According to the official statistics more than 100 eye injuries occur every day in New Zealand. These injuries result in pain, time off work, loss of income, blindness and even death.

Research has shown that the fear of blindness is one that people throughout the world fear more than nearly any other condition.

Though, most eye injuries are preventable by using special eye protection and knowing the potential hazards.

Safety glasses

Make sure you always wear eye protection when performing the following activities:

• mowing the lawns
• chopping wood
• pruning trees
• using a hammer
• using power tools
• working with chemicals, even household or garden ones
• lighting fireworks
• changing a car battery
• playing ball sports such as cricket, golf or squash
• painting
• gardening

Protecting your eyes while gardening, whether at home or for work, is really simple. Invest in a pair of safety glasses from your local hardware store.

Unprotected eyes in the garden are vulnerable to injury from:

• Flying stones and debris, often flung from lawnmowers or weed eaters
• Sharp items such as stakes or tree branches
• Burns from chemicals sprays
• Bacterial and fungal infections from contact with plants or dirt

Read the RNZFB brochure Gardening and Eye Safety for more information.

What to do if an eye injury occurs?

Up to 90% of eye injuries can be prevented by wearing safety glasses. But if nevertheless an eye injury occurs, these are some guidelines of what to do.

If sand, dirt or small debris gets into your eyes, don't rub it. Rinse the eye thoroughly with water. If you still cannot dislodge the particle, lightly bandage the eye and see an eye specialist.

For blows to the eye gently apply a cold compress to reduce pain and swelling. Avoid putting pressure on the eye. If you experience pain or have reduced vision in the eye or bruising, see your eye specialist immediately.

For cuts or punctures of the eye, loosely bandage the eye without pressure and seek emergency medical care immediately.

Sunglasses unless specified are not safety glasses. Tell your retailer what you require the glasses for and they will help you decide the type of protection best for that activity.

You only get one pair of eyes, so it's important to choose the right protection.

Remember: it's better to have broken safety goggles than an injured eye!