Are Protective Glasses Necessary for Gardening?
DEC 22, 2011
Question:
My husband always uses protective eyewear when he's in his workshop, but now he's telling me that I should use it when I'm out working in the yard. Do I really need to have protective eyewear to do my gardening chores?
Answer:
Absolutely. You should always wear safety glasses when using garden tools or mowing. About 2.5 million eye injuries occur each year in the United States. Nearly half of these accidents occur in and around the home. The garden is a common place for injuries to occur. Mowing the lawn, using a line trimmer on weeds or trimming branches or shrubs can be dangerous without protective eyewear. The good news is that most injuries can be prevented. That's why the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that every household have at least one pair of ANSI-approved protective eyewear for use during household projects, such as gardening, that put your eyes as risk. If you do suffer an eye injury, even if it seems minor, you should see an ophthalmologist. Injuries can lead to vision loss and put you at higher risk for developing certain eye diseases, including glaucoma.