Protective Safety Glasses

Every day over 2000 Americans report work-related eye injuries, 90 percent of which could have been prevented if they had been wearing protective safety glasses. Protective safety glasses are inexpensive and an essential item for anyone working in potentially hazardous situations.

The majority of eye injuries are sustained by construction workers and others working in dangerous situations. However a large number of eye injuries occur at the home or whilst playing sport. Thousands of Americans every year permanently damage their eyes from doing simple chores such as mowing the lawn. Protective safety glasses are suitable for a whole range of purposes, and there are different glasses to suit different needs.

Protective safety glasses are rigorously tested and must adhere to strict standards as set by the ANSI (American National Standards Institute). Safety glasses come in two levels of protection - basic impact and high impact. Basic impact protective safety glasses must be marked with a Z87, whereas high impact protective safety glasses are marked with a Z87+. It is important to ensure that the glasses you choose offer the right level of protection for your needs.

 

 

The test for basic impact protective safety glasses involves dropping a 1 inch diameter steel ball on the lenses from a height of 5 feet. If the lenses do not crack, chip or break then they will be given a basic impact safety rating of Z87. High impact protective safety glasses must pass more stringent tests, including shooting a ¼" steel ball at the glasses at a speed of 50 feet per second. If they do not crack, break, chip or come away from the frame then they will be given the high impact safety rating of Z87+.

Most modern protective safety glasses have lenses made from polycarbonate. Polycarbonate lenses are much lighter than traditional materials and are also much more shatter-resistant. The only downside is that they are more easily scratched than traditional glass lenses, however many glasses come with a hard coating to make them more scratch-proof. It is also advised that you purchase a restrainer strap for your protective safety glasses so you can just let them hang round your neck when they're not in use to prevent them getting scratched or broken when placed down.

Protective safety glasses can be bought with a whole range of different lenses, ranging from tinted lenses to minimize eye strain and increase color contrasts, to UV tints, polarized and anti-scratch coatings.

There are hundreds of different types of protective safety glasses available to purchase, so there is sure to be a pair that suits you. They come in a range of colors, shapes and sizes. It is important that the pair you choose are comfortable to wear so you are not inclined to not wear them. Many protective safety glasses come with additional cushioning and padding to make them more comfortable to wear.

 

* AO SUNGLASSES are NOT ANSI Z87.1-2003 safety glasses

 

Not all protective safety glasses are for use at work. Protective safety glasses are also ideal for anyone who spends time in the outdoors, either for sport or leisure. Thousands of injuries happen every year when fishing hooks get caught in peoples eyes which can leave irreparable damage. There are many brands of protective safety glasses made specifically for fishing enthusiasts as well as others that spend time around water. Polarized safety glasses are ideal for these sort of activities as they prevent glare from the water which can be distracting and an annoyance. Tinted protective safety glasses are ideal for those that enjoy sports such as shooting as it helps create a great contrast between colors to make finding your target much easier. You can also have anti-reflective coatings put on your glasses to avoid distracting your prey.

Protective safety glasses can be purchased from as little as just $1 per pair. Obviously the more sophisticated you want your protective safety glasses the more expensive they become, however most types can be bought for less than $20.

Non-prescriptive protective safety glasses are sold in most hardware and building supply stores. Prescriptive protective safety glasses must be bought from an eye care practitioner or optical store.