During the winter, individuals working in outdoor environments face a unique set of challenges to staying safe on the job. While basic precautions — such as wearing insulating layers, covering the head and hands, and blocking wind — may seem obvious, special attention should also be paid to the ways in which we protect workers’ eyes.
Eyes are vulnerable to the elements, and their exposure to extremely cold temperatures, wind and bright light poses a variety of hazards. Eye injuries resulting from exposure to extreme cold, for instance, range from pain and blurred, decreased or double vision, to severe sensitivity to light and even vision loss. Unprotected exposure to intense glare caused by snow can lead to photokeratitis, or snow blindness, a painful corneal condition. Plus, wind chill factors can exacerbate ocular dryness, discomfort and injury.