Safety Glasses

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Safety Glasses!
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Safety Glasses/Spectacles

• Safety spectacles are intended to shield the
  wearer's eyes when exposed to eye or face hazards
  from flying particles, molten metal, liquid
  chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical
  gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light
  radiation.
• Consider each component of safety spectacles when
  selecting the appropriate device for your
  workplace.

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Components of Safety Glasses

• Three Main Components
• Lenses
• Frames
• Side Shields

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Lenses

• The lenses of safety spectacles are designed to
  resist moderate impact from flying objects and
  particles.
• Plano Lenses
• Should be used by workers who do not require
  vision correction
• May be flat or curved
• Are available in clear, filtered, or tinted
  lenses
• May include removable lenses
• Prescription (Rx) Lenses
• Should be used by workers who require vision
  correction
• May be clear, filtered, or tinted
• May include removable lenses

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Lenses

• What are the pros and cons of the different
  lenses?
• Glass Lenses
• Are not easily scratched
• Can be used around harsh chemicals
• Can be made in your corrective prescription
• Are sometimes heavy and uncomfortable (high
  density material)
• Plastic Lenses (CR39)
• Are lighter weight
• Protect against welding splatter
• Are not likely to fog
• Are not as scratch-resistant as glass
• Many available coatings for lense type
• Polycarbonate Lenses
• Are lightweight
• Protect against welding splatter
• Are not likely to fog
• Are stronger than glass and plastic
• Are more impact resistant than glass or plastic

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Frames

• The frames of safety spectacles are constructed
  of metal and/or plastic.
• Side shields may be incorporated into the frames
  of safety spectacles when needed. 

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Frames

• The safety spectacle frames must fit comfortably
  and correctly to offer the necessary protection.
• Spatula Temples
• Fit over the ear
• Can be either fixed or adjustable
• Are available in metal or plastic 
• Cable temples
• Fit around the ear
• Can be either fixed or adjustable
• Are available in metal or plastic
• Headband Temples
• Are easily adjustable for a secure fit
• Are useful for tasks requiring movement
• Adjustable Nose
• Are available in a variety of sizes
• Are available in fixed or adjustable types
• May have adjustable nose pads with pliable arms

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Side Shields

• Workers are required to use eye safety spectacles
  with side shields when there is a hazard from
  flying objects.
• Side shields may be incorporated into the frames
  of safety spectacles when needed. 

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Types of Side Shields

• Flatfold or semi side shields
• May be part of or attached to the temple
• Are permanent or removable
• Are solid or ventilated
• Are tinted or clear
• Full (cup) Side ShieldsFull (cup) side shields
  may be
• Removable
• Wire screen
• Tinted or clear

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Types of Glasses

• Safety eyewear protection includes
• Non-prescription and prescription safety glasses
• Goggles
• Face shields
• Welding helmets
• Full-face respirators
• Spoggles
• Specific Protection Requirements for
• Flying Objects
• Chemical Splash
• Heat Sparks
• Abrasive Blasting
• Optical Radiation

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What should I know about the fit and care of
safety glasses?

• Ensure your safety glasses fit properly. Eye
  size, bridge size and temple length all vary.
  Safety glasses should be individually assigned
  and fitted.
• Wear safety glasses so that the temples fit
  comfortably over the ears. The frame should be as
  close to the face as possible and adequately
  supported by the bridge of the nose.

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Safety glasses need maintenance

• Clean your safety glasses daily. Scratches impair
  vision and can weaken lenses.
• Store your safety glasses in a clean, dry place
  where they cannot fall or be stepped on.
• Replace scratched, pitted, broken, bent or
  ill-fitting glasses. Damaged glasses interfere
  with vision and do not provide protection.
• Damaged parts should only be replaced with
  identical parts from the original manufacturer to
  ensure the same safety rating.

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What are the common causes of eye injuries?

• Common causes for eye injuries are
• Flying objects (bits of metal, glass)
• Tools
• Particles (Dust)
• Chemicals
• Harmful radiation
• Any combination of these or other hazards

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Workplace Injuries

• Eye injuries represent 11 of all injuries in the
  construction industry today.
• 80 of injuries occur because glasses were not
  being worn at the time of the accident.

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Why is eye safety at work important?

• More than 2,000 people injure their eyes at work
  each day.
• About 1 in 10 injuries require one or more missed
  workdays to recover from.
• 10-20 will cause temporary or permanent vision
  loss.
• The right eye protection could have lessened the
  severity or prevented 90 of eye injury
  accidents.
• The financial cost of eye injuries is more than
  300 million per year in lost production time,
  medical expenses, and workers compensation.

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What is my best defense against an eye injury?

• There are three things you can do to help prevent
  an eye injury
• Know the eye safety dangers at work-complete an
  eye hazard assessment
• Eliminate hazards before starting work. Use
  machine guarding, work screens, or other
  engineering controls)
• Always use proper eye protection.

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What type of safety eye protection should I wear?

• The type of safety eye protection you should wear
  depends on the hazards in your workplace.
• If you are working in an area that has particles,
  flying objects, or dust, you must at least wear
  safety glasses with side protection (side
  shields).
• If you are working with chemicals, you should
  wear goggles.
• If you are working near hazardous radiation
  (welding, lasers, or fiber optics) you must use
  special-purpose safety glasses, goggles, face
  shields, or helmets designed for that task.

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An Eye Saved

• The safety glasses definitely saved his eyesight
  and possibly even his life!
• The staple hit with such force that the frames
  were cracked and he received bruising on the
  eyebrow and cheekbone.