Why do I need to wear safety goggles?

You are required to wear safety goggles at all times in the Chemistry Laboratory to help prevent serious eye injury. Even though you are very careful in the lab the person next to you may not be........

Goggles protect your eyes from chemical burns:

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Acids bind with tissue proteins and coagulate the surface cells of the eye. This leads to a hazing of the cornea.

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Alkali burns can cause permanent corneal damage because alkali chemicals adhere to the eye and thus penetrate the deeper layers of the eye.

The net result is that chemical splashes in the eye may cause a loss of vision or maybe even a loss of an eye.

Still not convinced???????

Look at these pictures of a cow eye, before and after an acid spill to the eye.

     

                          Undamaged eye                                                       Eye after acid spill