I am logging on to BT just long enough to write this for y’all–the glare is making my eye water. (I did catch Bob Chapman’s post on eye safety though.)
Yesterday morning I was nailing rough cornice with my Hitatchi stick framer when a piece of the plastic collation hit me square in the right eye. It hurt like heck at first but then I was fine and went about my day. By yesterday evening my eye was burning and tearing up.
When I woke up this morning I had trouble opening it and my vision was blurry. I decided to press on and go into work anyway–I had to turn around about halfway because the pain and watering were so bad. I went to the ER, where I was diagnosed with a small corneal abrasion–nothing fancy (LOL) but enough for some Rx eye drops and a tetanus shot.
I’ve spent most of the day sleeping because it keeps my eye from watering…I think it’s getting better but it comes and goes.
Point being, it doesn’t take but just a little injury like this to 1) lose your eyes possibly and 2) lose productivity on the job. I normally wear safety sunglasses but of course this was the one time I wasn’t wearing them–I’ll be finding some better ones shortly.
Please stay safe!
Jason Pharez Construction
Framing Contractor
Replies
Hey Thanks Jason, I hope you heal well and I'll hold you in my thoughts.
Thanks for sharing--gotta keep the eyes safe---
Mike
"Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while" Mitremike c. 1990
" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
The single most important thing I did to improve my chances of actually wearing eye protection is to put them where I use them. I have one by my table saw, another by my grinder, several in the garage and 2 in my van.
They are all in a dedicated place and get returned their place when I'm done using them. Even so, I probably don't wear them as often as I should.
So, where do you keep yours?
-Don
Your approach doesn't work with me. I will invariably do something out of the ordinary that requires eye protection and will be without glasses. Or just get lazy and not put them on.My solution is to find a nice pair of safety glasses and keep them clipped to the visor in my truck. When I was working every day in the field I would put them on in the AM, take them off for lunch, and wear them all afternoon.There's really no good reason not to wear safety glasses all day long. You never know when some small projectile will come at you.I've found the biggest frustration with glasses is keeping them from getting scratched. For the most part, they get scratched when I set them down (either in my nail bag or on something) so that's another good reason to wear them all the time.Between the ear plugs and the safety glasses I look like a goober but my hearing is probably as good as it was 15 years ago and I've never had a significant eye injury on the job.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
I'm with you. The best place to keep your safety glasses is on your nose.
Keep them on and they won't get scratched up. A lot of guys let them hang around their necks gathering dust, and then complain that they are to messed up to use. Mike
Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.
Well it's doing better today, so maybe I'll go out long enough to snap lines on the next slab--albeit with a lot of breaks to squirt some drops in.
I normally keep a pair on my cap like some of you do, and I also keep a new pair in the truck. I wasn't wearing my cap though on Friday, so I guess it never crossed my mind. That and by 9 AM it's over 85 dgrees with an 80% humidity, so the glasses tend to become fish bowls.
Still, I'm gonna make a point to wear them whenever doing any kind of cutting/nailing/grinding work--this weekend has been too painful to do over again.Jason Pharez Construction
Framing Contractor
Still, I'm gonna make a point to wear them whenever doing any kind of cutting/nailing/grinding work--this weekend has been too painful to do over again.
Jason, you're talkin' like a guy that will repeat his error.
If you truly value your eyes, you'd better restate your resolution so it sounds like this: "Still, I'm going to make a point to wear them ALL THE TIME."
I began wearing safety glasses in the early 80's all the time. They made me a better carpenter because I could split a fine line in any material.
blue
Jason,
Try these glasses http://www.safetyglassesusa.com/mcpo.html the edge McKinley polarized are really comfortable. Also, as lame as I look, I wear a hat when the sun comes out and a headband if its warm. That keeps most of the sweat out of my glasses and wipe them frequently with anti-fog glasses.
Oh yeah, and switch to coil nailers :-) Then you don't have to worry about those plastic pieces flying around. Guy I worked with got hit by one of those like you did and he wasn't even the one using the gun.
I feel your pain, Jason. When that happened to me, I found that ibuprofen helped a lot. The constant tearing gave me a headache, and I took the vitamin-I for that. Coincidentally, the eye felt better too. I suspect the ant-imflammatory effects of vitamin-I were helpful.
