CHICAGO—Prevent Blindness has again designated October as “Home Eye Safety Awareness Month” to help educate the public on steps that can be taken to avoid eye injuries in and around the home. To support the initiative, the association is offering free resources and recommendations on a dedicated web page.

According to Prevent Blindness, more than 94,000 adults and children were treated in hospital emergency rooms in the U.S. in 2013 due to product-related injuries, with the top contributing categories including power tools, welding tools, workshop grinders, buffers or polishers, manual tools and bleach. To help prevent these injuries as well as their costs, proper eye protection should be worn in the home, yard and garage, specifically protective eyewear approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), identifiable by a “Z-87” logo stamped on the frame temple, Prevent Blindness said.

Other recommendations for avoiding eye injury at home include securing rugs to remove tripping hazards, never mixing cleaning agents, and inspecting and removing debris from lawns before mowing. Additionally, after any project, hands should be washed thoroughly before touching the eyes or face, Prevent Blindness said.

More information can be viewed in the “Major Eye Injuries” fact sheet. To request a free copy of the First Aid for Eye Emergencies sticker, visit preventblindness.org or call (800) 331-2020.