Page 78 - OHS, June 2022

PPE: VISION PROTECTION
How Technology is Changing the Safety Eyewear Market
Understanding the variety of eyewear on the market can help you to choose the most beneficial pair for your employees.
BY JULIEANN BILLINGS-RIORDAN
When you think of eye safety protection, many think about uncomfortable eyewear that blurs vision, fogs up, falls off your nose and requires constant readjustment. For those who need or choose to wear safety eyewear, technology is helping solve those pain points and advance the safety eyewear industry faster than ever.
Today’s safety glasses offer a wide range of functions from anti-fog to category- specific lenses designed by people who wear safety eyewear and are committed to the highest comfort and function standards. Whether you are a forklift driver working in a factory with LED lighting, construction operator working outdoors, or behind a computer absorbing blue light from your monitor all day long, there are lenses available for any environment—all with the ability to protect your eyes
When choosing safety eyewear, it’s important to consider both the frame and lenses. The equipment should first and foremost protect from the risks inherent to the task at hand, such as chemical, mechanical, radiation or other hazards. This can be identified through the mandatory markings on any ANSI Z87+ safety eyewear.
More than the lens itself, however, the industry has a new approach to how it develops safety eyewear. One of the biggest changes is there is a greater emphasis on category-specific features and benefits tailored to varying skilled trades.
Ideally, the wearer should forget they are wearing safety eyewear at all, when donning a pair of glasses that combine optimum lenses and frames. For example, there are eyewear manufacturers developing technologically advanced frames and lenses that go through much testing, research, and development with the goal of ensuring the best experience for anyone who wears safety glasses— from first responders to office workers trying to reduce their blue light exposure.
You may be surprised at just how helpful, comfortable, and functional your safety eyewear can be.
72 Occupational Health & Safety | JUNE 2022
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“If glasses don’t fit comfortably, or they impair vision in any way, people just don’t wear them when they are supposed to be wearing them,” said Brian Barry, vice president of sales at Bollé Safety. “How many times have you seen people walking around with their safety glasses perched on top of their head?”
Safety eyewear is becoming more user-friendly, with industry-specific research and development. Now, those who work in the industrial, tactical and healthcare industries, as well as those who work in cleanrooms, can find eyewear made specifically for them. Within these segments, users will find a range of features specific to their industry with options for
prescription glasses, as well. Now, the safety eyewear market is even more versatile.
For those working outside, anti-fog and anti-scratch technology is one way the industry is making improvements to the safety eyewear market. Improved filtering technology is another area that the eye protection industry is seeing dramatic improvements.
Manufacturers have been working on advancing visual comfort by optimizing contrast and improving color perception. There are many lens tints available in a wide range of glasses and goggles, which ensures workers have optimal visual coverage to almost all work environments. It enhances the wearer’s sight, improves
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