Framing the Best Eye Protection With Safety Glasses
There are many things to consider when purchasing safety glasses for yourself or your employees. This article explores aspects of the safety frames that should be considered.
Proper eye protection is important for employee’s health and safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that more than 700,000 Americans injure their eyes at work every year. Effective safety eye protection is also key to keeping healthcare costs down for employers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans miss approximately 37,000 days of work because of eye injuries. These injuries cost employers nearly $300 million annually.
Reports also indicate that up to 90% of eye injuries in the workplace can be prevented with the proper safety eyewear. There is no single perfect solution when it comes to safety eyewear. Every person is physically different and has unique vision needs. Additionally, one’s job tasks, needs, and work environment should be considered when choosing protective safety glasses. Prescription safety lenses are covered in a separate article on this site. This article reviews considerations when choosing prescription safety frames.
Proper eye protection is important for employee’s health and safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that more than 700,000 Americans injure their eyes at work every year. Effective safety eye protection is also key to keeping healthcare costs down for employers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans miss approximately 37,000 days of work because of eye injuries. These injuries cost employers nearly $300 million annually.
Reports also indicate that up to 90% of eye injuries in the workplace can be prevented with the proper safety eyewear. There is no single perfect solution when it comes to safety eyewear. Every person is physically different and has unique vision needs. Additionally, one’s job tasks, needs, and work environment should be considered when choosing protective safety glasses. Prescription safety lenses are covered in a separate article on this site. This article reviews considerations when choosing prescription safety frames.
OSHA and ANSI Eyewear Safety Standard
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Safety glasses can only be considered protective eyewear if both the frames and lenses meet certain requirements established by OSHA and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). OSHA enforces occupational health and safety standards. ANSI is the body that sets manufacturing standards for various products including prescription safety glasses frames to ensure they meet a minimum level of effectiveness. Prescription frames require size markings on the frames and temples per ANSI Z80.5-2010. All safety markings for ANSI Z87.1 must be clearly and permanently marked on the frame or lens. Product markings are visible on safety frames and identify protection levels in the following areas:
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Other Things to Consider
It’s important to consider the fit of safety frames or safety goggles when choosing appropriate protective prescription safety glasses. If prescription safety glasses or protective goggles do not fit properly, they will not provide the appropriate level of protection, and workers are less likely to wear them.
There are thousands of prescription frames and protective goggle options available.
In order to guarantee the best eye protection is provided to employees, the following should be considered:
There are thousands of prescription frames and protective goggle options available.
In order to guarantee the best eye protection is provided to employees, the following should be considered:
- Know potential hazards for the work environment
- Frame fit: Pick frames based on face shape, size, frame fit and wide selection of options
- Choose appropriate prescription safety lenses if RX safety glasses are needed
- Where to buy: Safety eyewear benefits should by fast and easy for safety managers to administer. Employees should receive service and quality eyewear options in a convenient setting.
Know Potential Hazards
Employers in the United States must comply with the OSHA personal protective equipment (PPE) standard (29 CFR 1910.132) and the eye and face standard (29 CFR 1910.133). These standards guide selection, use and maintenance of protective glasses. OSHA requires a worksite assessment be conducted to determine if hazards are present. The hazards assessment also determines the appropriate type of eyewear to use for the identified hazards. The most common hazards include:
- impact
- intense light/ radiation
- chemicals - including splashes and droplets
- particulate - such as dust and other airborne substances
Frame Kit
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Compliance with wearing their protective safety glasses is key to keeping employee safe from workplace hazards and employers see greater compliance with protective safety glasses when they fit and are comfortable to wear. Proper fit is one of the most important aspects of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) compliance. A person’s gender, age, bone structure, weight, and ethnicity all impact the shape and size of one’s face. Head and face shapes are different, impacting which safety frames will provide adequate coverage while still being comfortable for wearers.
While there are many options to buy safety glasses online, buying safety glasses online can make it difficult to evaluate fit and comfort. We always recommend for employees to work with a qualified optical professional to guide them through the fitting process. These professionals will insure each person gets safety glasses that fit properly and are comfortable to wear while also meeting the safety standards for their work environment. This optical professional can also recommend appropriate prescription safety lenses if a vision correction is needed. Recognizing one’s face shape is a good place to start when looking at prescription safety frames. Face shape influences the wearability and comfort of safety glasses. There are five basic face shapes: square, heart, oval, pear and round. Many safety frames are prescription ready. When choosing the appropriate RX safety glasses, the following table provides insight to frame styles and shapes to consider when choosing appropriate prescription safety frames. |
Once a desired and qualifying frame is selected, employees should take the following steps in order to test the frame feel and fit. It is important for the chosen frame to fit securely on the employee’s face and provide the necessary level of eye coverage and protection.
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Choose Appropriate Prescription Safety Lenses
For employees that also require vision corrective lenses, the prescription safety lenses need to be ANSI rated. This means the optical lenses must meet the requirements set by ANSI standard Z87 for impact and other eye hazards. Please see our article on prescription safety lenses for more specifics. (make link)
Where to Purchase Optical Prescription Safety Frames and Safety Lenses
Are you responsible for your employee safety glasses program? If yes, it is important to partner with a vendor that saves you time and money, while providing your employees appropriate eyewear in a convenient setting. With the Bridge Vision Prescription Safety Glasses Program, you can be up and running in 5 minutes. It’s the easiest and most convenient program available!
Bridge Vision is great for employees too. Our digital payment cards clearly identify what the employees prescription safety lens and frame benefits are. And our nationwide network of Walmart Vision Centers is easy to access and offer evening and weekend hours. Finally, Walmart Vision Centers offer a wide variety of men’s and women’s safety frames to meet the unique requirements and style of your employees. Our partnership with Walmart Vision Centers provides free professional safety frame and lens fittings by optical professionals. Your employees will appreciate the personalized attention, making sure they receive the best eye protection.
In addition, companies that switch to the Bridge Vision Prescription Safety Program save 20%-40% on average compared to their previous program. Learn how easy it is to protect your employee’s vision with Bridge Vision.
Bridge Vision is great for employees too. Our digital payment cards clearly identify what the employees prescription safety lens and frame benefits are. And our nationwide network of Walmart Vision Centers is easy to access and offer evening and weekend hours. Finally, Walmart Vision Centers offer a wide variety of men’s and women’s safety frames to meet the unique requirements and style of your employees. Our partnership with Walmart Vision Centers provides free professional safety frame and lens fittings by optical professionals. Your employees will appreciate the personalized attention, making sure they receive the best eye protection.
In addition, companies that switch to the Bridge Vision Prescription Safety Program save 20%-40% on average compared to their previous program. Learn how easy it is to protect your employee’s vision with Bridge Vision.
