Don't Forget Your Safety Glasses

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it is estimated that approximately 2000 people in the United States alone require emergency medical treatment for eye injuries. This number isn't per week, per month or per year, it is per day. Wearing safety glasses would significantly reduce these injuries since the majority is caused by particles or objects hitting and scratching the eye. They can include metal slivers, wood, dust, cement pieces that can actually penetrate and lodge in the tissue, sometimes resulting in a permanent loss of vision in the eye.

Wearing safety glasses should be habit that anyone working with any type of tool, spray, sharp object or equipment automatically develops. There are many, many different styles of glasses to consider and you don't need to go to the extremes if you aren't working in a high risk workplace. However, it is important to use safety approved glasses, not just sun, prescription or reading glasses. While these do offer protection from objects coming straight at the eye they provide no protection from objects potentially striking the eye from the top, bottom or side.

Safety glasses can look like aviator glasses or they can be more like a wraparound type of look. They have thicker, stronger arms than standard glasses and they need to be worn closer to the eye, protecting the bottom and top of the eye from objects and particles that could be shot from a grinder, saw, chisel or even by a sander or router type of tool. Unlike traditional glasses they also don't typically have the nose pieces, rather they have a universal nose bridge to cover the corner of the eye as well as provide less pressure on the nose for increased comfort.

There are tinted glasses if you don't want to go with a clear lens. These are a great idea if you work outside or find that the glare from fluorescent type lights is too bright when you are working. As with the clear lens, the lens itself is scratch resistant, ensuring that the glasses can be used for a long period of time without need for replacement. For those who already wear glasses, models that slide over your current glasses to provide much more comprehensive protection are available. They are very lightweight and won't leave you feeling like you are wearing two pairs of standard glasses.

Some of the new styles of protective eyewear are really fashion forward. They are not at all like those clunky types of safety glasses you had to wear in chemistry lab in high school. There are silver mirror lens models that have various colored frames that are great for outdoor work where debris and dirt can be a problem. Adding spring or flexible wraparound arms over the temples and a neck cord to keep the glasses easy to slip on and off is a great way to make sure you are both comfortable and safe no matter where you may be working or what type of equipment you have to be on or around.

Having a pair of safety glasses in your shop, at your workstation and even in your house is a good idea. They are very low cost, most under ten dollars, and are a simple way to ensure that you don't become an eye injury statistic. There are also styles that fit children and getting them started early using protective eyewear is an excellent idea.