Building Strong Families October 2015 Volume 9 Issue 2 Safety Glasses Make Sense around the Yard – and Are Stylish, Too With fall yard cleanup chores approaching, now is a good time to think about protecting your eyes while raking leaves and taking care of other tasks around the home. Most people associate safety glasses and other forms of eye protection with working in a shop or using power tools, but yard work can be dangerous to eyes, too. Just a few dollars spent on a pair of safety glasses may make the difference between spending a beautiful fall afternoon in your yard or making a trip to the hospital. Although it should go without saying, safety glasses are a must when using powered lawn and garden equipment like string trimmers or blowers, or anything else than involves flying particles. Your eyes are no match for a high-speed piece of grass, leaves or soil. However, doing simple hand work in the yard can be risky to your eyes as well and here is where people often forget about eye protection. When you are focusing on getting those leaves out from beneath a tree, you may not be aware of low branches that can poke you in the eye and cause a serious injury. You may reach down near some bushes or other plants to pick up some leaves, twigs or trash and get a branch or shrubbery needles in the eye. You might be cleaning up dead stalks from a flower bed and catch one in the eye. There are many things in the yard and garden that can poke you in the eye, and while you might be aware of them, it is at the very moment when you are concentrating on something else that you get caught by surprise. It is an expensive mistake to make. The nice thing about modern safety glasses is that they can be quite stylish. Manufacturers realize that people want to wear something safe that also looks good and fits comfortably, so they offer a large variety of shapes, styles and colors. Most hardware, home improvement and farm supply stores will have a basic selection. If you go online and look at the catalogs of suppliers of personal protective equipment, such as safety glasses, you may be surprised at the choices available, including tinted safety glasses for sunny days. There is something for everyone, and as important and delicate as your eyes are, there is no excuse for not protecting them when working in the yard.
With JOY,
Extension Agent for FCS
Cooperative Extension Service Hickman County 329 James H. Phillips Dr. Clinton, KY 42031 (270) 653-2231 Fax: (270) 653-4754 www.ca.uky.edu/ces
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