General question - Has anyone tried any safety glasses with anti-fog coatings? My only complaint about wearing safety glasses all the time is that they fog up in our humid summers.Andy
"Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig." Robert A. Heinlein
"Get off your dead #### and on your dying feet." Mom
Andy,
I have prescription Safety glasses, and have had some fogging problems. but I just clean them with the anti-fog solutions ! I wish the wire mesh styles were still made, but the ones for my glasses are specific to the frame and are made of plastic.....and I don't know if its a good idea.......
but some fellas I worked with from the southern states would drill a bunch of little holes in the sideshields of the cheapo ones, and the fogging would not be as severe. .
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@@@ ....and I don't know if its a good idea.......but some fellas I worked with from the southern states would drill a bunch of little holes in the sideshields of the cheapo ones, and the fogging would not be as severe.
Had a set of RX sun glasses for mountaineering that used a welder glassses frame. Big side shields with lots of little holes in them and spring wire ear pieces that would curl around the ears. Very secure. Don't recall much fogging problem. Also prevented another case of snow blindness.
The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
ya know, now that you mention, it my bride wore somehting from Ray-Ban called CatEyes, they had leather sideshields that were perforated, a leather wrap on the bridge, and cable temples..with a cord around her neck , to keep them handy.
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You are talking "safety glasses" aren't you....? ;-)
yes.........of course.....yes, safety glasses, ......... yeah, yeah, that's right, safety glasseswhere the heck did my Lady Sonia bookmark go ???.
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.Wer ist jetzt der Idiot
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Those sound like glacier glasses used in mountaineering. However, I always preferred plastic frames as they did not get as cold. The leather was to keep out the light on the sides and the perforation helped to manage fogging when you are bundled up and your breath comes up past the lenses. We always carried a cheapo spare pair. You did not want to get stuck without glasses. One of the 10 essential things you need to survive in the mountains, really.
Hope you are feeling better soon as all have said. A friends son took a chunk out of his cornea and we were surprised to find out that the doc expected a 3 day recovery.
yeah, the pair she wore were as you describe...she has a corneal dystrophy, and the leather sideshields were great for blocking the light whenever she had an episode.unfortunately, they broke and Baush & Lomb no longer makes them.and Thank you, I hope I feel better soon too.....:0.....actually I think Jason Pharez is the one who had something in his eye.
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You are correct, I was combining replies. I did mean the get well respects for Jason.
Glacier glasses are widely available. I also did like the Bausch & Lomb's. I am surprised that they are not making them anymore. But I have not been climbing for awhile now, man time flies.
Anyway here are a few links to glacier glass retailers:
http://www.rei.com/online/store/Search?inc=sm3380_sunglasses.jsi&langId=-1&link=1&cat=10075652&storeId=8000&noalias=1&text=1&vcat=REI_SSHP_TIMETOOLSOPTICS_TOC
http://www.mtntools.com/cat/alpineice/avalanche/02glasses.htm
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=48190&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226
http://images.moosejaw.com/f/726/16199/4h/www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/search2.asp?s_id=0&mscssid=&search_submitted=yes&search_his=&q_list=&qp_list=&cur_page=1&num_pages=6&you_searched_for_f=&move=none&action=add&atyp=cat&av1=507&av2=Glacier&itd=&prod_sort=&npp=9&q_count=1&q0typ=ft&q0val1=julbo&q0val2=&npp_dropdown=9&sortby_dropdown=21
This place used to have great prices with the exchange rate. Kind of like REI of the North: http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_listing.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302882500&bmUID=1149696125790
These guys are recommended if you need prescription glacier glasses:
http://www.opticus.com/
Apparently Julbro is about the only manufacturer of glacier glasses anymore. There are some sleek low-profile styles that she may like more than the traditional glacier glasses. I wish there were some $20-40 solutions but like most specialty products, they cost about double.l
Edited 6/7/2006 12:14 pm ET by masiman
thanks for the many links masiman, I will check those out I never considered those B&L to be something other than a cool looking pair of sunglasses and could never find a similar style, probably because there aren't too many mountains in Indiana, :) many thanks........
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Hey guys, I get all my safety stuff from Northern Safety Equipment. I buy safety glasses at least ten pair at a time. They have pretty good prices and are customer focused so good to deal with. Here's the link:
http://www.northernsafety.com/
"Let's get crack-a-lackin" --- Adam Carolla
To help prevent scratching the lens, I get an old sock and put my safety glasses in those in my tool bag after I'm done using the glasses.
Don't your eyes water from that old sock smell?
