Industrial eye protection for workers needs to be in every employer’s top priority list to ensure employee safety from liquid chemicals, chemical gases, flying particles, harmful radiation, molten metal, acids and other hazardous substances.
Safety glasses for eye protection are easily available and in many different styles. There are some points to remember while getting safety glasses for industrial work. They are as follows.
1. The safety glasses must give full coverage of the entire orbital eye area.
2. Look for safety glasses which come with custom fitting features like adjustable nose bridges.
3. If you are required to wear safety glasses all day long then buy lightweight safety glasses.
4. Safety glasses must be comfortable to wear so it won’t make you feel tired.
5. Majority of eye protection safety glasses come with a hard coating on the lens surface. This will protect your lenses from pre-mature scratching and other damages.
6. They also come with anti-fog, anti-scratch, anti-static and anti-UV coatings. Based on your work environment you can choose one or more of these coatings.
The lenses of safety glasses come in many different tints each with a specific purpose:
Yellow (Contrast Amber) This tint works well when working outdoors at dawn and dusk and are also recommended for hazy and overcast days.
Red (Vermillion) – This works well when conducting inspections because defects tiny components and assembly items can be seen better through this tint. They sharpen visual acuity and provide a contrast similar to the contrast amber lens.
Green/IR shade Blocks red/infrared (I.R.) light – They make a good choice for metal and furnace work as they can be used any place where there is heat.
Gray/silver mirror/blue mirror – They are perfect for reducing glare and bright light and can be used for outdoor work.
Polarized safety lasses – These are specifically designed for outdoor use to protect eyes from reflective glare from water, snow and other reflective surfaces.
Safety Goggles is a better option than safety glasses if you require protection from impact and chemical splash. This is because safety goggles proved higher levels of protection. Safety Goggles come in 3 types
Direct vent – They provides protection from impact and particulates and superb circulation around the eyes prevents goggle from fogging. However they are not safe around places with chances of chemical splash.
Indirect vent – They are what you need to protect your eyes from airborne particulates and chemical splash.
Ventless Safety Goggles – They will protect you from impacts, airborne particulates and chemical splash and fumes. However since they do not have vents to allow for enough air circulation, they can’t be worn for a long period of time.