How to Choose the Right Eye Protection

There are hundreds of different types of eye protection available on the market, from safety goggles to face visors. Although at their basic level all of these items do protect your eyes from injury, you will still be at risk if you were to wear basic safety goggles to perform a welding task. When buying a pair of safety goggles, it’s important to match your choice of eye protection to the hazards that you will face at work.

The first thing to do is to check if a risk assessment has been carried out at your place of work as the type of eye protection you need will depend heavily on this. There are a wide range of tasks that pose a risk to your eyes and you might require a very specific type of eye protection.

Different types of eye protection include:

• Protection from impact - The most common type of risk. Where there is a risk of particle impact to your eyes from the materials that you're working with.
• Protection from glare - If you work in very bright conditions for long periods then it is important that your safety goggles offer protection from glare.
• Protection from contamination - If you work in a medical environment, there is a chance of you coming into contact with potential contaminants such as blood.
• Protection from temperature - Exposure to extreme temperatures, over long periods, can harm your eyes. Extreme temperatures can also reduce the effectiveness of your eye protection.
• Protection from chemicals - If you work with chemicals, there is usually an increased risk of splashes or harmful vapours that could damage your eyes.
• Protection from radiation - Without the proper eye protection, working with radioactive materials can put you at a high risk of radiation poisoning.

The frames and lenses of all safety goggles are etched with a series of letters and numbers, each corresponding to a different hazard that they can protect you against. You can learn about the different eyewear specifications by reading SafetyGoggles.co.uk Marking Guide.

You also need to consider yourself when purchasing eye protection. If you are going to be wearing your safety goggles for hours a day, every day, then you need to make sure that you are going to be comfortable and if you require prescription glasses then it is important that your safety goggles also allow for this. 

Check out the range of Eye Protection available at Work & Wear Direct. Including top brands such as JSP Safety and Beeswift.