Sir,

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) activities account for 30 000 eye injuries annually in the United Kingdom.1 Despite this, the Royal Society of Prevention of Accidents2 found that 89% of Britons do not wear safety glasses or goggles when performing DIY activities associated with ocular morbidity such as hammering, drilling, and sawing. Desai et al3 conducted a 12-month retrospective study of all ocular injuries in Scotland and found that the single most common place for blinding traumatic injuries to occur was in the home (52%).

We conducted a study to assess the promotion of eye protection on websites that advertise, educate, or promote the use of power tools. Ethical approval was not sought for the study.

A systematic search of 833 webpages in the power tools sections of the top 10 DIY company websites in the United Kingdom, identified using http://www.google.co.uk, was conducted. Additionally, a search of 861 videos in the YouTube video channels of these websites was also conducted. Any headshot images of the power tool user were used for analysis in the study and the use of eye protection, with either safety glasses or goggles, was noted. Similarly, videos with clear headshot images of subjects using hammers, drills, or saws were also assessed.

A total of 44 webpages featured headshot images of users operating power tools. Promotional or instructional videos showing headshot footage were found in a total of 63 YouTube videos. On average, 39% of website headshot images displayed models operating power tools without eye protection. For videos, an average of 59% of YouTube channel clips displayed models using hammers, drills, or saws without eye protection.

Therefore, our study has demonstrated that many DIY websites do not show adequate use of protective eyewear in photographs. Worryingly, out of three videos displaying DIY workshops for children, two videos displayed children using hammers and saws without eye protection.

We recommend that the findings of this study are considered by eye specialists, general practitioners, and by DIY companies, in the hope that better portrayal and promotion of ocular protection will occur.