safety glasses...penny wise, pound foolish

[che]

I've been wearing my normal progressive bifocal glasses (very stylish they told me, on the small side) as safety glasses. I looked into buying a mono-vision pair last fall I think it was, but the guy at Walmart was a putz and they would end up costing about $40....so I put it off again.

I was cutting up a dead locust yesterday (fell on a fence, good timing....just ran out of firewood) and a few hours later ended up at the eye doctor.

Pretty easy....a few numbing drops, instant relief and then he took the little piece of 'sawdust' out that was imbedded under my eyelid...but not before it had scratched my eye slightly.

Even with insurance, cost me $20 for the visit. The drops (that sting and I need to put in 4x daily for a couple days) added another $20....again, even with insurance.

Note to self: Quit being cheap/lazy....get real safety glasses...use them. duh

 

[mboln52000]

I had a similar experience when i was about 16 or so, using a grinder without glasses. Got a piece of metal embedded in my eye, and i am not sure exactly how the eye doc removed it, (couldnt see him), but it felt like they drilled it out!

So now, anytime i am sawing, cutting metal, sharpening chains, splitting wood (steel wedges, not wussy hydraulics), or any power tool that generates a chip, i wear them.

I wear them also stacking brush, cleaning out fencerows, cutting out old fence, etc. Not that i am a real safety freak, but i am concearned about my eyes. I can live with out a finger, toes, left side of my brain, but i really need that vision!

 

[scottr]

Eye Protection

Che , with the frustration of limbs pulling off your glasses and hitting your head a good eye and head protection system is probably in order. There are some nice light weight safety glasses that will fit over your regular glasses but limbs sling them off easier.

 

[che]

I hate glasses. Period. The kicker was....I was supposed to pick up some contacts to try that afternoon...this will add a few days onto that.

I've been trying to wear contacts for about four years now....never can get to the point of actually SEEING with them. My husband...six years younger than me...just last month had to go straight into bifocals. Hated them as much as I do. He tried on contacts and they worked immediately. :angry2: THIS time I will MAKE it work and then just go to a pair of everyday safety glasses....I hope.

I did a bit more work on some trees this morning....with my safety glasses.

 

[jokers]

Hi Che,

I`m sorry to hear of your eye injury. May you have a speedy recovery.

If the doctor gave you any eye salve type stuff, I would strongly recommend it also. It helps keep your eye moist to help it heal without stretching and it also keeps your eyelid from sticking to the wounded area which will continue to renew the injury.

Take care,

Russ

 

[che]

Thanks Festus,

It's more of a wake up call than a significant 'injury'. I've known all this time what I was doing was stupid....but I was getting away with it.............kinda.

I did get one of those big plastic face shield thingee's to use with the DR trimmer last summer....after getting a nice chunk of pokeweed in my eye. Soft enough to just HURT, not cut.

I guess I'd just like to announce to those doing what I've been doing that it's NOT ok...and we will get 'caught'....I just got lucky.

 

[jokers]

Originally posted by che
Thanks Festus,

Et tu, Che?

Russ

 

[tawilson]

Slightly off the thread topic maybe, but I just read in the paper about a new type of contact, you wear it at night and it corrects your vision so you don't need glasses or contacts. Some people need to put them in every other night, some people only need to use them every couple of weeks.
And, back on topic, I'm anal about (among other things) wearing my headgear. As a former tinknocker, I've had my share of ringing ears from hammering duct together and trips to the eye doctor/ emergency room for metal from the eye removal and want to save what I gots left. I'm also trying to get a respirator into the act, but I haven't found one local that will fit under my shield, just the paper ones with the valve. I've found some online that look like they will work.

 

[jokers]

Tom,

Have you checked weldor`s respirators? They are made to go under your hood.

Russ

 

[che]

Tom,

Now that you mention it...I've heard of that. I should check it out, thanks!

What is it that you're doing that you want to wear a respirator?

 

[tawilson]

Running a chainsaw. I have allergies to dust, including wood dust and pollen, so I've started shots, but they won't help for at least 6 months. Even then, I want keep as much crap, including saw exhaust out of my lungs as possible. Jokers, good idea about welders respirators, I'll check them out.

 

[glens]

Just get an SCBA and you'll have the eye protection as well as clean air.  Or forego the air cylinder and use a full-face respirator.

Che, you just didn't squint real hard fast enough, don't let it get you down.  We all slip up once in a while.  I hate having a sore thumb of the eye.

Glen

 

[tony marks]

safty glasses yep.. i was mixing up a batch of mortor back when i ws a kid workin for a mason.. all of a sudden ,,what seemed like a half pound of the stuff hit me in the eye. spent two wks,, with fluids running over my eye ,,laying in the hospital. . as most know mortor got lye in it.. couldnt even see the pretty nurses. ill never forget one tho.. dont know how she looked but she shore sounded pretty..
hope all goes well che

 

[Gypo Logger]

Hi Che, on the good side of the "chip in the eye" thing, the eye is a very strong muscle indeed. Since I have been cutting wood, I have had at least a full cord of chips lodged in there somewhere.
When the metal face screen mesh of those hat-screen combos were in vogue, I fell against a Lodgepole Pine and a dead branch entered the screen and got a metal sliver in my eye. It hurt alot to look at the sun after that for a few days.
Anyway, stop being a big baby Che, and learn how to squint. LOL
John

 

[che]

John, as sympathetic as always. I may be a big baby....but I think I've earned the right to whine after this past week (groan)....the eye thing was actually pretty easy. Really didn't bother me at all afterwards (except for those drops...took my breathe away they hurt so bad that first day...whine...whine...whine.) Sounds like you've had your share of luck. I've just taken 'find mesh screen' off the to-do list. eouwww!

I've done my share of squinting (and knowing I'm going to get caught)...maybe I need to go to a lighter grade of mascara...I think my lashes must have been weighted down or something when this happened. I mean they do act like kinda a mesh of sorts if you do it right.

Tony...that sounds really horrible. You were really lucky to be able to keep your sight. Sorry you didn't get your eye candy that visit.

I tried contacts again today....as long as I only want to see between 16" and 5' away....they'll do fine. I need to remember to ask about those other type where you wear them at night.

(BTW Russ....no offense intended at all, Festus was my favorite )