New Britain herald., 1930-09-19
Survey of Industry Shows Eyes
 Of 10000 Saved By New Scheme

New York City, Sept. 19 UP)- More than 10000 eyes and at least $46,o00,00 were saved in two re- cent years among 5s3 plants, em- pleying total of 500,00 workmen. according to the report of study entitled Eyes Saved in Industry" published here today by the Ma tional society for the Prevention of Blindness and the National Safety Council.
 The two organizations set out to discover the total of authenticated cases of workmen's eyes saved from serious injury or destruction through use of goggles or headmasks.
 The survey analyses the records kept by the corporations during 1926 and 1927, disclosing that in ad- dition to the financial economy D. 757 men and women were saved from serious injury or total blind ness in both eyes during the two years. There were 4,654 recorded in stances of workmen being saved from similar fate to one eye, mak- ing a total of 10,16s eyes saved from destruction or serious injury.
 ''In this study, the first of it's kind ever made" explained Lewis H. Car ris, managing director of the Ma tional Society for the Prevention of Blindness, it was assumed that an object which hit a goggle lens with such force as to pierce or shatter the lens would most certainly have so damaged the eye, if the goggles had not been worn, as to cause com- plete or nearly complete loss of vi sion. It was assumed, further, that every instance of a goggle lens be- spattered by molten metal or by cor rosive or otherwise injurious chemicals. represented an eye saved.
 "The eye hazards of industry have come to be one Of the most serious causes of blindness in America. There is, in fact, con- siderable ground for the belief that each year more persons are per manently robbed of their sight by occupational hazards than by any other major cause of blindness.
 This is due largely to the fact that innumerable persons. employ CTS and employees alike, still do not realize, or do not believe that it is possible to prevent accidental eye injuries in the particular occupations in which they are engaged. It is due also to the failure on the part of employers or employees and com munities at large to appreciate the tremendous financial loss resulting from the blinding Of men and wom- en in industry.
 Despite the splendid accomplish ments of many individual firms in the prevention Of accidents in gen. eral, and specifically in the pre- vention of eye accidents, such acci- dents are still considered by many persons inherent or unavoidable ac- compartments of certain industrial processes. Despite the tremendous financial savings through accident prevention publicly and authentical- ly reported by some of the leading industrial concerns of America, there are still thousands of employ CTS who regard as an unavoidable (though eviD necessity the payment of thousands upon thousands of dollars for destruction or injury Of the eyes Of their employees.
 That these are misconceptions that industrial eye injuries are largely preventable; and that their prevention is productive of enor- nous savings to employer, .em- ployee and the nation, are con- vincingly demonstrated in the find ings of this study and the interpre- taton of their significance.
 Industries in the survey included the following:
 1e6 metal producing or metal fabricating companies;
 14s plants engaged in miscel- laneous forms of manufactures;
 66 in chemical and allied indus tries;
 o3 operating with lumber, cement, and other building materials;
 AZ mining, quarrying, and smelt- ing properties;
 35 railways and allied companies;
 25 plants in the automotive and allied industries;
 10 foundres and machine shops;
 in the paint and oil industry;
 8 in the glass and allied indus tries;
 in paper and allied trades;
 6 in locomotive and car building operations;
 1 in the rubber and allied indus tries;
 in construction and structural industries; and
 food packing plant