NEW YORK—Each year, millions of Americans suffer severe eye injuries and even blindness associated with workplace accidents. According to 2023 Bureau of Labor statistics, there were 18,510 eye-related injury or illness cases that resulted in at least one day away from work in 2020, leading to an incidence rate of 1.7 cases per 10,000 full-time workers. A report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) found that workplace eye injuries cost nearly $300 million in lost productivity, worker compensation and medical treatment.

Most eye injuries result from flying shards of metal or glass, tool slips or chemicals. Protective eyewear can prevent 90 percent of workplace-related eye injuries. Education, paired with the right eye protection, is key to reducing the number of injuries. This is why major Rx safety suppliers and laboratories have developed innovative solutions to provide the highest level of eye protection by offering solutions for ECPs and their patients.

Read more about how safety eyewear programs play a big part in the prevention of eye injuries in the VM feature titled “Innovation Drives Rx Safety Programs.”