Eye Injuries & Farming
Flash
Burns
If you are exposed
to welding arcs without wearing APPROPRIATE EYE PROTECTION you are at risk of
burns to the eyes. This is often called
flash burns.
Signs &
Symptoms
·
Eye feels gritty
·
Sensitive to light
·
Redness &
swelling
These signs may not occur for 4-12
hours after exposure to welding arc.
First Aid
If this occurs,
keeping your eyes closed may avoid irritation. Irrigate both eyes with cooled
boiled water or sterile saline solution. You should stay indoors and wear dark glasses
or even cover both eyes with eye pads. Flash burns are often self-healing, but there may be two injuries eg flash burn and
embedded foreign body. Flash burn usually get better in a few days, if persist
you should seek medical treatment
as soon as possible, certainly immediately if there is any reduction in
vision.
Treatment and Care
Your treatment will
vary depending on the severity of the burns. You may require accident and
emergency care, one application of local anaesthetic eye drops to dilate your
pupils or you may require admission to hospital.
After
treatment it may take several hours for your pupils to constrict.
If possible, stay indoors and continue
to wear dark glasses and avoid any further welding for two to three days to
prevent further episodes. For pain relief consider taking Panadeine or other
recommended analgesics as directed. If
pain persists please return to your doctor for review.
Wear your eye pad for...
..............................................……………………………......
Apply .........................................……………..........
a day for.........……………….....
Date...............................................
GPs promoting a healthier farming future
Prepared by
SA Farm Injury Project with the assistance
of Dr. Trevor
Hodson, Mount Gambier Eye Centre