If you need prescription glasses and work in situations that pose risks to your eyes, you should wear prescription safety glasses to protect your eyes from dirt, debris, chemicals and other airborne hazards.
In Australia over 10,000 people are hospitalised due to eye injuries every single year.
And this is a growing trend, particularly on the worksite. Since 2018, there’s been a 41% increase in work-related eye injuries. So, from a simple perspective of avoiding eye injuries, wearing proper eye protection is the best thing you can do.
And don’t settle for cheap safety glasses. Prescription safety glasses give you the clarity of vision you get from your usual prescription glasses, with the added protection of high-quality safety glasses.
Can prescription glasses be used as safety glasses?
Everyday prescription glasses cannot be used as safety glasses as they do not meet safety specifications or certifications to protect your eyes.
Your safety glasses should be ones that have been tested and certified for medium impact protection. This means they can stand up to tough punishment with no penetration. If something heavy flies up and hits you in the eye, your eyes are safe.
In Australia, side protection is mandatory on safety glasses, which standard prescription glasses don’t have.
What are prescription safety glasses?
Prescription safety glasses are safety glasses made with your prescription lens. Plus they also meet Australian safety standards.
The most important aspect of any pair of safety glasses, is to make sure they’re certified to AS/NZS 1337.1+ safety standards. Look out for this when you’re choosing your pair.
Consider comfort and fit
If your safety glasses are comfortable, you’re way more likely to keep them on. Make sure you try them on to make sure they're comfortable to wear.
Find the right lenses
You'll need to pick lenses that are best suited to what you're doing all day. Choose a polarised lens or tinted lens for outside, a clear lens for indoors or a photochromic lens if you're doing a bit of both!
Protect your eyes
Safety glasses act as a barrier between your eyes and potential hazards, they help prevent –
• Acute Injuries: Cuts, punctures, or foreign objects entering the eye.
• Long-Term Damage: From prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light or eye strain
Construction sites are the leading cause of workplace eye injuries in Australia, making safety glasses an absolute essential for construction workers.
If you’re handling any sort of chemical, whether it's in a lab or cleaning up on-site, even a small stray splash could cause some serious eye damage. Your safety glasses are a necessity.
In healthcare or any job involving blood and bodily fluids, safety eyewear prevents infections and contamination.
Your eyesight isn’t something you can replace, wearing safety glasses should be a no-brainer. So next time you step on-site, make sure your safety glasses are on. Your future self will thank you.
SafeStyle safeties are stylish safety glasses that can accommodate prescriptions AND they’re comfortable. Prescription safety glasses give you both clear vision and solid protection.
See Optometry stock this Australian made range of safeties and can sort out your prescription lenses for the safeties. SafeStyle glasses are available in multiple lens options, including clear, tinted, polarised, photochromic, and blue light blocking lenses, to suit whatever you face 'from the worksite to the weekend'.
EOFY Tax Deduction
Upgrade to a pair of SafeStyle glasses today and get the best safety glasses out there, plus a tax deduction if you use them for work.
