Fall weather is here and with cooler temperatures comes the list of chores needing to be done before snow begins falling. October is Eye Injury Prevention Month and a good time to be reminded to protect your eyes as you work around the home. Almost 2.5 million people experience eye injuries each year and nearly half of these injuries occur in the home and result in some degree of vision loss. Here are a few tips to consider:

• Keep a pair of ANSI-approved protective eyewear in your home to use when doing projects or repairs that have the potential of causing an eye injury from flying fragments, fumes, sparks or splashing chemicals. ANSI-approved protective eyewear can be purchased from most hardware stores and has a “Z87” placed on the eyewear. These are not approved for use when playing sports.
• When using chemical sprayers, read the instructions carefully and be sure to point the spray nozzle away from you. Know how to flush chemicals from your eye just in case.
• In the garage, protect your eyes from battery acid or any sparks caused from damaged or improperly jump-started auto batteries. It’s a good idea to keep an extra pair of protective eyewear in the trunk of your car in case you need to jump-start a vehicle when you are away from home.
• ALWAYS wear the proper protective eyewear when welding. Be sure the eyewear is designed for welding.
• In the garden/yard, wear protective eyewear when using a lawnmower, trimmer or edger.
• ALWAYS wear protective eyewear when playing sports such as hockey, racquetball, paintball or any sport that has the potential of causing eye injury. Protective eyewear can prevent sports-related eye injuries at least 90% of the time.
• Wear sunglasses that block UV rays or wear broad-brimmed hats to protect your eyes from sun glare while boating, sunbathing, fishing, or skiing.
• Be a good role model for children by wearing the proper eye protection yourself and helping them to use it properly.
• Help children understand the potential hazards of sharp or pointed objects. Teach them that flying toys should never be pointed at another person.
• ALWAYS use caution when working with fires or fireworks.