Safety Glasses

Choosing a lens tint

Clear lenses are the default for indoor work, plant rooms, workshops and anything after dark, because they take nothing away from the light already there. Smoke lenses cut glare and suit outdoor work in bright conditions, but they are the wrong choice indoors or at dusk. Mirror and light mirror lenses sit between the two: the coating reflects some of the light off the front of the lens, which helps around glazing, water or fresh concrete.

Anyone moving between inside and outside through a shift is better off with a clear pair and a tinted pair than with one compromise between them.

Coatings and what they do

Polycarbonate scratches, so an anti-scratch coating is what decides how long a pair stays usable in a tool bag. An anti-fog coating delays the lens misting when the wearer is working hard, moving between temperatures, or wearing a mask. UV400 on a lens means it blocks ultraviolet up to 400 nanometres, which covers both UVA and UVB.

Fit and coverage

A spectacle only protects the part of the eye it covers. A wrap-around frame carries the lens round towards the temple, so it takes debris arriving from the side as well as the front and sits closer to the face. Check that the arms clear ear defenders and that the frame does not lift the seal of a mask, because eye protection that fights the rest of the PPE ends up not being worn.

Spectacles or goggles

Safety spectacles deal with impact from the front and are comfortable enough to wear all day. Where the risk is dust, liquid splash or work overhead, a safety goggle that seals to the face is the right level of protection.