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Information About Safety Glasses

Safety glasses are specialty eyewear used to protect the eyes during various activities. Not all eyewear is rated for use as safety glasses, and it is important to use properly certified safety glasses when you engage in activities that could result in an eye injury. There are many different types of safety glasses suited to a variety of different circumstances and conditions.

  1. Regulatory Standards

    • The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is the agency within the United States federal government that sets the standards for all workplace safety glasses. Organizations such as ASTM International (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) establish standards for sporting safety glasses.

    Significance

    • According to the organization Prevent Blindness America, an estimated 1 million people in the United States injure their eyes every year while working, doing activities around the home, or participating in sports. The majority of these injuries, nearly 70 percent, happen while people are on the job. The proper safety glasses could prevent almost 90 percent of these injuries.

    Function

    • The difference between standard eyewear, such as prescription eyeglasses or sunglasses that are not rated as safety glasses, and eyewear that is rated as safety equipment is that the safety glasses can absorb a greater physical impact than standard glasses. This impact rating covers the lenses of safety glasses as well as the frames.

    Types

    • Safety glasses designed to protect against chemicals or other hazardous materials traditionally come in two types: unvented and indirectly vented. Indirectly vented glasses allow air to circulate in the glasses but are still able to keep hazardous materials out. Direct vented safety glasses are not suited for use with hazardous materials because they can allow materials to get inside the glasses and cause eye damage.

    Considerations

    • Cleaning safety glasses after each use eliminates bacterial buildup. One of the more thorough and common ways to clean safety glasses properly is to use a goggle sanitizer. Another method is to submerge the safety glasses in a cleaning solution and let them air dry. While towel drying is acceptable, the wearer must not use the glasses until they are completely free of moisture.

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