Eye injury – something in your eye? Don’t ignore it!

Eye injuries on the farm: What you need to know

Working on the land means you’re often exposed to dust, dirt, chemicals, metal, grain and machinery. All of these can lead to serious eye injuries, especially when you’re welding, grinding, fencing, spraying or working with animals. 

Between 2010 and 2015, agriculture, forestry and fishing were the second highest industry for work-related eye injuries in Australia. That’s a lot of farmers, fishers and forestry workers getting hurt on the job (AIHW, 2017). 

What is a foreign body in the eye? 

A foreign body is anything that gets into your eye and doesn’t belong there – like: 

• Wood chips, grain dust, or hay.
• Metal shavings from grinding.
• Insects, animal hair or wool fibres. 
• Sand, dirt or seeds. 
• Chemicals from spraying or cleaning.
• UV radiation from welding or long hours in the sun without protection. 

Even a tiny speck can cause big damage. Eyes are also highly vascular and will absorb chemicals into the bloodstream more rapidly than when splashed on the skin. 

Symptoms include pain, burning, irritation, a scratchy feeling, blurred vision, loss of vision, sensitivity to bright lights, bleeding into the white of the eye and a feeling that something’s still in it.  

What to do if you get something in your eye 

• DON’T rub it! It could scratch your eye or push the object in deeper. 
• Flush your eye straight away with clean water (from a tap, hose, or bottle) for at least 15 minutes. 
• If it doesn’t come out: 
  • Loosely cover the eye with a clean pad or cloth. 
  • Get medical help straight away – go to the GP, urgent care centre or clinic, or nearest Emergency Department. 

Do not try to remove the object yourself. You might make it worse. 

Complications with eye injuries

• Infection and scarring – if the foreign body is not removed from your eye, it may lead to infection and scarring. 
• Corneal scratches or abrasions – a foreign body may scratch the cornea, which is the clear membrane on the front of the eye. 
• Eye ulcer – sometimes a scratch on the cornea doesn’t heal and an eye (ulcer) may form in its place. This could affect your vision or lead to an abscess. 
• Penetrating eye injury – sometimes a projectile object (for example, a piece of metal from angle grinding) can pierce the eye and enter the eyeball, causing serious injury and even blindness. 

What causes eye injuries on farms? 

• Flying particles – metal, grain, wood chips, insects, hay. 
• Chemical splashes from spraying or cleaning. 
• Poor personal protective equipment (PPE) or no PPE.
• Rushing jobs, working tired, and not doing risk checks. 

Farm kids and eye safety 

Children on farms are often around workshops, machinery, animals and even chemicals. They may be helping or copying adults, or be nearby when you’re using tools and equipment. 

Eye injuries in kids can happen when: 

• Playing with sticks, wire, or tools. 
• Riding horses or motorbikes without eye protection. 
• Watching welding without a proper mask. 
• Getting chemicals in their eyes during cleaning or spraying or washing animals. 

When it comes to farm kids and eye safety, remember:

• Always keep chemicals and tools out of reach. 
• Make sure children wear sunglasses and safety glasses when appropriate. 
• Teach children not to rub their eyes and to tell an adult straight away if they hurt their eye. 

Prevention is better than a trip to emergency 

• Assess the job – is there a risk to your eyes?
• Eliminate or change the task if it’s too risky.
• Always wear Australian Standard safety glasses (with UV protection) and side protection.
• Use a proper welder’s mask when welding.
• Keep all PPE clean, dry and in good condition.
• Have your eyes checked every two years by an optometrist.
• Keep eyewash bottles handy in the shed and ute.

Find out more about this topic on Better Health Channel.

Fast facts:

• If you get something in your eye, don’t rub it as it may cause more damage. 
• Flush your eye out with clean water or eyewash for 15 minutes. 
• If it doesn’t come out, cover the eye with a loose pad and get medical help.
• Do NOT try to remove it yourself. 
• Act fast – this can save your sight.