:)Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Where do I keep mine? All over the place, literally. I have never had a serious eye injury, but two different times I have had to have an eye doc fish a piece of glunk from the mucous membrane on the surface of my eye. As a consequence, I buy safety glasses by the case, and keep them strewn around my shop -- so a pair is always close by. I carry 3-4 pair in my Van, and on the site, I always wear a baseball hat, and keep them perched above the rim when not in use. I don't wear prescription glasses, so wearing the safety glasses has just become part of my habitual routine.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
So, where do you keep yours?
On my nose.
blue
I keep mine on my face. That is where I use them most often;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Being nearsighted (5" is in focus), I wear mine (Rx) all the time, so I can see something.
I should get another, more recent bifocal pair, but Costco doesn't do safety glasses and I was not happy with the results at Wal Mart, which does. However, they had a nice set of frames with good side shields built in. Last pair had shields that could be removed and they removed themselves to parts unkown a year ago. Much to be said for fixed shields.
I warned myself. The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
aww man...I feel your pain. Dark plces and cold packs are heaven right now huh?
I had a similar situation a year ago...was grinding our sections of stucco to replace...eye protection was on and getting rather dusy....so I peered over the top of my glasses just long enough to catch a poke in the eye...figgered it just to be dust from the stucco as it was making a ton of it.
eye watered for a bit and all seemed well...back to the grind stone...literally!
late that night (1:42 to be exact) I finally bit the bullet of watery eyes and the feeling like a pin was caught in my eye...drove to the er and had a sliver of metal mesh DRILLED out of my eye...
I now own 5 pair of saftey glasses....scared the hell out of me and the sense into me.
Best of luck to ya!
knowledge without experience is just information.... Mark Twain
Politicians, like diapers, need to be changed often...and for the same reason. (bumber sticker)
http://www.cobrajem.com
I had the drill deal once - they put my head in this rear-loading vice and I had to stare at this light in the dark room. I remember how it jiggled as they drilled.
Forrest
Man, Jason, sorry to hear about your eye! Few things hurt as bad as scratching your cornea. (And hard to work when you can't see and feel like you'd like to about claw your eye out because it feels like there is a big chunk of something in it!) Fortunately they heal fast.
Bummer man. Yea, I've caught the plastic coliation in the eye - those little buggers really shoot out of there and they hurt!!!. The good news is that a minor abrasion like that on the eye will heal very qucikly. Be safe and a speedy recovery to you.
Jason
My wife had a little "abrasion" on one of her eyes about 17 years ago, every night she has to put some eye salve in so that the abrasion doesn't dry up and scab over, which I guess is quit painful.
I wear prescription glasses(for you that might mean the Geritol age!) and I think that was probably the single best thing that happened to me, now I have to have them on all the time.
When I was in my early 20's I was a welder, I'd think nothing of using a torch without eye protection! One tiny little spark in your eye and that night when it rusts and you have to go to the emergency room and have a it ground off your eyeball will wake you up real quick like!
I see guys everyday without safety glasses and wonder what in the hell they are thinking, probably the same thing I was at that age.
I have worked in wood shops and metal shops and have seen so many guys that don't bother to put the safety glasses on until they are doing something dangerous! Hell man, its all dangerous, wear them all the time.
If I was running a shop it would be grounds for firing if you didn't wear them. No reason not to.
Glad that all you got was a wake up, loosing an eye is I think the single biggest fear I have regarding work injuries.
Doug
When I was in my early 20's I was a welder, I'd think nothing of using a torch without eye protection! One tiny little spark in your eye and that night when it rusts and you have to go to the emergency room and have a it ground off your eyeball will wake you up real quick like!
We must have travelled the same path Doug!
In my early twenties, I too was a welder and also torched a lot of stuff without eyeprotection. I ran a 48" metal cutoff saw, cutting steel tubing without eyeprotection all the time. I was a moron!
I even got one of those little torch balls stuck to my eyeball once. It fell out after a week and it left a rust spot! I was such a class "a" moron! I did shut my eyes to weld the plates on the column though LOL!
blue
My very first job in construction was putting up wire lath, that's all we did, no stucco just lath and hundreds of square yards over a few year period. My boss had been in the business since he was probably 19 years of age. When he was on a job at age 23 or so, he snipped off a short piece of wire with side cutters and the end hit him in his left eye. He lost the eye and now has a plastic eye he pops in and out as he feels the need. When he's working he wears dark sunglasses and leaves the eye in the truck in a small plastic case. When he's got a meeting with customers or other clients, he goes to the truck and squirts some liquid on the eye and pops it back in. It's amazing what they can do these days, when his eye is in it's almost impossible to tell which eye is real and which one is fake except the fake one always stays in one position, oriented straight ahead. Kind of weird cause if I was standing slightly to his side while talking to him, he looked sorta like a chameleon and for that reason I always preferred talking to him only with his sunglasses on.
