# Safety Glasses/Goggles/Shields are a MUST! AT ALL TIMES!!!



## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

I wanted to share my story so that others can learn.

I keep my lye out in the barn. I transfer it into small 1 lb containers and keep these in the house. I can't get the lid off, so I need my husband here to get it off. He was in the barn doing chores, and knowing he will be out of town for a couple of days, I went out to fill some containers. I put on my rubber gloves and out I went. I take the small containers and scoop the material into them using just those containers as the scoop. On my last fill, three crystals jumped up and into my eye. They just jumped right up there and I had to be about 1 1/2 feet away.

I immediately started flushing with water. Luckily, we have a spigot in the barn about 3 feet high that has a 90 degree elbow on it so the water flows out vertically. Had my husband call 911 and kept flushing 'til the ambulance got there. Honestly, they were useless. I kept flushing and then went to the emergency room. We went to a hospital in South Bend, IN as they have better staff there. They got me right in. I had no real pain; it felt like there was something in there, like a piece of hay or something. And I could see out of the eye although it was a little blurry. I was afraid I would go blind in that eye. After some tests (I have no idea what), they flushed it with two bags of saline solution and took a pH of my eye. Flushed with another two bags and another pH. 

I'm ok and I'm not blind. I don't know eye anatomy, but I'll describe it the best I can. My eyes are brown. The circular brown part and whatever you use to see out of were unaffected. Just to the outside of the brown, in the white part towards the corner of the eye is where it got burned. It's bubbly there. I go to see my opthomologist today, but I think it will be fine. Like I said, I can see out of it. They gave me Erythromycin ointment and some Vicodin. Don't really need the Vicodin, but filled it just in case.

USE YOUR EYE PROTECTION AT ALL TIMES! I don't know why I didn't. It wasn't even a thought. I always use them when I make soap. I mean, I put my gloves on for the refill. Never once thought about eye protection. On top of that, I've worked in a manufacturing environment my whole life. Safety training is mandatory and it is drilled into you. Eye protection, ventilation, lock-out/tag-out for electrical, tripping hazards, you name it. I KNOW THIS STUFF! It wasn't like I was complacent or made a conscious decision not to wear eye protection. I don't know, stupid I guess.

It was a lesson learned for me. Respect the lye.


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

Oh Cindy.....I'm so glad your eyesight wasn't affected. How scary. And yes, I'd say eye protection has got to be number one. It's just not something to take chances with.


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## tmfinley (Feb 21, 2008)

Been there done that. When doing several batches in a day, I was in a bad habit of forgetting my glasses on top of my head when starting a new batch. I was at the very end of stick blending a pretty expensive batch and raw soap jumped into my eye. I called to hubby and he came in and started rinsing my eye out with saline as I poured the soap for my swirl. I didn't want to ruin the soap. Now to the really stupid part - Somehow in the middle of this chaos, hubby talked me into putting a cloth with vinegar on it in my eye. Now I obviously wasn't thinking straight because I didn't even pause before I stuck it in there. Oh MY Goodness! If you think lye hurts in the eye try vinegar! Anyway, after about 20 minutes of rinsing I had a big blind spot in my eye and had fuzzy vision for about 4 days. I don't wear gloves but I always wear eye protection now.

I hope you get better soon. Eyes tend to repair themselves rather quickly. Good luck at your appointment.


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## linbee (Jul 7, 2010)

Wow, how scary! It will certainly make me wear my goggles.....I wear glasses and it is really a pain to put the goggles on over them, and I have been guilty of not wearing them. But I will always wear them in the future. Sorry it had to happen to you to make us all pay more attention to our eyes.


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## jdranch (Jan 31, 2010)

Glad to hear you are ok and thank you for the important reminder


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## K-Ro (Nov 10, 2009)

I am so glad you are ok. I actually had a crystal 'jump' to the corner of my eye this morning, thankfully it wasn't in my eye. Great reminder


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Back from the doctor. I am one lucky dog! The cornea has some dry spots, but is not damaged. The white part that is burned did not destroy the blood vessels so that is good. I'll have some blurry vision for a little while, in part due to the erythromycin, but not for long. 

One more time, RESPECT THE LYE. WHERE YOUR GOGGLES/GLASSES/SHEILD as well as other protective clothing.


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## nappint (Jun 26, 2008)

Oh man that's awful! I'm glad your eye is okay and you won't have any lasting problems.


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## a4patch (Oct 7, 2009)

I am so glad you posted this. When I had my lye trip to the emergency room, I was too embarrassed to tell anyone. 

I had a minor lye incident last week. I evidentially got a granule of lye caught under my finger. I knew it hurt but thought (after trimming my nails ) that it was gone. It was not. It ate a pin sized hole under my finger nail. Then that got infected. Within three days, I could not bend my finger. Picked at it and trimmed some more and found a cavity of infection from this granule of lye. I have very little feeling in it right now. Hope the feeling comes back as it heals. 

I went to Sams and got some food prep gloves after seeing PJ's thanksgiving video. The whole family was wearing them. 1000 gloves are only $5 and change. Cheap fix for what is now a very sore finger.


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