Protective goggles are a must in many occupations where risk of eye injury is high or serious enough to require such equipment. Curiously, though sight is the one sense we prize above all other it is also one many take for granted in the most casual way. Both employer and employee is guilty of this, which is one reason why the United States Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) mandates the use of protective goggles for certain tasks and job categories, generally those which may involve chemical splashes, light flares, flying chips and splinters, or even tear-inducing vapors. Our eyes should never be taken for granted, and even office workers who appear to simply sit in front of a computer all day ought to think more carefully about their vision.

Of course, protective goggles are inappropriate and downright unnecessary for those who have to stare at a computer screen, but other steps can be taken to ease eye strain or prevent it altogether. One of the simplest things to do in this regard is to just turn down the brightness and/or fiddle with the contrast level. Another way to help protect the eyes when working for prolonged periods of time in front of a computer monitor is to, where available, select soothing background colors - for example, choosing a background other than white, which over time can appear garish.

Still other options would be to adjust ambient lighting levels if possible, and install a special screen over the computer monitor. The monitor itself should be set at an appropriate distance, height, and even tilted at an appropriate angle - and these may even be changed slightly from time to time so as to vary the kind of work your eyes have to do. By the same token, it is also important to regularly look away from your computer screen and focus on different objects at different distances, to flex unused eye muscles while giving overused ones a brief respite.

Eyesight is most precious to most people, arguably, but it is also, most fortunately, easily provided for in many cases, as mentioned so far. In more industrial settings that traditionally have presented much greater risks to the eyes, it is imperative that safety goggles are worn - over the eyes and not simply hanging around one's neck - and everything else done to minimize risk of damage and injury. And it may well be the law! OSHA standards are in place for a reason, precisely because the darnedest things can and have happened!