He was big on safety glasses though and insisted on everyone wearing them at all times on the job. If he caught someone not wearing safety glasses he gave the guy a warning, he never issued a second warning because he just let you go and collect your check and you were down the road looking for another job. One or two of those events and soon everyone wore their safety glasses, even on their way home from work.
Hang in there dude!!!
One good thing, eye's heal fast.
You'll be back to work before you know it.
Me, i wear prescription safety glasses with clip on side guards.
Once when I was a young punk, I got acid in my eye and had to get it flushed at the ER. They flushed it for an hour, felt like 3, taped it closed and sent me home with a pain pill. I had to drive myself, one eyed about 30 miles on the interstate hwy and back roads with no depth perception. It was a chore. I went right to bed.
http://grungefm.com
Edited 6/5/2006 8:49 pm ET by RRooster
Thanks everyone for all the discussion (and encouragement) on this topic. My eye is pretty much healed now, although it's still a little blurry when I look around.
Since I didn't work yesterday, I did go to HD/Lowe's and bought another first aid kit, two pairs of the normal safety sunglasses, and two pairs of the same glasses in clear.
Wearing them all day today, I still found that crap gets in your eyes! I'll be bringing my bottle of Clear Eyes tomorrow just in case.
Thanks again, and let's all be safe.Jason Pharez Construction
Framing Contractor
The worst eye injuries I've had were caused by stuff bouncing off the side shields and into the eye.
"Enjoy every sandwich." Warren Zevon.
Wearing them all day today, I still found that crap gets in your eyes
And it will but the likelyhood that you take a direct hit is substantially lowered!
Sawdust and small particles will always get in your eyes but thats not usually the stuff that does the major damage.
Doug
Actually, one of the best eye protections systems I've found is my North full face respirator, made of silicone and polycarbonate. It cost about $150 (I got it for asbestos work), but it was so comfortable I put it on whenever I need extra eye protection that basic safety lenses don't provide. It's great for grinding stucco, as well as doing pretty much ANYTHING overhead. I use it just as much for eye protection as for respiration now - sealing around the face makes a huge difference in things bouncing past the lens and into the eye.
Plus, you get to say "I am your father, Luke" alot :) Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
This sounds like just what I need. Is North a brand name I presume? Where do you get them?
This is just a link to what I'm talking about. Doing a web search has them come up a bit more expensive than I remember paying, but even at $200 I would buy this mask again in a heartbeat. North makes a less pricy rubber one, but this one fits like a second skin. I tried them both on and it was a night and day difference. Saves eyes AND lungs. I just wish they had some way to darken the mask, you can't wear sunglasses under it. SoCal sun is murder on the eyes!
View Image
http://www.discountsafetygear.com/noducasifufa.html
I've also seen the 76008A (the one I have) new at $110 on Ebay.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
"I just wish they had some way to darken the mask, you can't wear sunglasses under it. SoCal sun is murder on the eyes"What about going down to the local autoparts store and get some limo tint. Laminate some on the front of the mask. Problem solved.
Check with the authorities so as not to get a citation for too-dark tinting!
Forrest
LOLThat's the risk you gotta take when you pimp your ride...or facemask.
Several of the manufacturers make little eye glass lens holders that fit inside the full face mask you are talking about. Go to Lab Safety Supply on the web and order direct or check out their cataloghttp://www.lss.com
Looks like you guys are taking this safety , seeing and breathing, thing seriously.. Check out Lab Safety Supply on the web at
http://www.lss.com Order their catalog cause they have all kinds of professional level safety equipment and they're easy and quick to deal with.
Sorry to hear about your injury. However, you got off light. One day, I was standing next to a Telephone company engineer watching a backhoe bash an asphalt street surface with his bucket, to start a cut. Guy yells and claps his hands over his face and sits down on the ground. Managed to pry his hands away, and there's a thumbnail sized piece of metal stuck dead center in his eye. We got him over to the truck, put some wet paper towels on it, and radioed for an ambulance (before cell phones). He lost the eye.
Wear the glasses ALL the time....
Bummer!
Results sounds like snow blindness. Had that on Mt. Rainer (some time back). Pontocaine opthalmic ointment did the trick.
The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.