Safety Eyewear

Why is safety eyewear important?

Eye injuries can be very serious and may cause loss of vision or even blindness. Eye injuries are almost always preventable if you use proper eyewear. Wear eye protection if you are around dust, flying objects, heat, intense light, or chemicals that could get into your eye. There are different types of eyewear for different activities.

What are the types of safety eyewear?

The 3 main types of safety eyewear are safety glasses, goggles and face shields.

• Safety glasses: Safety glasses look like regular glasses but are made from polycarbonate. This is a special kind of plastic that resists impact. For the best protection, you should also get frames that are impact resistant. Wear safety glasses when you need protection from flying debris. These are often used by athletes and craftsman. This material is also used to make eyeglasses. If you have only one eye that sees well, you should wear safety glasses.
• Goggles: Safety goggles also protect the sides of your eyes. The goggles fit snugly around your eyes with a strap. Safety goggles are made of firm plastic or a flexible rubber. Goggles protect against dust, chemicals, and flying debris that could get past safety glasses. If you have a vision problem, you can wear your eyeglasses underneath some types of goggles. You can also get prescription goggles. These are often worn for sports such as racquetball, basketball, and skiing. Goggles are also used for science experiments, construction, and woodworking.
• Face shields: Face shields cover your entire face and protect against impact. Some hard hats and helmets have a face shield attached to them. People using lasers or welders wear face shields. If you wear eyeglasses, you can wear them under the face shield. Face shields do not replace safety glasses or goggles. They are often worn over glasses or goggles. You can get face shields that also protect against heat or glare.

Do I need safety eyewear?

If your job puts you at risk of eye injury, you should wear safety eyewear. In these cases, federal law requires your employer to provide you with protective eyewear. Look for eyewear with "Z87" marked somewhere on the lens or frame. This shows it has been approved by the American National Standards Institute. This is the group that sets the standards for safety glasses and goggles.

Regular eyeglasses do not protect the eyes as well as safety eyewear. To help prevent severe eye injuries, wear safety eyewear when you:

• Do any work around the house that requires hammering, power tools, chemicals, or splatter of any kind,
• Play paintball, racquetball, lacrosse, hockey, and fast-pitch softball.
• Shoot firearms or use explosives of any kind.

Many eye injuries happen during a break when people take off their eyewear. If you are still in a high-risk area (such as a construction site or shooting range), keep your safety eyewear on until you are out of the area.