Safety Glasses Information
and Frequently Asked Questions
Every year, thousands of people are blinded from work-related eye injuries
that could have been prevented with the proper selection and use of eye
and face protection. Eye injuries alone cost more than $300 million per
year in lost production time, medical expenses, and worker compensation.
Safety glasses have evolved. Still comprised of protective frames, tempered
glass or plastic lenses, temples and side shields which provide eye protection
from moderate impact and particles, they are now offered in various styles
and shades. As a result of stylish, comfortable-to-wear designs, employees
have begun to actually enjoy wearing their safety glasses on the job.
Industrial safety training, demonstrating the hazards of not wearing safety
glasses in dangerous situations or required areas, will further reinforce
employee commitment. Please understand that personal protective equipment
(PPE), such as safety glasses and face shields, alone should not be relied
on to protect against hazards. Use PPE in conjunction with guards, engineering
controls, and sound manufacturing practices.
Are you an employer looking for the best safety products to accommodate
your employees? Are you a weekend warrior renovating her country home,
debating between the goggles, safety glasses, or face shield? There's
enough useful information in these pages to help you perform those riskier
jobs -- both big and small -- with the proper protection for your eyes,
ears, face and head.
How Durable Are Safety Glasses?
Today most safety glass lenses are made from an extremely tough substance
called polycarbonate. The impact resistance of a polycarbonate lens is
ten times higher then a hardened glass lens. Used in bullet proof windows,
polycarbonate can be molded in opaque or clear material. In clear form
it's superb for optical lens manufacturing.
While these lenses gain their strength from being flexible instead of
rigid like glass lenses, they are prone to scratching; therefore, they're
usually protected by a hard coating. Despite this hard coating, polycarbonate
lenses should to be handled carefully, and cleaned regularly with soap
and water and dried with soft tissue. Generally, glass lenses are more
expensive, and not as fashionable.
Flexibility and Colored Lenses
Some safety glasses offer both angle and length adjustment of the temples.
It allows the lens to be tilted so that it offers the best protection
for any job. This special feature is extremely helpful to those with asymmetrical
faces. Smaller styles that have a more aggressively curved lens are available
for women and children.
Colored lenses are offered in different tints and coatings. They are used
in varying degrees, such as: vision enhancement, glare reduction and cosmetic
appeal. Several examples are the gray, amber-yellow and mirror coated
lenses. The gray lens significantly reduces glare in sunny and bright
conditions by 80%. The amber-yellow lens improves contrast and filters
out blue light in overcast conditions. The mirror coated lens is used
more for its cosmetic appeal, but has been known to filter out more light
than a gray lens.
The Right Safety Glasses For You
Selecting the right safety glasses depends on the job you are performing.
High-impact hazards at work make it imperative that you select the appropriate
safety glasses. They should provide adequate eye protection, so there
are no gaps in the critical areas. Polycarbonate lenses are recommended.
Specialized safety glasses must be worn when working with dangerous rays
like laser light or welding. Laser lenses must be selected specifically
based on each laser's characteristics, such as wavelength and power.
Getting workers to wear safety glasses used to be a problem. But safety
glasses have become less cumbersome and more stylish. The snazzier the
brand, the better the chances of your employees' compliance.
Can the safety glasses have a prescription put in them?
Only the following styles can be prescripted.
* Prescription Frames
* Wiley-X
* US Safety Guard Dogs
* ESS ICE 2.4
Further detail is provided on each respective page, or visit SafetyGlassesUSA
online.
Are imprinting services available?
Yes. Many of the styles we sell can be imprinted with your company logo,
name or phrase. Single and multicolor imprints are available. The average
lead time is 2-4 weeks to complete your order after approval of the artwork.
Visit SafetyGlassesUSA
for more information.
What is the new ANSI Z87.1-2003 standard?
The new standard is a voluntary standard and there is no requirement that
manufacturer or end user comply with it unless it is mandated by the United
States Department of Labor OSHA. However, in the past, most manufacturers
have chosen to comply with revisions to the Z87.1 Standard.
Currently, OSHA requires (29 CFR 1910.133) that eye protectors comply
with the 1989 version of the Z87.1 Standard, and eye protection devices
now in use may continue to be used.
**All of the protective eyewear we sell already complies with the performance
requirements of the new standard. The new marking requirements will be
phased in over time by each manufacturer.**
1. Two Levels of Protection:
Basic and High
LENSES: The new standard designates that lenses will be divided into two
protection levels, Basic Impact and High Impact as dictated by test criteria.
Basic Impact lenses must pass the drop ball” test, a 1" diameter
steel ball is dropped on the lens from 50 inches. High Impact lenses must
pass high velocity” testing where 1/4" steel balls are shot”
at different velocities.
Spectacles: 150 ft./sec.
Goggles: 250 ft./sec.
Faceshields: 300 ft./sec.
FRAMES: Now, all eyewear/goggle frames, faceshields or crowns must comply
with the High Impact requirement. (This revision helps eliminate the use
of test lenses”, and assures all protectors are tested as complete
- lenses in frame - devices). After making an eye hazard assessment, employers
(safety personnel) should decide on appropriate eyewear to be worn, although
High Impact would always be recommended. All of our spectacles are High
Impact protectors.
2. Now, Products Must Indicate
Impact Protection Level.
To identify a device’s level of impact protection, the following
marking requirements apply to all new production spectacles, goggles and
faceshields. Basic Impact spectacle lenses will have the manufacturer’s
mark, i.e. an AOSafety product will have AOS” and a Pyramex product
will have a P etc. Goggles and faceshields will have AOS and Z87 (AOS
Z87). High Impact spectacle lenses will also have a plus + sign, (AOS+)
or P+ etc. All goggle lenses and faceshield windows are to be marked with
the manufacturer's mark, Z87, and a + sign (AOSZ87+).
Note: Lenses/windows may have additional markings. Shaded lens may have
markings denoting a shade number such as 3.0, 5.0 etc. Special purpose
lenses may be marked with S”. A variable tint lens may have a V”
marking.
3. Sideshield Coverage Area Increased
Sideshield coverage, as part of the lens, part of the spectacle, or as
an individual component, has been increased rearward by 10-millimeters
via a revised impact test procedure. While side protection in the form
of wraparound lens, integral or attached component sideshield devices
is not mandated in this standard, it is highly recommended. Further, OSHA
does require lateral protection on eye protection devices wherever a flying
particle hazard may exist, and flying particle hazards are virtually always
present in any occupational environment. All of our non-prescription safety
spectacles meet the requirements of OSHA and the new Z87.1 for side protection.
4. No Minimum Lens
Thickness Requirement
For High Impact Lenses.
The new standard does not have a minimum lens thickness” requirement
for High Impact spectacle lenses. The previous standard required a 2-millimeter
minimum”. However, the protective advantages of wrap-around lenses
and the many other advancements in eyewear design, have eliminated this
need.
Note: Glass lenses still fall into the Basic Impact lens category.
The minimum lens thickness” of 3 millimeters remains in effect for
this category.
Where can I get more information on Eye and Face Protection?
The US Government's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
has excellent information. Click here
to go to their site. Also, consult our Eye
Safety Articles for more information. back to top
Someof the information above provided above is the intellectual property
of our affiliate partner SafetyGlassesUSA. |