So what did I get to do on my day off? sit in the E.R. . and i wont put any gross pics up, it started out as a 5 min job that turned into a 3hour trip in the hospital. carbide taps and drill bits dont mix. one good thing out of this was a tetnus shot that was long over due and scraping on the eye ball is no. just a friendly reminder to all of us to put those glasses on. i got lucky and no real lasting damage.
I have a pair of safety glasses with a 2" long sliver of steel thrown thrown halfway through the left lens. It stopped so close to my eye that blinking scratched my eyelid. Its a stainless steel wire from a wire wheel. ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY GLASSES.
My brother is 1 eye short as a result of a piece of metal off a wedge while cutting down a tree. At our work ( Bell) it can result in a day in the park ( day off ) if found with out you glasses on.
As finicky as I am about safety equipment in my shop at home you would think I work for OSHA. I worked as a machinist for 15 years and still have all my digits, both eyes and can still hear my wife whisper sweet nothings in my ears. I have commercial size fire extinguishers, hearing protection, face shields, extra safety glasses, leather gloves and nitrile gloves all in the shop. And now that I read the post about Mr Green's friend and the trouble light I am going shopping for new lights for the shop. I just got an emergency exit light/sign to put up by the front door in case we lose power or something similar because we don't have windows. I nearly fell over some parts my son left on the floor when the power went off a while back. I want to be around a long time and still driving in my early 90s like a friend of my dads.
they key to keeping your eyes is having a bunch of safety glasses all over the shop. Try to have a pair on every eye damaging machine. they all have cords on them, if I am doing a lot of on and off I keep a pair hung around my neck. it's the one time where you only need to wire wheel a speck of rust off that will get you if the glasses are not right there.
if you have ever had the pleasure of having a piece of wire wheel removed from your eye wearing eye protection is a no brainer. they start with a large needle and......
Last night a friendly piece of metal shaving made it past safety glasses and face shield. Now how does that happen. Luckily I ran stright to the bath room and held my eye lid open without rubbbing it. Thank god it came out without much trouble. glad you are okay.
Amen to the safety glasses--due to wearing glasses, I have to use the goggle type over them--have at least 4 pairs hanging around on powered tools. Back in the 60's I was working up on a pole and it was dark and overcast--had on safety glsses but could not see well due to conditions. Slid them down to see and hit a fence type staple with a hammer that bounced out and went into my left eye. Had to climb down the pole this way and it was 2 hrs to a hospital. Touch and go for about 3 weeks to see if eye would be lost and 8 months before it was semi normal--still not normal by a long shot. Taught me a valuable lesson the hard way. I get after anyone I see doing anything that can remotely cause damage without eye protection.
Currently my right eye is irrtated. I can't see anythign in it (and neither can the old lady) but I certainly did something. Was grinding on the car all day WITH safety glasses. No problems. I think I washed something INTO my eyes taking a shower after. Thought it was soap so I rubbed - current theory is I scratched my eye and that's what is irritated - chunk of "stuff" is long gone. If it's not better by tomorrow morning OR starts to get worse I'm going to the doctor. I fucking hate doctors.
I've got seven face shields around the shop. One at every grinder and a couple at the two fab stations. I wear glasses so I've got the safety glasses on all of the time. With all of this, in 64 years, I've still managed to take a few trips to the emergencey room to have small fragments removed from my eyes. Lesson being, you can NEVER be too careful. Frank
Ironic this thread should come up? This past weekend,our family was moving my Mother and my cousin refused safety glasses three times while working with metal/wood. He endured the foreign matter in his eye for the ride to the off-load spot(he and I rode in his 40 Ford Hot Rod!) then,conceded to a hospital visit. Maybe this is a timely reminder for us all?!
I was stupid last week and just for literally a second didnt have em on (they were down a bit like Ben Franklin glasses haha). Yep, got a sliver in. Damn. Showered, couldnt get it out. At the bar later that night tearing out of one eye sporatically it came out. Finally. Promplty got new glasses via a very very good friend. Always use em. I also got some new Ipod headphones, the surround sound type or some shit, has the rubber on the ends. Can keep my ipod on at a low level and it works like a sound deadener very very well. I hate loud tools.
Its not just machines flinging metal. Chemicals like battery acid and paint stripper can splash up, and we often only wear the glasses around machines.
Somehow through a miracle I had a little sharp bit of metal get in my eye when working under a POS we sold with a grinder - the car had had the left front spindle removed by torch and I had to adapt a year newer A-arm setup to it to make it roll - anyhow, it bothered me a couple days and I slept facing down and felt it fall out that night. That's the miracle part. I saw a doctor but she couldn't find anything in there, and it stopped bothering me shortly after. Next trip out to work on cars I stopped and bought 3 pair of safety glasses.
So any good recommendations for good, comfortable, and effective safety glasses (or ones to avoid)? I have a couple of pairs of these: ...and I hate 'em...and because I hate 'em, they rarely get used. I wear prescription eyeglasses, and that has saved my bacon a couple of times, but...I shouldn't press my luck.
