When an eye is injured by splashes or similar, immediate effective first aid treatment is needed. Sterisol Eye wash is one of the quickest and most reliable products:
- The eye is bathed in a continuous, steady flow
- One bottle lasts a long time
- Quickly into action - strike the protective cap firmly with your hand to brake the safety seal
- Easy to carry - for flushing injured eyes on the way to a fixed eye wash station or medical assistance
This is what to do
Hold your eyelids apart. Flush with the head tilted back. Position the bottle so the eyecup helps to keep your eyelids apart.
Positioning
The eyewash-stations must be in the immediate vicinity of hazardous work places. It is essential that the route to the eyewash is clear and free from obstacles. The injured person must be able to find the eyewash, perhaps with painful eyes and without being able to see. When alkaline and other corrosive substances are being handled, the eye wash station must be within immediate reach.
When a harmful substance gets into the eye, three things are vital:
- Start flushing immediately to prevent serious injury. Flush continuously, including on the way to a fixed eye wash facility or medical assistance.
- Flush for a long time. The length of time varies, depending on the substance in the eye. Let the doctor decide when to stop flushing. For that reason, always keep some extra bottles in reserve for flushing on the way to medical assistance.
- Often, you need both hands to hold your eyelids apart. So call for help immediately.
When placing an eye wash station, local conditions must be taken into consideration. Where are the most hazardous work places? What is the quickest route to an eye wash station? It is also important to identify the substances being worked with. Below is a small sample of the substances that can produce serious injury when in contact with the eye.
Injury from alkaline substances
Contact with alkaline substances - such as lye, caustic soda, ammonia, amines, quicklime and dishwasher detergent - can easily cause serious eye injury. They quickly penetrate deeply into the eye. Some alkalis, e.g. ammonia, have been found to penetrate inside the eye after just 25 seconds.
Without rapid flushing, the injuries can be extensive and lead to the loss of sight. An eye wash station should therefore be within immediate reach, and be easy to carry on the way to medical assistance.
Action
- Flush the eye immediately and continue doing so on the way to hospital
- Hold your eyelids wide apart during flushing, and let the doctor decide when to stop flushing
- Alkaline injuries must always be treated at an eye clinic
Injuries from acids and other irritants
Splashes of acid in the eye involve a risk of corrosive burns and scarring, resulting in impaired vision. Acid attacks the proteins in the cornea. These coagulate, and a protective barrier is formed. The barrier delays deeper penetration of the acid into the eye, but it is vital to flush the eye immediately.
Action
- Flush the eye immediately - holding your eyelids wide apart - and go to hospital for further treatment
- Flushing must be continuous on the way to medical assistance
- Let the doctor decide when to stop flushing
Mechanical injuries
Mechanical injuries are caused by foreign objects such as dust, filings and dirt. For example, metal filings cause pain and scarring, resulting in some impairment of vision.
Action
- Flush the eye immediately until the foreign object is removed
- If particles are caught in the eye, or if pain or irritation persists, make sure you flush thoroughly under the eyelid.