Do workers really need to wear safety glasses? According to organization Prevent Blindness America, the answer is a resounding, “Yes!” The organization estimates that more than 700,000 workplace accidents in the US every year result in employees injuring their eyes, while another 125,000 eye-related accidents occur in the home. Yet another 40,000 US children injure their eyes playing sports, and those are only the accidents that are reported.
The saddest part about it is that many, if not most, of these injuries could have been prevented had the injured person been wearing safety glasses. Unlike prescription eyeglasses or sunglasses, safety glasses or safety goggles must adhere to a higher standard of impact resistance. This standard applies to both the lenses and the frames of the glasses.
An Easy Solution to Reduce Injuries
In most cases, safety glasses have non-prescription lenses and can be used by anybody regardless of the quality of their vision. Their purpose is to protect the eye from injury caused by impact with objects or liquids. Specialized safety eye gear can also be used to protect eyes from intense light — such as the sun’s rays or laser or the glare from an arc weld — or from caustic chemicals.