Eye Protection

Eye exposure to cold temperatures, wind, and intense glare caused by snow can lead to a variety of injuries. These injuries can cause extreme eye pain, blurred, decreased, or double vision, sensitivity to light, and vision loss.

Overexposure to glare can cause snowblindness, which is a corneal injury that leads to redness, swelling, or dry, scratchy eyes. Wind can blow debris and snow into the eyes, and in combination with cold temperatures, can exacerbate eye dryness, discomfort, and injury.

Therefore, it is important to protect workers' eyes from cold conditions. Employees working in cold outdoor environments should wear goggles because they form a seal around the face and are effective at keeping wind, snow, and other debris out of the eyes. However, keep in mind that the plastic and rubber used in traditional safety goggles may become rigid and uncomfortable in cold conditions. Goggles manufactured for winter safety have soft, dense foam around the face and have anti-fogging properties. To protect from glare, choose goggles with tinted lenses and UV protection.

To learn more about Cold Stress Safety visit our Cold Stress, Illness & Injury Safety Online Training web page.