For many professions, buying safety eyewear for employees – and ensuring that they use them – is an important decision and responsibility, so we have put together a checklist to help guide your evaluation and purchase of safety eyewear.
There are various categories and subtypes of safety eyewear, but they generally fall into either:
Safety Glasses and Goggles – These differ from regular glasses by the materials used in the frames and lenses, as well as having side protection. Glasses have side protection while goggles are sealed around the eyes on all four sides.
Helmets, Face Shields, Hoods and Respirator Face pieces – These include specialty helmets for welding, radiation, high heat, and those designed for use with respirators.
Some points to consider when evaluating and purchasing Safety Eyewear:
Determine your Safety Eyewear Needs – Some organizations have safety committees and/or captains, who can help with a hazard assessment to identify and evaluate your needs. There is a wide variety of safety eyewear, each with their own standards for materials, face coverage, impact and shatter resistance, heat and chemical protection etc.
Meet or Exceed Safety Standards – Verify that your shortlist meets or exceed CSA (Canadian Standards Association) standards and/or ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Z87.1-2003 – by certification marks and/or documentation from the manufacturer. As an example, for safety glasses one of the best lens materials is polycarbonate; frames are commonly made of nylon and/or polycarbonate, are designed to secure the lenses so they cannot be pushed into the eye upon impact.
Prescription Requirements – Determine if you want or need prescription Safety Eyewear. Some safety glasses can be made with Rx lenses and/or have inserts to hold Rx lenses; others do not have that option. Oversize goggles are also available to fit over regular glasses for occasional users. A licensed optician is the most valuable advisor to help determine the best result.
Clear Vision – Have your team try them on in various situations to ensure your employees have a full clear field of vision in their work environments.
Versatility – Will they be wearing them both indoors and outdoors? Daytime and evening? Some safety glasses come with built-in clear lenses, “sunglass” type dark lenses and/or interchangeable lenses. Prescription lenses are also available with photochromic (self-adjusting) tinted lenses.
Uniform and Equipment Compatibility – Ensure the Safety Eyewear fits well and does not interfere with other safety equipment and your organization’s uniform i.e. hard hats, face masks, caps etc.
Overall Costs – This is a reality for most organizations. If you need multiple prescription lenses for different lighting situations, i.e. tinted and non-tinted prescription lenses, you may need more than one pair per employee; some frames come in different sizes, requiring multiple stock keeping units – others come in a one size fits all frame.
Fit and Comfort – This point cannot be overstated! Safety eyewear should be comfortable for your team to wear; they will be less likely to wear them as specified and/or take them off periodically.
Your organization’s environment may have additional needs. Work together with your safety team, employees and safety eyewear providers to help determine and find the best solutions for your teams.
Some points to consider when evaluating and purchasing Safety Eyewear:
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