Safety Glasses and Goggles

Safety glasses and goggles help protect eyes from injury. Chemicals, dust, metal or wood chips from work or home projects can injure unprotected eyes.

Safety glasses, goggles, and face shields are the basic types of eye protection devices. Most are available from hardware or safety supply stores. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) sets the criteria for safety glasses. All safety eyewear that meets their criteria is marked with "ANSI Z87."

Safety glasses are similar to regular eyeglasses, but have impact-resistant lenses. Choose a pair with side panels to provide additional protection. You can get plain lenses or prescription lenses.

When you need protection from above and below as well as the side, use goggles instead of glasses. Goggles provide better protection. They fit snugly around each eye, and protect from dust, fumes, and chemical splashes.

Face shields protect the face as well as the eyes against impact from the front only. They do not offer good protection from the sides. Face shields can be used along with goggles for greater protection.

Sports goggles come in many shapes and sizes for different sports. Lenses and frames are usually made of polycarbonate. This is a material that is 10 times more impact-resistant than regular glasses. Most frames come with rubber padding to cushion the frame where it comes in contact with the head or the nose.

Use protective eyewear when you:

saw lumber
use a power sander or grinder
hammer anything
work overhead
weld
work underneath an automobile
mow, trim, or edge the lawn
scrape old paint from a wall and
work with dust or chemicals that give off vapors or may splash into the eyes.

Take the time to prevent injury to your eyes. Invest in the proper safety equipment and wear it each and every time.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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