In today’s digital environment, one of the expected significant innovations we have seen within the prescription safety glasses online market is how the service is given, more so than used to protect the eyes. Of course, quality is always supreme. However, we consider how the service is delivered and managed is now seen as the primary buying consideration.
Why risk losing valuable eyesight when wearing safety glasses or protective goggles that can keep your eyes safe for a lifetime of good sight? Because experts say proper protective eyewear could block up to 90 percent of all eye injuries, you might want to discover more about the safety glasses and goggles that suit your lifestyle at best.
How do prescription safety glasses and goggles deviate from regular eyeglasses?
Safety eyewear must adhere to a higher standard of impact protection than regular eyeglasses, which optical professionals sometimes name “dress eyewear.” This higher standard pertains to both the lenses and the frames of prescription safety glasses and goggles.
There are two safety glasses: prescription safety glasses and non-prescription (also called “plano” safety glasses.)
Regardless of their size or the persistence of the frame and lenses, regular prescription eyeglasses do not pass as safety glasses unless they meet particular criteria.
ANSI standards for prescription safety glasses:
Updated ANSI safety eyewear standards incorporate the following key points:
- For the basic collision tests, lenses are tested separately (not mounted in a frame). For the high-impact analysis, the structure and lenses are tested together as a unit.
- Non-prescription lenses employed for high impact testing are considered structurally weaker than prescription lenses made of the same material; the prescription lenses are usually thicker.
- Thinner prescription safety lenses are now acknowledged if they meet the high-impact testing requirements. (Earlier, all prescription safety lenses had to have the most negligible thickness of 3 mm, making them significantly thicker and heavier than standard eyeglass lenses.)
- Safety lenses now have two groups of performance: essential impact and high impact.
- The “drop ball” test defines the primary impact safety classification for lenses. In this test, a one-inch width steel ball is dropped onto the lens from a height of 50 inches. To pass, the lens must not break, chip, or crack. All glass safety lenses must withstand this test. However, only an analytical sample of a large batch of lenses needs to be tested for plastic safety lenses.
- In high-impact testing, a high-velocity test is done by shooting a quarter-inch diameter steel ball at the eyeglass at a velocity of 150 feet by second. To pass, the lens must not shatter, chip or break, and it must not become ousted from the lens holder.
How to assess prescription safety glasses and goggles?
Plus symbol. To determine if a lens has crossed the high-velocity test described above, look for the “+” sign that indicates its approval at high collision.
“V” and “S” mark. Other lens signings that appear on safety lenses are “V” (symbolizing the lens is photochromic) and “S” (conferring the lens has a unique tint). In some cases, a sign may also be noted on a shaded safety lens to indicate how much the shade diminishes light transmittance.
Examination of frames for premium safety eyeglasses:
Frames for safety glasses are examined using the same criteria, whether they will be used in a fundamental impact or high impact applications. Frame tests include:
- High-velocity impact: In this test, a one-inch diameter steel projectile weighing 17.6 ounces is released within a tube from a height of 50 inches onto a safety lens attached in a frame. The frame is “worn” by an imitation head form. To pass, the frame must fully clutch the lens, and no piece can become separated from the frame component’s interior surface that holds the lenses.
- Endurance: Safety frames must also give a flammability-resistance test, a corrosion-resistance test, and other durability tests.
This test involves igniting a quarter-inch steel ball at the lens and frame at a velocity of 150 feet per second from a range of just under 10 inches. The test is replicated multiple times (each time with a new frame and lens) at different angles and impact positions. The pass tests are the same as for the high mass impact test.
When assessing the type of eye protection, a person should consider the following:
- The safety eyewear’s ability to shield against explicit workplace accidents.
- The safety eyewear should outfit properly and be suitable to wear.
- Prescription safety glasses must present unrestricted vision and movement.
- The safety eyewear should be long-lasting and can be cleaned easily.
- The safety eyewear should not conflict with or restrict the function of any other PPE a person uses.
Which lens material is the most suitable for prescription safety glasses?
The most prevalent lens material for safety eyewear is polycarbonate. This material has less than half the density of glass, so the eyewear is more convenient. Polycarbonate lenses are also more impact-resistant compared to glass eyepieces.
Remember that polycarbonate is a much more flexible lens material than glass. Even with a scratch-resistant layer, polycarbonate lenses will scratch more quickly than glass lenses.
Anti-reflective coating (or AR coating) diminishes distracting lens reflections and may be useful for certain activities that require safe eyewear. But be aware that AR coating may alter the impact resistance of particular lenses, so collision resistance tests must happen after the coating is applied. Your eye care professional may require confirmation that the optical lab did indeed test the lenses properly for impact protection after using the layer.
Your eyesight is valuable. Regardless of whether you necessitate non-prescription safety eyewear or prescription safety glasses, the expense you make to shield your eyes and vision will pay returns as you reduce your risk of sight-threatening damage.
There was always the fear of a complex and time-consuming process with contriving a prescription safety glasses service. People necessitate uniformity and efficient services, and rightly so. With this in mind, Rx Safety Glasses Canada turned focused on how prescription protective eyewear glasses get delivered to the market.