OCR Text |
Show Eye Hazards in Factories I . Two Hundred Thousand Accidents Acci-dents to Eyes of Workmen Occur Oc-cur Each Year in Industries. New York. Two hundred thousand accidents to the eyes of workmen occur oc-cur in Industry each year, and approximately ap-proximately 16 per cent of the total blind population of the country, or 15,000, represent the industrial blind. These are two of the facts developed devel-oped In an Investigation of the eye hazards of Industrial occupations which was conducted last year by the v national committee for the prevention of blindness. The study covered every state In the Union and every Industrial occuimtlon in which there Is an accident ac-cident hazard. The report points out that much already al-ready lias been accomplished toward alleviation of the eye accident problem prob-lem In Industry, but all this Is merely a beginning. Many Hazards Existing. "There are stllL countless . plant! whose operatloos present serious eye hazards, in which no goggles or other protective equipment are available. There are many plants where workmen work-men still keep goggles in their pockets pock-ets except when they are watched. There are still plants In which toothpicks, tooth-picks, matches, handkerchiefs, pocket knives, and even the tongues of workmen, work-men, are the Instruments employed to remove cinders and other particles from the eyes of fellow workers." Industrial accidents, the report says, are responsible for an Injury to a human eye every two and one-half minutes, day and night, 866 days a year. "The solution of this problem," the report says, "depends upon three forces: Legislation, education and actual ac-tual accident prevention service to industry. in-dustry. Suggestions Are Made. It makes the following general statements: state-ments: 1. The elimination of eye hazards in Industry is not only a moral obligation, obliga-tion, but a good business proposition. 2. Goggles at best are a handicap; the first effort, therefore, should be directed toward the elimination of the hazard Itself by changing the processes proc-esses of manufacture, by redesigning machines and tools, or by guarding machines and tools at the source of nci'ldents, usually the point of operation. opera-tion. 8. Few people have perfect vision to start with ; greater attention should, therefore, be given to the examination examina-tion of the eyes of employees, to the correction of defective vision of In-duKtrlal In-duKtrlal workers and to a considers-i considers-i tlon of the condition of the eyes ot ' the Individual worker with relation to I the visual requirements of the work that he Is to do. |