Cover you eyes

Just this afternoon I was out doing some pine removal from my woods.
Had dropped a 6", probably 30' tall tree.
Started bucking up the bottom to turn it into a brush pile, then knocked off the branches.
Shut the saw off and set it aside.
Reached down, grabbed a branch and the next thing was I saw something coming right at my face.
I was not quick enough, knocked my safety glasses flying and either the object (pine cone, knot of wood) or the glasses got me right in the left eye.



I have no idea what it was or how it happened. Maybe the branch I grabbed had tension on it and it launched something?

I do believe the glasses, even if thats what hit my eye, did help in deflecting or partially blocking/slowing whatever it was.

So, cover yer dam eyeballs.

 

Stinkin things happen soooo fast!

 

Dang Ed! That sucks. No permanent damage I hope. I learned why to wear safty glasses when I put a pair of dikes in my right eye about 12 years ago. Got super lucky. Learned my lesson.

 

It feels a bit weird, but I can see fine. No trouble putting in my contacts this morning either.
That eye has had previous damage.
Scratched it with a hand saw, long story, 1st day of 2nd grade summer vacation.

I still have no idea what it was. Grabbed a branch, next thing I saw something flying up at my face. It must have been the angle that caused it to send my glasses flying.

 

Sorry Ed. Thanks for sharing that.
Price of eyes are out of sight these days.

 

Yikes, could have been much worse, glad it wasn’t.
For about 9 months or so, during the recovery and healing period, I was known as the fruit roll up guy at my eye doctors office.
The serrated edge of a fruit roll up wrapper peeled off a piece of my cornea half the size of the iris.
Sutures were mentioned as well as drilling to get new cells to permanently adhere after that large of a piece had been severed off. Thankfully none of that was needed.
Worst pain I’ve ever experienced.

 

I'd say that if your safety glasses went flying, it's probably a good bet that they did their job and prevented a much more serious injury to your eye. Sorry it happened, glad you were wearing the PPE and the injury appears to be relatively minor.

 

I try to always wear something over my eyes but have still been poked from time to time by some pesky sticks. Usually I wear safety glasses but last weekend I was limbing and bucking a tree on the ground while wearing a Husqvarna helmet with the face shield down. A small chunk of wood shot up into my eye. It seemed like it came through the mesh shield but it could have come under it. It hurt but I didn’t think too much of it. Went home an hour or two lately and realized the piece of wood was still in my eye. It was in there pretty good, couldn’t get it out of there with my finger, had to eventually use some tweezers to get a hold of it and pull it out. It was sore for a couple days but seems to be back to normal now.

 

I see what you did there Jeff! Lol.

I got a piece of metal in my eye. Stupidest thing too. I was grinding and had my PPE on.

After removing my goggles, I wiped sweat off my forehead and bam a little sliver of metal from my glove got in my eye.

It was stuck and had to wait until the morning for the eye doc to get it out. Very painful. Close call but PPE probably saved you @redline4

 

The redness spread a bit by the next day and began to recede slightly by Tuesday.
It still feels a bit weird, but no other issues to report.
I got lucky on this one.

I still out of curiosity want to know what it was that got me, but I couldn't find the culprit in all the snow and was more concerned about finding my safety glasses in all the snow.

 

That sucks. I always wear eye protection but like in your case *s-word can happen. Glad it wasn't worse.

 

Glad to hear you are doing better Ed.

 

David, I don't think it was the earpiece as the glasses, based off where I found them, flew up over my head and landed behind me.
I was wearing a hat at the time as it was 10 degrees, but due to being warm while working did not have it pulled down tight over my ears, which could be why they came off in the first place.
Of course my wife is pissed at me like I did it on purpose.
But she's less mad than the time I went to help my color blind Dad track a deer, and came home with 8 stitches in a tendon in my left forearm and 16 across the outside..

 

I was pulling up tile at my house when one of the tiles exploded when I tried to get the scraper underneath. One piece went through my glove and I needed 4 stitches. Another piece embedded in my safety glasses right at my eyebrow. My eye dr has them to show the importance of eye protection. Another time I was at the range trying out my friends new kel-tek. The round went off before the slide was completely in battery. Part of the casing scratched my brand new shooting glasses. Best money I spent that day.

 

Ouchie!

I used to do a lot of cypress hedging and trimming, climbing through the dry brittle sticks on the inside i would occasionally get stabbed in the face, they'd lift up my mesh visor and go straight to the eyes, had a couple of nasty eye infections from time to time, tried wearing safety glasses but they just werent comfy, didnt work with ear muffs and would get headaches from the arms pressing against the skull.

When i moved to australia and started working i needed sunnies, did some research and found oakleys were pretty much as good as safety glasses so combined the two and got some oakley radarlock Polaroids, not cheap but comfy, didnt come off no matter how sweaty or mobile, work with muffs around a chipper without letting too much noise through and were as good at impact protection as safety glasses. They're not rated though so not allowed to supply employees but for me they were a perfect answer. Also expensove enough to look after and not be left on the truck dash face down as all the other sunnies were treated

They do many different lenses, and the radarlock lenses take a few seconds to change, excellent vision quality and they do clear lenses too and prescription (I think) not cheap but neither are eye injuries

 

Best investment I ever made for my eyes was my helmet with face screen. For years I’d get poked and jabbed in the face while working through a top. Typically had safety glasses on but it seemed like those dang twigs would always find their way past them somehow. The screen plus glasses was a 99% reduction in facial boo boo’s. They still happen on occasion but they’re more of an annoyance than an injury.

Glad you’re on the mend and it wasn’t worse @redline4

 

I'm glad I stumbled across this thread. I have a bad habit of casting bullets with no eye protection. Will have to be more diligent about that.