Safety Glasses For Laboratories: Get Full Protection
Laboratories can be very dangerous locations, with chemicals and hazardous materials all around us - many of which we are unaware of. No matter how careful we are, accidents do happen so it is essential that we prepare ourselves for any potential dangers that may occur whilst working in a laboratory.
One of the most important things we need to protect are our eyes. Eyes are incredibly delicate and highly susceptible to damage. The tiniest chemical splash in our eye can cause permanent blindness that is so easily avoided. Safety glasses in the lab are essential, and with so many options at such a small price there is no excuse to compromise the future of your vision.
Whilst most employers should supply any workers in hazardous situations with safety glasses free of charge, there is no harm in researching and purchasing your own safety glasses for the lab to be sure that you have the maximum protection available - after all they are your eyes and shouldn't be put into anyone else's hands.
The ANSI (American National Standards Institute) oversees lab safety glasses in the USA. All lab safety glasses must pass rigorous testing processes and adhere to strict standards before being able to be sold.
Recently the ANSI created two main categories for safety glasses: basic impact and high impact. These two levels refer to the amount of impact each can handle before breaking. Most people only require basic impact safety glasses, however in a laboratory environment you should purchase the maximum protection available to ensure you are safe under all circumstances. Basic impact frames have a Z87 marking on the lenses, and high impact lab safety glasses have a Z87+ marking on both the frames and lenses. If your lab safety glasses do not have Z87+ rating then you may not be protected adequately.
Safety glasses for labs come with a range of different options to suit the needs of different people working in various environments and situations. You will be given an option of choosing a lens coating, one of the most popular is an anti-fog coating that ensure you have clear vision even in high temperature and humid environments. Most of the top brands of lab safety glasses offer an anti-fog coating option - many have it included automatically on all glasses. Anti-scratch coatings are also a good choice, particularly in environments where you work with highly abrasive materials as it can help prolong the life of your safety glasses. Anti-static lab safety glasses coatings are great for keeping your lenses clean as it helps minimize dust and particles being attracted to them. Whilst most lab safety glasses have a UV protective coating as standard, some do not, so you may choose to have a UV protective coating added as an extra to further protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays if you work outdoors.
* AO SUNGLASSES are NOT ANSI Z87.1-2003 safety glasses
As well as lens coatings you also have an option of lens colors for your lab safety glasses. Different lens colors and tints provide various benefits that may be helpful to you in certain work environments. For general indoor lab environments, clear safety lenses are perfectly adequate. Gray tinted lenses are a good choice for those that work outdoors and want to minimize the brightness of the sun as well as glare as this can cause fatigue and eye strain. For those that work both indoors and outdoors you should purchase indoor/outdoor lenses for your lab safety glasses. These are clear lenses with a slight mirror coating on them that still allows in the majority of light whilst indoors but acts as a gray tinted lens whilst outdoors. Other color options include: dark green, gold, blue, brown, amber, and vermillion - each with different purposes. Other types of lab safety glasses lenses include those that can block out certain light such as infrared radiation that can be emitted whilst working with materials such as molten metal. Different shades are available for different levels of infrared radiation ranging from 1.5 for torch soldering up to 8 for gas welding.
There are a whole range of brands that stock safety glasses for the lab, so you will have plenty to choose from. Some of the most popular brands include: Pyramex, AO Safety and Uvex.
