Safety goggles are Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) designed to protect workers from occupational hazards that can cause eye damage. Safety glasses are part of these PPE, along with other elements such as screens (face shields) and other combined equipment.
At Reysan we provide you with all these options in our Safety Glasses section.
In this post we will focus on the types of safety glasses, which we have classified according to their risks and design, as does the National Institute of Safety and Hygiene at Work.
By type of risk
Risks that can affect vision and cause injury are divided into mechanical and non-mechanical risks.
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Mechanical hazards
These are the risks to which employees are exposed who are exposed to the projection of particles, collision with static objects, cuts in agricultural and forestry work or burns due to contact with molten solids.
The most common are impacts by particles and objects and coarse dust in suspension.
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Non-mechanical hazards
These risks are very diverse and include chemical and biological risks, projection or splashing of liquids, damage in environments contaminated by gases or fine dust, thermal, electrical and radiation..
The most common are chemicals (fine dust, aerosols, liquids, fumes, vapors and gases) and radiation (classified by wavelength).
By Design
The design of the glasses and their area of coverage are the second point for the classification of the glasses as PPE:
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Universal frame glasses
The frame of universal glasses is very similar to those of glasses to correct vision problems. However, their lenses are secured for each of the risks, and may even be equipped with side shields. They are usually held by sideburns.
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Full frame glasses
In this case, the frame and side shields form a single piece. They are usually held in place by elastic bands.
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Bowl type goggles
Like the integral ones, the lateral protection and the frame form a single piece, with the particularity that the cup glasses enclose each eye separately. They are also held in place with elastic bands and the cups are usually attached by means of a rigid nasal bridge.
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Adaptive glasses
These spectacles have frames that can be adapted to the face and are especially recommended for work where tightness is required. They are held in place by elastic bands.
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Supplement spectacles
As their name suggests, these glasses are the supplement for others, to which they are generally attached with hinges and small hooks. They are very common as a double frame in universal and integral glasses.
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Screens
Finally, the screens are a face shield that is generally used in electrical welding jobs. They are formed by an opaque frame to the radiations, in which the necessary glasses are incorporated to see during the task, at the same time that the worker is protected.