Should you wear safety glasses when you perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)? Absolutely!
With safety glasses at your disposal, you’ll be able to reduce the risk of bloodborne pathogens or other harmful particles or liquids from getting into your eyes. Plus, safety glasses are portable and easy to use, making them exceedingly valuable for emergency responders across the United States.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) points out that nearly 2,000 U.S. workers suffer eye-related job injuries annually. However, the NIOSH also notes that wearing the right eye protection may help workers reduce the severity of eye injuries or prevent up to 90 percent of these problems. Thus, safety glasses can make a world of difference for medical personnel, particularly for emergency responders who may be required to administer CPR on a day-to-day basis.
Safety Glasses: A Practical Example
To better understand the need for eye protection for emergency responders, let’s consider a real world example:
It’s the late evening and the call comes in. It’s a full arrest. A full arrest means that someone has stopped breathing, have no pulse, and needs CPR. We jump on the fire engine and scream down the street, horn blaring, lights flashing to the house. As we run up the stairs to the back bedroom we see her – an older woman being held in the arms of her husband. He’s crying and she’s very pale. Not good.
We quickly get to work and start CPR. Paramedics are trying to get an IV started so that we can give her drugs to restart her heart, but her veins are very small and tough to stick. I’m counting out loud, “24, 25, 26, 27…” as I compress her chest to help her blood circulate.
“I can’t get it,” one of the medics says, talking about the veins in the woman’s arm, “I’m going to have to try the jugular.” As he sticks the needle in, blood sprays from the puncture site into his mouth and eyes. I see tiny red droplets splatter onto my safety glasses…
Safety glasses can save your life. Unfortunately, they only can save you if you wear them! Let the above story be a lesson to you if you work in healthcare, or just attend a First Aid or CPR class. There are many bloodborne pathogens that still have no cure: HIV and Hepatitis C are two nasty ones. Make it a habit and wear them every time you perform CPR or First Aid. This is definitely something that should be stressed during your CPR training.
How to Choose the Right Safety Glasses
Safety glasses come in a variety of sizes and styles, but all of these glasses share a common purpose: to protect your eyes against myriad dangers.
To find the right safety glasses, you’ll want to evaluate safety glasses that can offer full eye protection. By doing so, you’ll be better equipped to find safety glasses to protect your eyes against dangerous particles, liquids and other substances day after day.
Also, you should ensure that your safety glasses do not obstruct your vision and enable you to see a victim as you perform CPR. Your eye protection should be strong and durable too, and as such, must be built to withstand the rigors of your everyday work tasks.
Learn More About Safety Glasses Thanks to SureFire CPR
At SureFire CPR of Southern California, we take pride in teaching students everything they need to know about CPR. We’ll even show you how to wear safety glasses properly and ensure that you can protect your eyes against a wide range of dangers.
Lastly, we employ experienced instructors who understand the challenges associated with performing CPR. These teachers will go above and beyond the call of duty to guarantee that you can address and overcome CPR challenges and are able to administer CPR quickly and efficiently.
Sign up for a CPR class from SureFire CPR today! To learn more about our course offerings, please contact us at (888) 277-3143.
