A population-based study of chemical eye injury in the chemical industry is reported. In a population of 62839 workers studied for one month (approximately 10 million man-hours), 60 eye injuries (45.1 per cent of all eye injuries) were caused by chemicals (eye injury incidence 11.4 per 1000 employees per year). Six patients (10 per cent) required hospital attention. No sight-threatening injuries occurred. Health workers within the industry have recognized that most of these injuries are avoidable. Eye protectors were not a requirement in some situations where injury occurred (one-third of injuries), were not used where specified in some cases, and in others failed to prevent injury even when worn. This low incidence of injury can be reduced further by appropriate selection and wear of protectors, by education and by legislation.
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