Safety Glasses

Safety glasses are a form of protective gear worn over the eyes to prevent fluids, gases, small particles, harmful light, and projectiles from coming in contact with the sensitive structures of the eye. Over 2,000 people are injured in their eyes at work each day, and even more people injure their eyes outside of the workplace.http://www.preventblindness.org/safety/worksafe.html Wearing proper safety glasses can help prevent these injuries, or greatly lessen the impact.

When choosing safety glasses, you should always choose protective eyewear that is made of polycarbonate. Not only is polycarbonate the strongest lens material on the market and doesn't scratch easily, but it also protects the eyes against UV rays.http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/look-sharp-how-to-choose-protective-eyewear All safety glasses you are considering purchasing should have "z87" (low impact) or "z87+" (high impact) rating from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in order to be assured that you will get quality protection for the work you're doing.http://safety-glasses.org/2009/03/13/ansi-requirements-for-safety-glasses/ The ANSI tests for durability, impact, stress, and thickness.

Most people know to wear safety glasses when a job requires it because of OSHA standards, but children and adults alike should wear protective eyewear whenever playing high-impact sports, whenever working with tools or yard equipment, or whenever any type of eye irritation is possible. This is especially true for people with lazy eyes, since damage to the working eye could easily result in blindness.

Safety glasses play a role in many jobs and activities, including these example below. Notice how varied the eye hazards can be.

• Snow—Inuit natives (Eskimo) developed whale-bone glasses to block harmful reflection of sun-rays; glasses are used by winter-sports athletes for same purpose.

• Wind—|Motorcyclists and aviators have used protective goggles against wind and wind-borne insects and particles.

• Particles—woodworkers and metalworkers use glasses to avert tiny airborne projectiles.

• Medicine—protective glasses are used by patients who undergo light therapy.

• Chemicals—glasses are used by scientific researchers and plumbers to block corrosive vapors and fluids.

• Sports—basketball and racquetball players frequently wear eye protection.

• Animals—protective glasses are used for racehorses and dogs to block wind, particles and UV light.

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact a doctor before using the information presented here.