If you accidentally get pesticide in your eyes, what is the recommended action?

The recommended action when pesticide gets in your eyes is to wash the eye quickly for 15 minutes with running water. This is crucial because immediate irrigation helps to dilute and flush out the harmful chemicals, reducing the risk of injury or damage to the eye. Pesticides may contain toxic substances that can cause irritation, burns, or more severe damage if not promptly washed out.

Rubbing the eyes vigorously can exacerbate the irritation and potentially cause more damage to the delicate tissues of the eye. Using a cloth to clean them could introduce more contaminants and irritants, leading to further complications. Additionally, applying an eye drop solution may not be effective in flushing out the pesticide and could instead trap the chemical against the eye, causing increased harm. Therefore, the best immediate response is to thoroughly rinse the affected eye with water as quickly as possible.