Season Eye In the kitchen.
You’re likely to spend more time in the kitchen with family and friends. People scurrying about can distract you. Be careful of spitting sauces, bubbling pots and splattering grease. Burns to the eyes and the surrounding tissue and be painful and sight threatening. If you won’t wear safety glasses, at least use lids from pans to protect you and others from splattering liquids.
Fogged glasses from opening a hot oven door can lead to burns or missteps and falls. There are products that you can apply to lenses to lessen fogging. But, at lease be patient and wait for your lenses to clear before you move that turkey, ham, goose [fill in the blank] across the room.
In pursuit of a clean home
Manny cleaning solutions are caustic. They can inflict chemical burns on your eyeball and the surrounding tissue. These chemicals are very dangerous. Anything in a spray bottle, or an aerosol can lingers in the air, creating an unexpected hazard. You really should wear cover goggles when using these products around the house.
In the living room
Holiday trees, wreaths and kissing balls contain evergreen branches. After being cut soft needles dry and harden becoming sharp and stiff. Getting too close can cause severe abrasions and painful lacerations to an unprotected eye. A stick in the eye, at best hurts like the dickens, at worst, it can lead to blindness. Think about wearing a pair of polycarbonate wrap around safety glasses. You should wear your glasses rather than contact lenses for decorating trees or wreaths. If that’s too much for you, just be careful.
In Gift giving
Age should always be considered with gift giving. Age-appropriate gifts are designed to prevent injury. Sharp edges and protruding parts are a hazard for everyone, especially youngsters in the excitement of the holiday spirit. Look at your potential purchase and think about the maturity of the child its intended for and buy accordingly.
Toys that launch projectiles should be reserved for older, mature and responsible children. Starting with foam projectiles and advancing through airsoft (hard rubber balls) to BB Guns (small steel balls). Most importantly, be proactive, supervise and engage in your child’s play.
In celebration at the Company Party
A bottle of champagne has more confined pressure than the tires on your car. When released that pressure can launch a cork as far as forty feet. Don’t let your eye get in its trajectory. Wrap a small towel over the bottle, hold the cork and twist the bottle gently (that’s what the vineyards recommend). It may not be as much fun but its far safer.
The very best eye protection for anyone is perceptual awareness. Be aware of imminent dangers and be careful to prevent injury. Kids need to have new and exciting experiences. The real key to child eye safety is active parental involvement. And, by all means, join in their fun! Have a safe and happy holiday season!
If anyone experiences an eye injury, they should seek immediate medical attention.
