Eye Injuries Toolbox Talk

Eye injuries can happen quickly from flying debris, dust, metal shavings, concrete chips, chemicals, sparks, UV light, or pressurized air. Even a small particle in the eye can cause serious damage if workers rub it, delay flushing, or keep working without getting checked.

This talk focuses on recognizing eye injury risks, responding quickly, using eyewash correctly, protecting the injured eye, and knowing when medical help is needed.

Why This Matters

• Eye injuries can cause pain, infection, vision loss, or permanent damage.
• Chemicals, concrete slurry, solvents, and cleaners can keep damaging the eye until they are flushed out.
• Grinding, cutting, drilling, chipping, and overhead work can send particles past weak or missing eye protection.
• Workers may make the injury worse by rubbing the eye or trying to remove embedded material.
• Fast first aid and medical follow-up can protect the worker’s vision.

Common Hazards

• Dust, dirt, sawdust, insulation, drywall particles, and concrete powder blowing into the eye.
• Metal shavings, nails, wire, chips, splinters, glass, and masonry fragments from cutting or grinding.
• Chemical splashes from cleaners, fuels, acids, caustics, solvents, adhesives, and concrete products.
• Sparks, slag, welding arc flash, torch work, and reflected UV light.
• Using compressed air to clean clothing, tools, surfaces, or skin.
• Safety glasses that are scratched, loose, dirty, fogged, or the wrong type for the task.
• A worker removing eye protection for a quick task, cleanup, or inspection and getting hit by debris from another crew nearby.

Safety Checklist

Before Work Begins

• Identify tasks that require safety glasses, goggles, face shields, welding lenses, or chemical splash protection.
• Locate the nearest eyewash station, clean water source, first aid kit, phone, radio, and emergency contact list.
• Check that eyewash stations are clean, accessible, working, and not blocked by materials or equipment.
• Inspect eye and face protection for cracks, scratches, dirty lenses, poor fit, or missing side shields.
• Review chemical labels and safety data sheets before using products that can splash, burn, or irritate the eyes.

During Work

• Wear the required eye and face protection before starting the task and keep it on until the hazard is gone.
• Use goggles or a face shield when there is splash risk, heavy dust, overhead debris, or high-speed particles.
• If dust or a particle gets in the eye, do not rub it. Flush gently with clean water or eyewash.
• For chemical exposure, flush the eye immediately and continue flushing while medical help is contacted.
• Do not try to remove an embedded object from the eye. Cover and protect the eye and get emergency medical help.
• Report eye pain, blurred vision, light sensitivity, burning, bleeding, swelling, or continued irritation right away.
• Keep others clear of grinding, cutting, chipping, welding, blowing dust, or chemical splash areas.

Crew Talking Points

• What tasks today could create flying debris, dust, sparks, UV light, or chemical splash?
• Where is the nearest eyewash station or clean water source from today’s work area?
• What eye and face protection is required for grinding, cutting, drilling, chipping, welding, or chemical use?
• Who is trained to provide first aid and who will call for medical help if needed?
• What should workers do if something is stuck in the eye or chemicals splash into the eye?
• Speak up if eyewash is blocked, eye protection is missing, or nearby work could expose the crew to eye hazards.

Stop Work If

• A worker has chemicals, concrete slurry, fuel, solvent, or other hazardous material in the eye.
• An object is embedded in the eye or there is bleeding, severe pain, swelling, or vision change.
• Required eyewash, clean water, first aid supplies, or eye protection is missing or blocked.
• Grinding, cutting, chipping, welding, or overhead work is exposing workers without proper eye and face protection.
• The crew is unsure what chemical caused the exposure or what first aid steps are required.

Final Reminder

Protect your eyes before the task starts. If an injury happens, do not rub it, flush when needed, protect the eye, and get medical help for chemicals, embedded objects, or vision changes.