A Guide to Eye Protection
Protective eyewear is an important part of any safety program. For such a seemingly simple piece of equipment, there are many factors that go into choosing eye protection.
As with any piece of safety equipment, you need to know what type of application the eye protection will be used in. One of your choices will depend on whether you're working in full light, low light, or around welding applications.
Determine if you need protection from flying particles, dust, or splash hazards. This will help you decide whether you need safety glasses or goggles.
Safety Glasses
Northern Safety provides a wide variety of safety glasses, including over-the-glass, to ensure an excellent choice of styles, frame features, and lens shades, colors, tints, and coatings.
Style
Single Lens
Provides a wide field of vision.
Over The Glass
Designed to be worn over prescription glasses.
Dual Lens
Closely resembles fashion eyewear.
Visitor
Economical eyewear protects visitors.Frame Features
It's easy to ensure compliance when safety eyewear fits your workers properly. Choose from adjustable, cushioned, or interchangeable temples, assorted nosepieces, flexible frames, smaller sizes, and much more!
Adjustable Temples
Allows length adjustments for comfort
Soft-Fit®
Soft, pliable rubber temples ensure a non-slip fit
Ratcheting Temples
Provides pivoting of the lens for optimum coverage
Cushioned
Padded ends relieve pressure points
Metal
Provides a wide field of vision
Nosepiece
Rubber nosepieces relieve pressure points
Interchangeable
Unique temples allow safety glasses to become dust goggles
Padded
Soft padding helps seal out dust and debris
Flexible
Tough frames stand up to rough handlingLenses
Safety glasses feature polycarbonate lenses that protect against UV rays and meet ANSI Z87.1-2003 impact-resistant standards. In some cases, manufacturers will put eyewear lenses through additional testing to meet Military Vo ballistic standards. These tests can represent impact energy up to 7 times greater than that of ANSI and CSA standards.
A wide variety of lenses are available for protection indoors, outdoors, and in special environments. Reader safety glasses are also available and provide eye protection while enhancing vision for reading and detail work.
Shades, Colors & Tints
Safety glasses feature polycarbonate lenses that protect against UV rays and meet ANSI Z87.1-2003 impact-resistant standards. In some cases, manufacturers will put eyewear lenses through additional testing to meet Military Vo ballistic standards. These tests can represent impact energy up to 7 times greater than that of ANSI and CSA standards.
A wide variety of lenses are available for protection indoors, outdoors, and in special environments. Reader safety glasses are also available and provide eye protection while enhancing vision for reading and detail work.
Indoor / Outdoor
Great for a variety of lighting conditions, indoors and outdoors
Mirrored
Ideal for outdoor work and provides anti-glare protection
Spectrum Control Technology
Reduces ultraviolet (UV), infrared, or blue light radiation hazards around welding sites
Amber
Reduces haze and blue light for brighter, clearer vision
Orange
For low light conditions, provides enhanced contrast
Green Shade 3.0 and 5.0
For use around welding, brazing, or cutting applications. Not for use when welding
Vermillion
Enhances contrast for examining metal and glass products
Blue
Ideal for work conditions with sodium vapor lighting and excessive glare
Polarized
Provides superior glare control for bright, sunny conditions
Espresso Brown
Use outdoors where sunlight and glare cause eye fatigue and strain
Photochromic
UV reactive lenses darken in bright outdoor lightCoatings
Lens coatings help ensure clear visibility and longer use.
Anti-Fog
Minimizes fogging in a variety of working conditions for better visibility.Hard Coat
Resists scratches for longer wear.Dura-streme™
Uvex's Dura-streme™ delivers Uvextreme® anti-fog protection on the inside of the lens to reduce foggning and Ultra-dura® hard coating on the outside of the lens for greater chemical and scratch resistance.Uvextreme®
Uvextreme® by Uvex is an anti-fog coating that also provides anti-scratch, anti-static and UV protection.Ultra-dura®
Ultra-dura® hard coat from Uvex is permanently bonded to the lens and is scratch-resistant and chemical-resistant.DX™
3M's unique DX™ coating helps lenses maintain clarity. Features anti-mist and anti-static properties, resists abrasion, and prevents chemical attack.Goggles
If you're looking for additional protection against wind, dust, or liquid splash, goggles may be what you need. Like safety glasses, goggles have impact resistant lenses and strong frames, but are designed to provide a seal around the entire eye area and protect against a variety of hazards. In addition, many goggles will fit comfortably over prescription eyewear. Goggles with protective cushioning around the frame deliver additional comfort, but protect against dust and dry particulates only. They should not be used where there is a threat of splash.
Venting
Venting refers to how the air is circulated over the interior surface of the lens. Goggles are available with two venting options, direct and indirect. Unvented goggles are also available for clean room applications.
Direct Venting
A series of holes allow a cool air flow while protecting against dry particulates.
Indirect Venting
Channels the air through an indirect path to prevent splash infiltration.Eyewear Accessories
Eyewear accessories make it easier to get the most out of your eye protection.
Eyewear Retainers
Eyewear neck cords make it easy and convenient to keep your safety glasses close at hand.
Eyewear Cases & Visor Clips
Cases and visor clips protect your safety glasses from scratches and breakage when they're not in use.
Sideshields
Sideshields provide limited side protection for prescription glasses & are available in clip-on or slip-on styles.
Dispensers
Clear acrylic dispensers provide convenient access to safety glasses.Lens Cleaning Products
Keep your field of vision clear with a supply of lens cleaners. Choose a lens cleaning station to keep in a central location, a supply of towelettes to keep in your pocket, or solutions and tissues.
Stations
Self-contained stations offer the convenience of having the cleaning solution and tissues in one central location.
Solutions & Tissues
In addition to convenient stations, solutions and tissues are available separately.
Towelettes
Extremely handy towelettes are pre-moistened, individually wrapped, and often packaged in a convenient dispenser box.More Information
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132 provides general requirements for personal protective equipment and 29 CFR 1910.133 provides requirements for eye and face protection.
Additional information is available through OSHA's eTool and Safety and Health Topics.
ANSI Z87.1-2003 provides criteria on the description, general requirements, testing, marking, selection, care, and use of personal eye and face protection to minimize or prevent injuries, from such hazards as impact, non-ionizing radiation and chemical type injuries. In areas such as occupational and educational environments including, machinery operations, material welding and cutting, chemical handling, assembly operations, and more.
CSA standard Z94.3-07 applies to eye and face protection used in all occupational and educational operations or processes involving hazards to the eyes or face.
Questions about Eye Protection?
Call our knowledgeable Technical Support Department at 1-800-571-4646, 8 am - 5 pm ET, Monday - Friday, or email us.
