Avoiding eye injuries in day-to-day activities

Always:

• Take care and remember that even the most mundane activities may result in eye injuries
  
• Wear protective goggles wherever there is even the slightest risk of injury

Around the house

• Keep knives and scissors out of reach of children. 
• Store spraycans and poisons on a high shelf or in a locked cupboard.
  
•  Take care with household sprays and cleaning chemicals. 
•  Be careful when using swimming pool chemicals. 
•  Don't tease animals, and respect their meal times
  
• Encourage children not to twirl or throw objects

In the garden

• Wear goggles when pruning .
  
• Be wary of plants with spikey leaves or sticky white sap. 
•  Store away chemicals, such as garden lime
  
• Take care when using rotary lawnmowers and keep children away to avoid objects being thrown into their eyes

In the workshop

• Wear goggles when using power tools, hammering metal on metal,or clipping the slag off when welding

On the farm

• Wear goggles when engaging in risk activities such as cutting fencing wire
  
• Don't leave fencing wire lying on the ground. If stepped on it may whip up into the eyes.

In the car

• Keep a pair of goggles in the boot for activities such as jump starting .
• Take special care when using octopus straps to secure luggage, surfboards etc. These devices can be unpredictable.

General

• Wear a hat, it will help protect your eyes from the sun, and from magpie swoops in Spring.
• Wash your hands after using chemicals of any type. 
•  Be very careful to ensure that any eye medication is just that. Read the label!

Don't:

• Ever be complacent. Even the most mundane activities may maim