Thousands of children under the age of 6 are injured and sometimes blinded by accidents in the home every year. The good news is that more than 90 percent of these eye injuries are preventable with protective eyewear and by practicing eye safety in the home. The following rules should be carried out by every family member to avoid any eye injuries.
Keep Chemicals and Sprays Out Of Reach
According to Eye Smart, cleaning liquids cause around 125,000 eye injuries every year. You can keep young children safe by storing chemicals and sprays in a safe place, such as a locked cabinet.
Pick Safe Toys
Only let children play with toys suitable for their age, and avoid purchasing projectile items, such as bows and arrows, darts and shooting missiles, warns Eye Smart. If you’re unsure about the safety of a toy, look for the ASTM label, which indicates that the product meets the standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials.
Practice Safe Use with Potentially Dangerous Items
Even everyday items present a risk to children’s eye health. Always supervise children around paper clips, scissors, pencils, rubber bands, wire coat hangers and bungee cords. You should keep these objects out of reach when they’re not needed.
Avoid Accidents on the Stairs
Keep the stairs well-lit at all times and ensure the handrail is in easy reach for kids of all ages. If you have young children, your stairs should have safety gates at the top and bottom.
Make Cabinets Safe
Children are prone to bumps and falls, so be wary of sharp cabinet corners placed at eye level, which pose a danger to eye safety. Prevent Blindness National recommends padding any sharp edges to reduce the risk of accidents.
Keep Kids Away from Fireworks
Children should stay away from fireworks at all times, particularly bottle rockets, which are banned in several states due to a high risk of causing eye injuries.
Check out Real Kids’ collection of protective sunglasses to ensure children are safe at all times, both when they’re outside playing sports and indoors at home.