Page 93 - Occupational Health & Safety, June 2017

from impact hazards, glare, and harmful light. Melter’s Goggles were also available for “steel melters” to protect their eyes from sparks, flying scale, and glare. Shortly thereafter, in 1940, American Optical pub- lished the first policy on the relationship between “Ophthalmic Professions to In- dustrial Safety and Visual Efficiency.”
It’s clear from the photos that the first safety eyewear was heavy and unquestion- ably ugly. It wasn’t until after the ANSI standards changed in 1979, and eyewear was no longer required to be certain shapes but could instead be designed in any form if it passed high-speed and high-impact tests, that safety glasses started to become more fashionable.
Modern Day Vision Protection
Many safety glasses today are compatible with other safety gear, such as welding hel- mets and hard hats, and companies such as 3M continue to invent new products that improve the overall effectiveness of vision protection for workers.
Since fogging is the number one prob- lem with safety eyewear cited by users— especially because the tighter the glasses fit, the more susceptible they become to fogging—companies have created anti-fog lens coatings that not only help maintain uninterrupted visibility, but also help in- crease productivity. Anti-fog coatings are designed for working in hot and humid conditions, on physically demanding tasks, and in climate-controlled areas. Many of today’s advanced lens coating technologies manipulate moisture through surfactants coated on the surface.
One such coating causes moisture drop- lets to flatten out and form a thin film, re- ducing the scattering of light and allowing workers to see more clearly. This advance- ment brings higher performance to safety eyewear by resisting fogging longer than traditional anti-fog coatings after washing multiple times—up to 25 washings. It is also more scratch-resistant than traditional anti-fog coatings.
Another common concern regarding safety eyewear today is comfort: ensuring a snug fit that protects eyes from particles but doesn’t become too tight around the temples, potentially prompting workers to want to remove them at times they should not. Many manufacturers have added com- fort features such as adjustable nose pieces,
side arms that can expand and lengthen based on head circumference, padding where the glasses rest on the ears and nose, and a lightweight design.
Many of today’s safety glasses are also available with a foam-lined gasket to help limit eye exposure to debris while provid- ing added comfort and cushioning. This also helps to reduce self-inflicted eye inju- ries that may occur when the worker rubs his or her eye due to debris falling into it, possibly resulting in a scratched cornea.
Today’s safety glasses are also available with gray-tinted and polarized lens to help reduce glare and reflections, respectively, as well as photochromic lenses that auto- matically adjust to UV rays from sunlight. In addition, they are available with built-in “reading lenses” at the bottom of the lens for close-up work, as well as prescription inserts for workers who prefer not to wear contacts or glasses while they work.
Conclusion
Eye protection is vital to safeguard your eyes and maintain healthy vision across a
wide variety of jobs. Wearing the correct protective eyewear for the task and for the unique needs of the worker is equally im- portant. It is important always to perform inspections as recommended in manufac- turer’s user instructions, including to in- spect eyewear daily for scratches that can impact the glasses’ effectiveness.
While anti-fog coating can help prolong the life of safety glasses, the best way to take care of them is by washing them with soap and water—or at least water—and then drying them with a soft tissue. Never rub them on or with jackets, shirts, or uniforms that may scratch them.
Today’s safety eyewear can be so light- weight and comfortable that at times work- ers don’t even notice they are wearing it once it’s on. It is also much more attractive and stylish, especially compared with eye- wear in the early twentieth century, leaving workers with even more reason to want to wear it.
Gilbert R. Igo is Global Manager Eyewear for the 3M Personal Safety Division.
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