I got a pet peeve about safety glasses ever since I saw the dreaded "Eye Video" in shop class back in junior high. What really bugs me is reading the tech articles in magazines and it shows these "cool" master fabricators chopping tops and grinding welds ALL THE TIME with no eye or ear protection. A lot of our favorite mags are guiulty of this, but it seems Rod & Custom is a lot better about it than most. I wish there were a way to make these "cool" guys look even cooler sitting in the emergenncy room. I wouldn't wish harm on anyone, but a lot of these guys are heros to a lot of aspiring fabricators - it's a shame they can't lead by example. Here's lookin' at you, kid.
now thats the question right there those goggles suck because they get steamed up and they hurt my face is ther anything thats comfy and givessealed protection (for your eyes)
I have taken to wearing these contraptions made By Jackon Safety- They're called "The Shield".They look like a paintball mask. Cool thing is, they come in 2 styles- clear, and dark,dark green-for use while using a cutting torch. They kick ass. I can also say I have almost forgotten what 40 plus year old grease tastes like. smaller (much smaller) than a full face shield, but has the same coverage, and more comfortable than safety glasses. plus it's near impossible to forget them and find Yourself wearing them to lunch.
Find some of those newer shop glasses that look like high dollar sunglasses. They curve around to the side of your face and cover the eye very well. They're light, cheap, and work well. Some even fit over eyeglasses for those of us who need them.
Ahh yes, an infamous look I wear tight fitting safety glasses from Uvex. I wear them all the time when I am working with any power tool. Typically, I just put them on when I go in the garage and leave them on until I am done. You get used to them, and then they save your ass when you least expect it. I got Acetone on a pair at work the other day (and I'm an engineer - we aren't supposed to be doing any "real" work, sometimes those union guys just need to be shown... lol). It ruined the glasses, would have hated to see what it would have done to my eye had I not been wearing them. I've read enough horror stories here on the HAMB to know better. I don't take the safety shields off my 4.5" grinders either Oh yeah, in case anyone cares RE my post above - my eye feels fine now. Whew.
had a piece of rust in my eye in december. i fucked up and got lazy, didn't reach over to get my glasses cuz i thought it was just a quick grind. 3 or 4 weeks later i had a piece of metal slip underneath my safty glasses. what fucken luck...
Great subject guys.... Glad to see so many care about eye safety.... I might add that if possible and you have gotten something in your eye,, instead of going to the emergency room which cost an arm and a leg and not all E.R. Docs know how to remove stuff correctly,, Go if possible to an eye clinic or eye doctor....I have found after many years of our people that work for us in the Bridge Painting buisness ( grinders and needle guns ) and gettin shit in there eyes ( and we have tried every kind of eye Protection).......... That these clinics have it cost wise and eye injury knowledge way over the E.R. I might also add that most of our eye problems accure after the power tools are turned off,, when the guys are removing there head gear and eye protection..... dirt ,rust , metal , paint chips can fall from atop your head or from in your hair so bend over and brush off the top of your head before opening your eyes...... SEE YA !!! Big Dan
Thanks Big Dan and everyone! So what do you guys use for protection these days?! I've heard over and over on here that guys have gotten slivers with safety glasses + a face shield... truthfully I usually only wear one or the other. I was at harbor freight the other day and saw safety glasses on sale for .97 cents....then started thinking about wether I have .97 cent eyes or not... I gotta buy some more face shields! My experience with the ER has been less than stellar, and could've paid for a nice custom Merc for what it cost. Thanks for the heads up on going to an eye clinic! I need to write down the address of one and post it on a wall in the shop, and hope to g*d I never need it.
ive had hot sparks melted in my eye two times with glasses on!! I have tried every type of goggle on earth and the ones made by crews with the padding are the best, and cheep.
thanks for the heads up on the jackson safety face gear! the last TWO times i was in the doc's office i caught a small piece of shrapnel on the cornea. i was wearing glasses both times, the new style wrap arounds that hang low on the cheek...and somehow, the material got in behind the lenses. the doc thinks one piece bounced off my face and ricocheted off the inside of the glasses to strike my eyball... luckily both items were removed with simple instruments and required no drilling and left no permanent damage to my sight. i've been looking for a better solution to glasses/goggles/shields and i think this might be it.
Shit in the eye sucks!!! I had a piece of metal hit me in the eye from a rear end bracket I was grinding. I thought it came out but 2 days later when I couldn't even look at light without excruciating pain, I went to the doc and luckily he pulled it out of my eye. It was right in the center of my pupil which I could never do again if I tried, all he had to use were some precision tweezers and gave me some eye drops which dilated my pupil for about a week so I looked like a freak hahaha. Now I always wear the glasses!!!
Exactly! Last week I was putting paint stripper on my truck, and a blob splashed up and hit my sunglasses, melted the lens right away. Batteries explode when being charged, and many times the brake cleaner lid is not pointed the right way, or if it is, it hits a pocket of whatever you are spraying, and goes right in your eye. Gas always finds its way from the end of the hose to your eye. Its a magnet of sorts for every piece of dirt you ever drag off your shelf along with that box of parts. I got stabbed in the eye and it sucked. It does not hurt like little stuff in the outside layer, but the recovery takes forever. You only get two, try to save at least one!
I always thought I was ok because I wear glasses, that is until I got some metal in my eye and did not realize it until about 11pm and was going nuts like some sort of tweaker. After I got it removed I went to the store and got goggle with no holes, and they work great! Yeah they fog up every now and then but I just look at it as a break to inspect my work. Fogged up goggles is much better and less hassel than metal in my eyes.
I hear ya.. I spent 3 hrs at the e.r and they thought they got it out. next day eye shut with gunk so I went to the eye surgeon to have the famous needle treatment.. It was funny trying to have the bro's use a q tip across the eye without numb'n it.. try looking at something coming at ya without moving eye or blinking.. hah it was halarious.. until I saw the needle .. fuck that.. I now keep glasses thrown all over the garage and even an extra pair in my Hot rod.. who knows when you need em or a friend doesnt have a good new set..
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