Best Safety Glasses : Chosing The Right Pair Of Frames & Lenses
It's hard to imagine life without sight, however many people take this luxury for granted. We pay thousands to protect our belongings such as our cars, mobile phones and homes. But how much do we spend protecting our eyes?
Over 2000 work related eye injuries are reported every single day in the USA, most of which were construction workers. The majority of these injuries could have been prevented if they had worn safety glasses. Over 40,000 eye injuries are also sustained from sports. They are incredibly cheap to buy and come in a huge range of different styles and sizes so there are sure to be a pair that suit you.
Safety glasses are made for a variety of different purposes. Some safety glasses have an anti-scratch coating to make them extra hard against flying debris and dust. Others may have a UV coating to prevent from potentially harmful UV rays especially for those that spend a lot of time outdoors. Many safety glasses also have side protection or are designed in a wraparound style to prevent debris flying in from the sides as well as from the front. Others may protect eyes from hazardous materials such as chemicals.
They also come in a range of tints such as amber, blue, green and red-orange which can increase comfort for those working in certain light situations. Anti-fog can also be a great help if you are working in humid situations.
Before purchasing safety glasses, you must ensure that they have passed strict safety tests and meet the ANSI Z87.9 standards.
The best safety glasses for you depend on what your needs and requirements are from your glasses. For ultimate safety in your glasses you should look for the ‘+' mark on the glasses- as these indicate that the glasses can withstand high impacts. If you are after photochronic safety glasses you should look for the "V" mark on your glasses; and if you are after tinted glasses they should have an "S" marking on them. If the glasses do not have a marking on them saying that they have met the minimum safety standards they are not suitable.
The best safety glasses for use at work should be determined by your employer. Depending on your job the best safety glasses will differ depending on the level of impact you may receive from outside sources. Some of the occupations that will require high impact safety glasses include: carpenters, plumbers, machinists, millwrights and laborers. Some jobs may also require side protection. If you work for yourself it is best to choose glasses with the maximum safety levels to ensure that you are protected no matter what.
Some of the best safety glasses for all situations are the Outfitter 24 safety glasses from Global Vision. They have anti-fog lenses which can also change tint from yellow to smoke in daylight or dark conditions.
If you are looking to buy safety glasses for use around the home, it is also advised that you buy the maximum protection to cover you in all situations. The best safety glasses for use at home can be purchased from most hardware and sporting goods stores. However, if you require prescription safety glasses you must purchase these from an opticians. If you are looking for the best safety glasses for mowing the lawn, or using power tools around the house it is advised that you purchase safety glasses with side protection to prevent flying particles entering your eye.
* AO SUNGLASSES are NOT ANSI Z87.1-2003 safety glasses
If you are looking for the best safety glasses for use when playing sport, you should follow similar guidelines to those for use at the home. However, keep in mind that you should purchase comfortable, and padded safety glasses. Some of the best safety glasses for sport are made by RecSpecs. For hunting and shooting sports you should always purchase high impact safety glasses, and it is suggested that you get an anti-reflective coating to avoid distracting reflections. You can also purchase camouflage framed safety glasses specifically designed for hunting. Amber or yellow tints are also popular in some of the best safety glasses as these can enhance the contrast when shooting.
The best lens material for safety glasses is polycarbonate, as it is just half the weight of traditional glass frames and are a lot more impact-resistant. However, they do scratch more easily than glass, but anti-scratch coatings can be purchased.
