Safety glasses are a vital part of eye protection when protecting you from hazards in the workplace. There are many options to choose from when it comes to the safety glasses available and individual needs.
There are many styles, but tint is an important consideration as well. Your working situation will depend on the tint that you want in your safety glasses, if you require any tint at all.
Here is a brief rundown of the various lens styles:
Clear lenses are usually used for general purpose. Polarized lenses are used for outdoor tasks. Normal to low light conditions usually requires clear lenses even in some outdoor conditions. Clear lenses are highly functional and lower cost. With clear lenses, you have true color recognition, which helps to increase safety and perception in the workplace.
Indoor/outdoor lenses are a light enough tint to wear indoors, but are dark enough to wear in the light. These are lighter than a gray lens. Which are ideal for a person who switches from working inside to outside.
Polarized lenses are ideal for outdoors jobs. They block reflective glare so that the eye can see more clearly. They also prevent eye fatigue. Glare can be produced from many factors such as sun, snow, water, cement, and other areas that can cause blind spots. These can be hazardous. These blind spots are prevented by blocking glare.
Amber lenses are used in low light. These help the eye see with the use of enhanced contrast. These lenses are great for workers who are working at dawn and dusk, in hazy conditions, or if it is an overcast day. They are not recommended for driving at night or in brightly lit areas. Gray lenses are great for sunny, outdoor environments. These are often used in landscaping, transportation, construction, utility work, aviation, and more.
Mirror lenses help protect from light, but offer an extra feature. Mirror lenses reflect light that reduces what actually passes through the lens.
Blue lenses are utilized in environments where there are high levels of sodium vapor, yellow lighting, and glare. Conditions like this are found in food processing plants and the semi-conductor industry.
Orange lenses offer workers great contrast and image resolution in low levels of light. They offer high visibility. They are great for target shooting and other activities where clarity is necessary.
Certain types of Green lenses block infrared light. These are necessary for welders. They are usaully the darkest lenses available.
You can buy anti-fog coated lenses. These are great when working in humidity, or working in on extreme environment to the others. You can get this feature on most safety glasses.
It needs to be decided whether you need glasses that have side protection. If you wear glasses, there are goggle style and wrap around glasses so that your eyes are protected all the way around. If you have any question about what you need to be safe in the workplace, ask your supervisor. OSHA sets standards as to what eyewear is appropriate for individual working environments.
