Safety goggles are one of the most basic and important pieces of safety equipment that you can use. Safety goggles help to protect your eyes from all sorts of flying debris when can strike and damage your eyes. No matter what activity your engaged in, from lawn care to construction, safety glasses are always a good idea. In this article we will examine everything that you will need to know to purchase a pair of safety goggles.
Safety goggles come in two basic types, safety glasses and safety goggles. Glasses look like most normal prescription eye ware, and may or may not come with side shields which are designed to deflect any material coming into your eye area from the sides. Safety goggles offer an added level of protection beyond the normal safety glasses, as goggle come equipped with a rubber seal which completely surrounds and seals your eyes and vision area. This seal provides protection from debris and also from liquids which may splash into your eyes. An additional plus for safety goggles is that you can wear your normal prescription eye ware under the goggles, which is something that is difficult to do with normal safety glasses.
The first and most important thing to look for when you are purchasing safety eye ware, is an ANSI Z87.1 rating. This is a safety standard which is put out by the American National Safety Institute (ANSI), and covers the basic required minimum performance of lens and frames for safety eye ware. Safety eye ware which conforms to this standard will usually have a stamp or mark on the lens or frames which will say Z87.1 or something similar to that. It is important to note that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that all safety eye ware used in commercial work comply with the ANSI Z87.1 standard. You can read more about this requirement by going to the OSHA website and looking up the appropriate regulation which is 29 CFR 1910.133, and is available free on the web.
Safety Goggles come in two major lens types; polycarbonate plastic, and glass. The glass type lenses are heavier but offer less optical distortion than plastic lenses. Today most major manufacturers have standardized on polycarbonate lenses as the safety, weight, durability, and scratch resistance is difficult for glass lenses to match.
Beyond the type of lens, there are many other popular special options which are available on safety goggles. One of the most popular is a sun shading, which basically tints the lens so that the safety goggles can act as sunglasses for outside work in bright sun. Adjustable frames are another recent innovation as this will allow you to have the frames better fit your particular face shape. Air vents will allow hot moist air to escape from inside the goggles to prevent fogging of the lens. Another comfort and safety feature which is an added option is safety straps. Safety straps allow you to be more active while wearing your safety eye wear, while not having to worry about the eye wear falling off your face.
No matter what type of safety goggles you select it is important to remember that you must always wear them. Goggles that you are not wearing, can not protect your eyes. It is also important that you select a pair of safety glasses which are comfortable, because comfort is a key indicator of regular use.
