Eye Emergencies

The Workplace Eye Emergency Services

On-the-job eye injuries require immediate attention. All eye injuries and many eye infections are considered to be a medical emergency. Unfortunately, emergency rooms do not have the proper instrumentation, the necessary staff or knowledge to handle most eye injuries, infections or trauma. This type of care is highly specialized. Our doctors are trained Eye Care Professionals with state of the art equipment to treat the majority of eye injuries or infections at our Sylmar facility.

We have found that foreign bodies, especially metal, flying into an eye and embedding in the cornea are a major problem. It is a well established fact that embedded iron and related metal will rust in the eye in only a few hours. Rust is highly toxic to eyes and must be removed as soon as possible, often with surgical drills. No emergency room in this area is equipped to do that.

Many items will embed into the soft tissue of the cornea. All embedded metals and even stone materials can cause toxic reactions and eye infections. Embedded wood can cause fungal infections. Rapid removal of embedded foreign bodies by trained doctors is crucial for a good result. Never try to remove any embedded particle from an eye yourself. This can cause further corneal damage

Safety glasses

Special safety glasses are needed for most factories, machine shops, and especially those working with chemicals. Chemicals cause various corneal burns, as the tissue is very delicate. Approved safety glasses are also mandatory for any worker whose job involves welding torches and metal cutting. These workers, when not wearing their safety glasses, often incur severe eye injuries which must be treated immediately. The faster the treatment is begun, the better the success rate of total cure. Sylmar Vision Center has teamed up with the largest safety laboratory in the country, Essilor, to supply OSHA approved safety glasses in any prescription to all personnel where needed.

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Office Information

Emergency care at the Sylmar Vision Center

The Sylmar Vision Center staff is fully bilingual. The doctors have all had advanced training in primary care optometry and treating eye injuries. The staff has been informed that all foreign bodies are considered to be an emergency and these patients are seen before all others. Your employees do not have to wait many hours to be seen. Paperwork is kept at a minimum and fees are the lowest in the area.

Commonly, a foreign body removal will take less than 30 minutes and associated rust removal will usually add about 20 minutes more. A prescription for a necessary, frequently used and powerful anti-biotic will be written. We will always schedule a mandatory follow-up appointment, usually in 24 – 48 hours. Many eye infections also fit into this treatment and time frame, however, follow-up appointments may up to one week.

Emergency room care will often involve voluminous paperwork, many hours of waiting, exceptionally high fees and a lack of knowledge about handling eye injuries. Outside doctors are often called to the emergency room to see these patients adding many hours of waiting and much higher fees. Sylmar Vision Center is most often a one stop office and referrals to other health care providers are seldom needed.

Severe chemical burns are different matter. Rapid stabilization of your employee, analysis of the visual condition and correct care is most critical. Severe chemical burns, once stabilized, will usually involve an immediate referral to other medical specialists. Speedy stabilization is a most important factor.

Sylmar Vision Center Safety Glass Program

We have teamed up with Essilor, the largest manufacturer of approved safety glasses in the country. The Essilor representative can come to your company and recommend the safety glass program that is correct for your employees. There are no charges or hidden fees for this service.

HOW IT WORKS:
Usually a simple form is filled out at your facility stating that your employee needs a vision check and safety glasses. A phone call is made to set up an appointment. Your employee’s eyes are examined at a highly reduced fee and a prescription, if needed, for safety glasses is given to our technicians. Employees can then pick from a collection of eyeglass frames that your company management has approved with Essilor. Prescription lenses and frames approved by OSHA will be provided by the Essilor laboratory, sent to our Sylmar office and dispensed to your employees. Employees can have their OSHA approved safety glasses within one week. Sylmar Vision Center will also make sure that all prescriptions are correct and glasses are fitted as per OSHA rules. Non-prescription glasses are usually provided at the company level.

Safety glasses demand specially approved safety frames and lenses made in a safety glass laboratory. Regular dress or street glasses are NOT considered to be safety glasses.