alarm bells are ringing like hell. Heed them. One day you'll be glad you did.

Jim
 

engineer2

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Dec 13, 2009
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11,825
Location
Chicago burbs
Always Always wear eye protection when working on or under something rusty. Rust particles will stick to your cornea like glue and require professional removal. First time it happened to me working on a rusty exhaust pipe. The ER doc had to use a dental drill to grind it out. Second time a rust particle somehow got past my eye goggles and an eye doc was able to pick it out with a needle. BTW an eye doc is way cheaper than the ER.
 
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