Eye Protection Technical Information
According to OSHA 1910.133 - Employers shall ensure that each employee uses appropriate eye or face protection (including side protection) when exposed to eye or face hazards which include flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation.
This includes employees who wear prescription lenses while engaged in operations that involve eye hazards. The user must wear eye protection that incorporates the prescription in the design, or wear eye protection that can be worn over the prescription lenses without disturbing the proper position of the prescription or the protective lenses.
Protective eye and face devices shall comply with ANSI Z87.1 “American National Standard Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection�?. Anyone working in or passing through areas that pose eye hazards should also wear appropriate protective eyewear.
Many styles of protective safety glasses are available. Look for safety glasses that offer full coverage of the entire orbital eye area. Some safety glasses are available in an OTG(over-the-glass) version where the user needs to wear protection over their own personal prescription glasses. Many safety glasses have custom fitting features, like adjustable nose bridges and temples, which provide added comfort and enhanced fitting. Eyewear compliance is greatly improved when the right combination of style, comfort and fitting is achieved.
Safety glasses can be easily identified. Look for ANSI Z87.1 markings on the frame or temples, the manufacturer’s mark (e.g., 3M is the mark used by 3M) and a (+) sign to identify protective eyewear that meets the high impact standards set forth in ANSI Z87.1-2003.
Base Curve: back curvature of the lens. The higher the base curve, the more curvature there is in a lens. To maintain good optics, the thickness of the lens material varies from location to location on the curve of the lens. As a result, the light that passes through the lens does not have prismatic imbalance.As an example: a traditional ′′basic′′ safety glass has a base curve of 4, which is fairly flat; hence the need for the sharp curves on the temple ends to meet ANSI side shield requirements. Newer designs incorporate higher base curves, creating better optics and reduced distortion. Due to the increased curvature of the lens it wraps more around the face, eliminating the need for sideshields. Glasses with a higher base curve have a tendency to look sportier and more stylish, therefore have an increased acceptance by the wearer.
Most safety glasses are available with either a hard coating to protect the surfaces of the lens and to help prevent premature scratching, or other coatings that may have anti-fog, anti-scratch, anti-static and anti-UV properties.
Safety lenses are available in a variety of tints for specific workplace applications:
In certain applications the use of a full-face shield is required to protect the entire face and eyes. Always wear safety glasses underneath a face shield.
There are work environments that require the use of goggles. Goggles are available for protection from impact and particulates and for chemical and non-hazadarous splash.