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Jun 10, 2023

What to Know About Safety Glasses

Eye protection involves more than just wearing your contacts or glasses that

Eye protection involves more than just wearing your contacts or glasses that improve your vision. Using the right safety glasses protects your eyes and improves your focus on work.

Here, we will look at the different types of safety glasses and what they are most suited for to help you make the best choice.

Whether at your home or elsewhere, you should wear safety glasses to protect your eyes if:

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 2,000 U.S. workers get job-related eye injuries that need medical attention every day. According to medical experts, taking adequate precautions such as wearing the right eye protection can reduce the seriousness of these injuries or completely prevent roughly as much as 90% of them.

The term "safety glasses" is used for protective eyewear that complies with industrial standards. In the U.S., the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have defined specific parameters for safety glasses. While the ANSI determines the standards for making all safety glasses, the OSHA enforces workplace health and safety standards.

OSHA calls for all workers to use eye and face protection whenever there is a possible injury that can be prevented by using such equipment. Some industries with a high risk of eye injuries include plumbing, auto repair, construction, mining, carpentry, welding, and electrical work.

There are several types of protective eyewear, such as safety glasses, face shields, and goggles. The appropriate protective eyewear depends on the situation in which it's used and your personal needs based on how good your vision is. Some of your options include:

Vented goggles. These are goggles with vents that allow air circulation to prevent fogging inside them. These goggles fit comfortably around the eyes and are typically used to deflect the impact of flying objects and prevent their entry into your eyes.

Non-vented goggles. These goggles don't have air vents and are typically airtight, designed to prevent the entry of air into the area around your eyes. These glasses offer better protection when you are working in a chemical environment, as they prevent the entry of harmful vapors and fumes. Non-vented goggles usually come with an anti-fog coating to avoid the collection of steam as you work.

Laser safety goggles. These are a particular type of eyewear used with high-intensity light produced by lasers. Industries choose the type of goggles based on the laser wavelength and other equipment. These goggles should be pre-approved by the ANSI and carry labels listing individual optical densities and the wavelengths they protect against.

Welding helmet. These protect the entire face. The protective layer is made up of vulcanized fiber or fiberglass, and the lens uses filtered glass. Welding shields offer protection from flying sparks and metal debris produced during welding, soldering, and cutting activities. They also protect your eyes from burns due to infrared or radiant light being emitted during welding and soldering operations.

Face shields. These are transparent plastic layers that usually cover your entire face. While some shields are polarized to filter certain types of light, they are most commonly used to prevent dust from entering your eyes and protect your eyes from accidental sprays. These shields are not built for impact resistance, though, and are used primarily with goggles as an additional layer of protection.

Safety lenses are mostly made up of glass, plastics, polycarbonate, and a specific material called Trivex. Trivex is a urethane-based polymer that offers uncommon visual clarity and enhanced durability. It's also extremely lightweight.

While glass lenses are preferred when you are working with chemicals, such as in spray booths, polycarbonate lenses are preferred in other circumstances for their relative durability. Polycarbonate is a lightweight plastic that absorbs 99% of UV light and has high impact resistance.

There are two critical components when you use safety glasses. The first is to choose the right pair of glasses, and the second is to care for them.

Keep the following points in mind when you select protective eyewear:

Additionally, remember these points when you use protective eyewear.

In the U.S., safety glasses should meet the standards defined by the ANSI. The impact resistance of safety glasses is higher than those of regular glasses because of the purposes for which they’re used. This includes the frame and the lens. The lenses are more robust than regular glasses and can resist greater impact.

While buying protective eyewear, look for the following distinguishing marks.

Some lenses may have multiple markings and can be used for different purposes. For example, lenses marked "Z87+L8D3D4" protect your eyes against impact, reduce glare, and prevent the entry of droplets and dust.

SOURCES:

American Academy of Ophthalmology: "Safety Glasses and Protective Eyewear."

American Optometric Association: "Protecting your eyes at work."

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety: "Eye and Face Protectors."

National Science Teaching Association: "Eye Protection and Safer Practices FAQ."

Saint Luke's Health System: "Eye Protection at Work: What Are Safety Glasses?"

University of Wisconsin-Madison: "Guidance for Choosing Protective Eye Wear."

Vision Center: "What Are Trivex Eyeglass Lenses?"