Every year, it's estimated that there are over 20,000 work-related eye injuries. And these injuries cost $300 million every year in worker compensation, medical fees, and lost productivity.

Thankfully, many of these injuries are preventable with the proper use of eye protection. However, there are different types of eye protection for different situations.

Interested in learning more? Continue reading and we'll walk you through everything you need to know.

Know What the Eye Safety Hazards at Your Workplace Are

The first thing you have to think about when considering eye protection is what safety hazards you're likely to encounter. Mechanical risks include hazards caused by tools and machines that can generate sharp and dangerous particles.

There are also UV radiation and light risks that can occur from operations like welding. Chemical risks include all foreign materials, such as chemical splashes, liquids, dust, and gas. Intense heat and hot liquids are also things to consider.

Lens Coatings

The functionality and acceptability of Rx and non-Rx safety goggles are improved by lens coatings. If you want to use your safety goggles in an enviroment that's humid, you might need to get goggles with an anti-fog coating. This would stop condensation so you won't have to keep wiping the fog off of your goggles.

Hard coatings can help make your lenses scratch resistant.

Understand the Types of Lens Materials and Safety Eyeglasses

After you've identified what the potential safety hazards are, you next need to know about the different types of safety eyeglasses and how much protection they actually offer. Eye protection is usually classified as either safety goggles or safety glasses.

Depending on what your lens material is, safety goggles and glasses can keep your eyes protected from optical radiation, flying particles and radiation, and glare due to visible radiation. Optical glass, polycarbonate, NXT polyurethane, acrylic are commonly used materials for safety eyewear.

Polycarbonate is light in weight and is scratch and impact resistant. NXT Polyurethane is extremely lightweight and provides fantastic clarity.

Acrylic is inexpensive and resistant to solvents. Lastly, optical glass provides vision that's distortion-free and is very scratch resistant.

Lens Tints

If you're working in an environment with high optical radiation risk then you'll probably want tinted lenses. These tints can protect against UV radiation or just reduce the intensity of light.

Design and Comfort

The two aspects will play an important part in how receptive employees are of their safety goggles. The eye protection should be designed ergonomically so that they can be worn comfortably for long periods of time. They should also be light in weight.

The Importance of Knowing How to Choose the Best Eye Protection

Wearing eye protection in a potentially hazardous workplace is crucial. However, it's important that the right kind of eye protection is being used. By knowing how to choose the right type of eye protection, your business and your workers will benefit.

Are you looking for quality safety glasses for your employees? If so, contact us today and see what we can do for you!