WILEY X® GETS BEHIND EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS OF WORKPLACE EYE WELLNESS MONTH, OFFERS ITS INNOVATIVE NEW WORKSIGHT™ LINE FOR WORK AND LEISURE WEAR

March 2016 Campaign Seeks to Increase Focus on Awareness and Prevention of On-The-Job Eye Injuries

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 20,000 workplace eye injuries each year in America, often requiring one or more missed workdays for recovery.  Additionally, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that workplace eye injuries cost an estimated $300 million annually in lost productivity and worker compensation.  These are pretty shocking statistics, especially when it is widely recognized that more than 90 percent of these injuries — and their related economic impacts — could be avoided if more workers would simply wear proper protective eyewear.

Each year, the month of March is dedicated to raising “visibility” of this issue through Workplace Eye Wellness Month, an awareness and educational campaign of non-profit organization Prevent Blindness.  As an innovator of protective eyewear products for U.S. workers, soldiers, law enforcement, top NASCAR drivers, professional bass anglers and others who work and play in demanding conditions, Wiley X^®, Inc. is a long-time supporter of Workplace Eye Wellness Month.

“These statistics point out the immense financial burden workplace eye injuries place on American businesses each year,” said Wiley X Co-Owner Myles Freeman, Jr.  “However, this is only part of the story.  On-the-job eye injuries can devastate personal lives and families in ways far more important than money.  We know that nine out of 10 serious eye injures could be prevented by the simple act of wearing proper eye protection. Since one can never predict when and where an accident might occur, the key to preventing injuries is wearing OSHA-rated eye protection all the time,” added Freeman.

Wiley X recently expanded its full range of vision protection products with its new Rx-ready WorkSight™ eyewear collection for men and women.  WorkSight is a top-quality ophthalmic line with attractive colors and finishes that also doubles as a safety line with its clear ANSI Z87.1 rated, removable side shields.  The result is a line of stylish dress frames that men and women would be proud to wear for any occasion or activity. Yet, because these new glasses have removable side shields and meet stringent ANSI Z87.1 safety standards, they can be worn with confidence when on-the-job vision protection is needed.  The WorkSight line will also be available with side shields that permanently attach to the temples in the coming months.

“At Wiley X, we’ve always believed that making vision protection stylish and comfortable is the key to minimizing risk. This thinking is evident across our entire line of adult eyewear styles — every one of which meets ANSI safety standards.  Our new WorkSight Line takes this concept a step further, creating fashion frames that double as serious on-the-job vision protection,” added Freeman. 

In addition to providing workers with state-of-the-art vision protection, almost all Wiley X eyewear styles are Rx-ready using the company’s advanced DIGIFORCE™ prescription lens technology for clear vision over the widest possible field of view.

To learn more about preventing workplace eye injuries, visit online Workplace Eye Wellness Month resources at Prevent Blindness (www.preventblindness.org) or the American Academy of Ophthalmology (www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/injuries-work). To learn more about the complete line of Wiley X eyewear styles offering Absolute Premium Protection, visit www.wileyx.com.  Or contact Wiley X at 7800 Patterson Pass Road, Livermore, CA 94550 · Telephone: (800) 776-7842. 

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