Assumptions may save time, but they can prove disastrous. Here are some assumptions that can leave you permanently blind.
- “If you rub out something that’s in your eye, you’ll feel better.” Rubbing your eye is one way to drive a foreign object deep into the retina and permanently injure it.
- “Safety glasses protect your eyes.” That’s a good assumption if safety glasses are the correct eye protection for the situation (e.g., not a splash environment) and you are wearing them correctly.
- “Your eyes are safe without eye protection if you’re not in your work area or work hasn’t yet started.” There may be many hazards on your way to your work area. Once you enter the production area or construction zone, your eyes are at risk. And it doesn’t matter what time of day it is.
- “You’re using only a small amount of caustic, so it’s silly to wear the goggles the Safety Datasheet (SDS) calls for.” Get one drop of caustic in your eye, and you’ll wish you’d had those goggles on.
