Each year in the United States, thousands of people are blinded from eye injuries in the workplace. With the proper use of protective eyewear, up to 90 percent of these injuries can be prevented. Find out more about common causes of eye injuries in the workplace and what you can do to prevent them.

Common causes of workplace eye injuries include:

• Impact. Flying particles or falling objects — such as plastic bits or metal flakes — hit your eye, resulting in a puncture, scratch or bruise.
• Dust. A dusty job task, such as sanding woodwork or buffing a floor, causes dust and grit to fly into your eye, resulting in irritation or scratches. Dust and grit may be especially hazardous to people who wear contact lenses.
• Chemicals. Direct contact of chemicals in your eye can result in serious damage, such as a burn to the surface of your eye. Liquid chemicals can splash into your eyes, but you can also become injured from harmful chemical vapors, mists or fumes.
• Heat. Being exposed to high temperatures, molten metal or hot sparks poses a potential burn hazard to your eyes.
• Optical radiation. Unprotected exposure to the intense light of a welding torch, a laser or any other such device can result in retinal burns, cataracts and permanent loss of vision.

It's important that you wear eye protection any time you're exposed to a potentially hazardous situation. Different situations require different types of protective eyewear. The main types of protective eyewear are safety glasses, safety goggles and face shields.

• Safety glasses. Safety glasses may resemble regular eyeglasses, but the lenses are more durable and provide better protection against flying debris. If you have a vision problem, you can use specially made safety glasses that have corrective lenses.
• Safety goggles. Safety goggles fit snugly around your eyes and offer an extra level of protection beyond safety glasses. Safety goggles are available in several different styles — some are made of firm plastic, and others are made of flexible rubber. If you have a vision problem, you can wear your eyeglasses underneath some types of safety goggles. Other specially made safety goggles may have corrective lenses mounted behind the protective lenses.
• Face shields. Face shields cover your entire face. Some hard hats and helmets have a face shield attached to them. If you wear eyeglasses, you can wear them beneath the face shield. Face shields are a secondary line of defense — you'll need to wear safety glasses or goggles besides the face shield.

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Protective eyewear Safety glasses, safety goggles and a face shield help protect your eyes ... << ENLARGE

In addition to these devices, specially filtered helmets or goggles are available that provide an extra level of protection for people who are welders or who work with lasers. These filtered devices shade your eyes from the intensity of ultrabright light.

If your job carries a known risk of eye injury, federal law requires your employer to provide you with protective eyewear. This eyewear must meet the following criteria:

• Provide ample protection against job-specific hazards, such as flying debris or radiation from light sources
• Fit snugly without inhibiting movement or vision
• Be reasonably comfortable
• Be strong and durable
• Be easily cleanable and capable of being disinfected

So what type of protective eyewear should you use to prevent injuries that can happen on the job? The hazards you're exposed to determine what you need for optimal protection:

Look for eyewear with "Z87" marked somewhere on the lens or frame. This denotes the seal of approval from the American National Standards Institute — the group that sets the criteria for safety glasses and goggles.

If an eye injury occurs, see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible or go to an urgent care center or hospital emergency room. The full extent of the damage isn't always apparent. Even a seemingly minor injury may cause permanent eye damage if it isn't treated. Knowing what to do immediately after the injury may help prevent further damage.